You’re going on a trip soon, so you buy travel protection from Allianz Partners.

You get an email with all your plan documents. Great!

Then you hit “Archive” and never look at it again.

We understand: You may not have time to read 40+ pages of travel insurance fine print. But expert travelers know that there are certain things you absolutely must review after buying a policy (and before you travel.) Here’s what to look for in your travel insurance policy.

Pro tip: Download the free Allyz® app before you travel! This app lets you keep all your plan information in your pocket for easy reference on the go.

1. Make sure the basic info is correct.

Take a quick look at the Coverage Summary (on the first few pages of your policy) to confirm:

• The names of the covered traveler(s)
• Departure and return dates
• The name of the plan you purchased
• The benefits included in that plan

Why is this important? If any details are wrong, contact us right away to correct or update your plan.

You have 15 days (or more, depending on your state of residence) to cancel your plan and request a refund, provided you haven't started your trip or initiated a claim. After this review period, your premium is nonrefundable.

2. Check the coverage limits and minimum required delay.

In the Coverage Summary you’ll also find a quick explanation of the benefits included in your plan, when each benefit applies, and the maximum dollar value for each benefit.

Make sure the maximum benefit listed for trip cancellation matches your nonrefundable trip costs? If you forgot to include certain costs, or if you overestimated your costs, contact us ASAP.

Note the minimum required delay for trip delay and baggage delay benefits. This is the length of the delay that’s required in order for your benefits to apply.

Why is this important? Understanding the limits and delay requirements helps you know when you’re eligible to file a claim and the max limit on that claim. For instance, if you buy the AllTrips Prime annual travel insurance plan, you’ll see that your travel delay benefit kicks in after a minimum covered delay of 6 hours, and that the daily limit is $200 (with a max per-person, per-trip limit of $600.) So, if an unexpected snowstorm grounds your plane overnight, you could be reimbursed up to $200 per day for a hotel room, meals and other eligible covered expenses.

3. Find out if losses caused by pre-existing conditions can be covered.

Travelers often assume that travel insurance will deny claims caused by an existing medical condition. We have good news for you: Allianz Partners’ plans can reimburse losses for covered trip cancellations/trip interruptions and covered medical emergencies when they’re caused by an existing medical condition.

Why is this important? To be eligible, you’ll need to select a plan that offers a Pre-Existing Medical Condition Exclusion Waiver, and also meet the requirements for that waiver. It’s essential to understand how an existing medical condition is defined and how the waiver works before you travel.

Read about how and when travel insurance can cover existing medical conditions.

4. Review the covered reasons for trip cancellation/interruption.

Every Allianz Partners travel insurance plan has specific covered reasons for trip cancellation, trip interruption, and other benefits. A covered reason is a specific situation, circumstance, or event that, when it occurs, means you may be eligible to file a claim. If a situation’s not named, it can’t be covered. Learn more about covered reasons and how they work.

Also, make sure you understand the definitions of the words used. For example, the serious illness or death of a family member can be a covered reason for canceling your trip. But only certain people are defined as family members for travel insurance. Pets are not family members, although service animals are. Cousins are not considered family members, although nieces and nephews are.

Why is this important? If you cancel or interrupt your trip for a reason that’s not covered, your claim will be denied. Sometimes, travelers ask us to make a special exception for them — but unfortunately, travel insurance doesn’t work that way.

If you’re worried you might have to cancel for a reason that’s not covered, consider buying the Cancel Anytime upgrade. Available with our most popular plans, OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier, Cancel Anytime can reimburse 80% of your lost non-refundable trip costs if you cancel your trip for almost any unforeseeable reason your plan does not already cover.

5. Look at the exclusions.

What does travel insurance not cover? The “General Exclusions’ section has your answers. Exclusions are situations and circumstances in which your travel insurance will not provide reimbursement for any losses. A few of the common exclusions found in Allianz travel insurance policies:

• Any loss, condition, or event that was known, foreseeable, intended, or expected when your plan was purchased. For example: If you buy travel insurance when a named hurricane is already forecasted to hit your destination, storm-related losses would not be reimbursed.

• Normal pregnancy or childbirth, except as expressly covered under Trip Cancellation. Read more about how travel insurance protects travel during pregnancy.
• The use or abuse of alcohol or drugs
• Participating in extreme, high-risk sports and activities

Why is this important? You may want to adjust your planned travel activities to avoid high-risk activities that aren’t covered by travel insurance. If you’re traveling and you’re unsure about whether a particular activity or situation can be reimbursed by travel insurance, pull up your plan on the Allyz® app and check the exclusions. Or, you can use the app to call Customer Service and ask.

6. Learn how we can help with a travel emergency.

Every Allianz Partners travel insurance plan includes 24-Hour Assistance to help you while you’re traveling. Assistance isn’t just for medical emergencies! In your policy documents, you’ll find a long list of the services we offer, from foreign language translation to assistance with lost travel documents to replacing prescription medication.

If you find yourself in a sticky situation while traveling, use the Allyz® app to contact us. Or call 800-654-1908 in the U.S. and Canada, or 804-281-5700 (collect) from anywhere else in the world.

One last tip: You can look at sample travel insurance policy documents before buying. First, get an online quote. It only takes a few seconds! Then, you can see the full policy and pricing details for each plan option.

Related Articles

• Why is My Travel Insurance Claim Delayed?
• 7 Receipts You May Need to File a Travel Insurance Claim
• Trip Cancellation Insurance: Covered Reasons Explained