TravelInsurance.com Review

With the uncertainty of today's world, those planning trips abroad are seriously considering adding a travel insurance policy. A study by the U.S. Travel Insurance Association notes Americans spend nearly $4 billion in policies every year. But how can you tell if you are getting the best possible plan for your dollar?

Instead of purchasing a travel insurance policy from an airline or other travel provider, many turn to an aggregator to compare their options. TravelInsurance.com is one of the more popular websites to offer policies from a number of insurance companies. With one form, travelers can compare multiple quotes to cover their next adventure.

In this article, we’ll go over all the options TravelInsurance.com has to offer, and how you might be able to find the right plan on their platform.

What is TravelInsurance.com

Founded in 2012, TravelInsurance.com is one of several travel insurance marketplaces catering to American travelers. As an insurance agency, the company is licensed to do business in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In California, the company does business as “DigiVentures Holdings Insurance Agency LLC,” while in New York they are listed as “TravelInsurance.com Agency.”

Because they are an insurance agency, they do not underwrite any of their own insurance products. Instead, they are a third-party agent selling products offered by several different companies.

For most policies, there are no age limits -- travelers of any age can apply for and receive a short-term plan that will cover their next trip. Popular plans include coverage for trip cancellation, trip delay and baggage loss.

Some plans may also include medical care, which include emergency medical care, hospitalization and medical evacuation. However, these plans are typically non-compliant with the Affordable Care Act, and may not be accepted by your doctor for concerns that come from a trip. In addition, medical travel insurance plans usually only cover individuals when they are outside of the United States.

Travel Insurance Options

As a travel insurance marketplace, TravelInsurance.com offers numerous plans from several different companies. Their travel insurance providers are:

• AIG Travel Guard
• AXA Assistance USA
• Generali Global Assistance
• Global Trip Protection
• GoReady Insurance
• IMG
• John Hancock Travel Insurance
• RoamRight
• Seven Corners Travel Insurance
• Tokio Marine HCC
• Travel Insured International
• Travelex Insurance Services
• Trawick International

On the website, shoppers can search multiple plans once based on their trip: What countries they are visiting, how many travelers are going, their ages, and the length of their trip. With this information, the site will display offers from many of the different companies, all with different premiums and coverage maximums.

Although the website offers coverage from fewer travel insurance companies than other marketplaces, the companies are all well-known and present a good range of selections for consumers. For example: Some providers may offer coverage in nations others exclude, while others may offer higher maximums and lower deductibles.

What’s Covered Under a Typical Plan from TravelInsurance.com

Most travel insurance plans offer a basic level of coverage under all of their plans. At the minimum, you can expect to get trip cancellation coverage, trip interruption coverage, baggage delay and loss coverage, and some medical coverage.

• Trip cancellation: Life events happen that are outside of our control. If you end up getting in a car accident on the way to the airport, or experience an illness or hospitalization before your trip, trip cancellation benefits can help you recover non-refundable costs of airfare, hotel rooms, tours and event tickets.
• Trip Interruption: If a storm causes serious damage to your home, or a loved one were to get seriously ill while you are away, would you have the money to immediately return home? Trip interruption coverage can help you catch the next flight home in the event of an emergency.
• Baggage delay and loss: Every year, airlines and cruise lines mishandle hundreds of thousands of bags, leaving them behind or even destroying them. Baggage delay benefits give you a set reimbursement allowance per day your luggage is lost to replace clothes and one phone charger. If your bags ultimately end up lost, you could get a flat payment to replace the lost items.
• Emergency medical coverage: Accidents and injuries can happen anywhere in the world. If food poisoning or a serious car crash forces you to go to the emergency room, emergency medical coverage may ensure your bills are paid, or help you talk to doctors with a translator.
• Medical evacuation: In the worst-case scenario, would you be able to afford an air ambulance home? Emergency evacuation can cost $10,000 or more, depending on where you are traveling from. Medical evacuation benefits may help you find an air ambulance provider and arrange transport from where you are at to a hospital near your home.

What’s Available as Additional Insurance Options?

In addition to the benefits available from your selected travel insurance plan, you may also have the option to add additional coverage. The most common add-ons include cancel for any reason, hazardous activity waivers and pre-existing condition coverage.

• Cancel for Any Reason Travelers who are concerned about rapidly changing conditions affecting their travels may consider purchasing the cancel for any reason add-on. With this benefit, you can cancel your trip for any reason beyond the covered reasons, and recover between 50% and 80% of your trip costs you don’t get back from travel providers.
• Hazardous Activity Waiver While travel insurance covers many different scenarios, it usually does not cover activities including parasailing, rock climbing, or running with the bulls. If you plan on participating in anything out of the ordinary, any injuries or incidents may not be covered unless you purchase the hazardous activity waiver.
• Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion Waiver Because travel insurance plans are not compliant with the Affordable Care Act, they often do not cover emergencies caused by pre-existing conditions. In most situations, a pre-existing condition is anything that presented symptoms or caused medical care in the four months before your trip, including heart conditions and broken bones. If you are concerned that a condition may create problems on your trip, you will want to add a pre-existing condition exclusion waiver.

How to Buy Travel Insurance

It’s usually best to purchase travel insurance as you plan your trip, because you will not only get the best price but also qualify for additional add-on coverage, including cancel for any reason or pre-existing condition coverage. As you start purchasing tours, airfare and hotel rooms, you should also start searching for travel insurance.

To shop for travel insurance, you will need to provide basic information about your trip. This includes your total trip cost, primary destination, trip dates, the number of travelers and their age, along with citizenship and residency information. You will also be asked for the date of your first trip deposit, to see if you qualify for early purchase options.

With this information, TravelInsurance.com will provide several options from their partners, each with different levels of protection. You can filter the results based on what’s important to you, including baggage policies, car rental collision coverage, emergency medical evacuation, or pre-existing condition exclusion waivers. This gives you control over which benefits matter most, and allows you to compare levels and price against one another.

Once you’ve selected a travel insurance plan, you will continue to purchase. During this phase, you will be asked to provide:

• Your name, birthdate and gender
• The names, birthdates and gender of everyone on your itinerary
• Home address and e-mail
• Telephone number

After providing payment from a credit or debit card, your travel insurance policy will be confirmed with the insurance company, and you will have coverage for your upcoming trip.

If you need to add additional coverage for additional travel-related purchases, such as additional tours, event tickets or car rentals, you can contact TravelInsurance.com to purchase additional coverage.

How Do I Get my Travel Insurance Documents?

Once your travel insurance plan is processed by your provider of choice, you will receive paperwork from the company. It is critical that you carry your insurance paperwork with you as you travel, as it will provide contact information for claims and serve as a guarantee-to-pay at hospitals.

Security

Transactions on the TravelInsurance.com website are secured using RSA 2048-bit SSL technology. The company also utilizes DigiCert security services with Norton protection, ensuring private and personally identifiable information both to the website and their partners are protected with a secure connection.

TravelInsurance.com Reviews and Ratings

As a travel insurance agent, TravelInsurance.com is well rated on both Trustpilot and ShopperApproved. As of May 8th, 2023, their current rating at Trustpilot is 4.6 stars with thirty four reviews (thirty one being five-star reviews), while ShopperApproved gives them 4.9 stars based on over 96,000 ratings. Many of the negative ratings on ShopperApproved are not with their customer service, but rather with the service of the insurance companies. Other complaints are around specific coverage options, including the lack of options for the current pandemic.

The company currently holds an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and has been accredited by the organization since 2012. The company is also a member of the main industry travel group, the U.S. Travel Insurance Association.

Pros and Cons of TravelInsurance.com

Pros:

• Single source website to get multiple quotes
• Works with multiple major travel insurance companies in the United States
• Highly rated by review companies
• Shopping can be filtered for easy comparison

Cons:

• Insurance is administered by the providers, not TravelInsurance.com
• TravelInsurance.com does not provide claims assistance
• No online folder to keep insurance documents online

Final Thoughts on TravelInsurance.com

For travelers searching for a well-rounded travel insurance policy, TravelInsurance.com offers a number of great options with an easy-to-navigate interface. While it may not offer as many options as other travel insurance providers, the well-recognized names they work with and easy interface makes finding the right policy an easy experience from start to finish.