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It's impossible to predict the future, especially when you're traveling. That's why travel insurance is often a wise investment. You want to protect yourself and your money in case something goes wrong. Business Insider compared AAA travel insurance to the best travel insurance companies and found it to be above an average, especially if you're traveling with kids.
AAA Travel Insurance Review
The American Automobile Association is a national organization with over 61 million members and offers comprehensive travel insurance plans. AAA policies are supplied by Allianz Global Assistance, one of the world's top travel insurance providers.
AAA Travel Insurance makes it easy to get coverage for an upcoming trip. You can get a quote, compare plans, and purchase a policy online.
The plans from AAA travel insurance are extensive, covering the following:
- Trip cancellations
- Trip delays
- Trip interruptions
- Trip changes
- Emergency medical transport
- Lost baggage
- Lost or stolen travel documents
AAA travel insurance plans are competitively priced and give you the flexibility to pay for only the amount of coverage you need. For instance, if you're traveling with one small piece of luggage, you could opt for a more basic plan with less baggage coverage, saving you money in the process. Kids 17 and under are also covered for free when they travel with parents or grandparents, making it a good choice for travel insurance for families.
One downside to AAA travel insurance is that the website is not as user-friendly as its competitors. Requesting a AAA travel insurance quote and comparing plan options can be more challenging than on some other travel insurance platforms. Additionally, it's coverage limits on emergency medical insurance is on the lower side, topping out at $75,000.
AAA Travel Insurance Plans Available
AAA travel insurance offers several plans, each with its own price and level of coverage. Plan availability depends on where you live.
Travelers from most U.S. states will have the following plan options:
- TripProtect Select II. This is the simplest, most affordable plan. Among its many benefits, AAA offers trip cancellation insurance up to $50,000, emergency medical up to $25,000, and lost baggage coverage up to $1,000.
- TripProtect Cancel Anytime. This provides the same coverage as TripProtect Select II, but allows travelers to cancel their trip for "almost any unforeseen reason" not already covered in the Select plan. Cancellations that fall under this category are eligible for 80% reimbursement of nonrefundable fees.
- TripProtect Deluxe II. This plan covers the same categories as the Select II plan, but increases the coverage amount in most categories. For example, the baggage coverage extends up to $2,000 and travel medical insurance extends to $75,000.
- Rental Car Damage Protector. This is a plan specifically for protecting you if your rental car is damaged. It doesn't cover standard travel-related categories, but it does cover trip interruptions related to a rental car, rental car damage (up to $50,000), and baggage loss related to a rental car.
Travelers from New York and Washington have access to the TripAssist plans (instead of the TripProtect plans outlined above). The scope of coverage with TripAssist plans is quite similar.
Keep in mind that AAA travel insurance could deny coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions. That said, it's possible to secure insurance, even with a pre-existing condition. You will have to buy a plan that can provide a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver and buy your policy within a specified purchasing window.
In AAA's case, all its policies, excluding its rental car damage protector, offers pre-existing condition waivers. To qualify for the waiver, you'll need to purchase your policy within 14 days of your initial trip deposit.
Additional Coverage Options Offered by AAA Travel Insurance (Riders)
AAA travel insurance doesn't allow for add-ons or riders. With each AAA travel insurance plan, what you see is what you get. Only the people named on the policy are covered. So, if you're traveling with family members or friends who want coverage, be sure to include them when requesting a quote. However, note that kids 17 and under can be covered for free.
You also need to be aware of exclusions. Exclusions are certain expenses that aren't covered by the travel insurance policy.
Common exclusions with AAA travel insurance include:
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- "Normal" pregnancy and childbirth
- Fertility treatment or elective abortion
- Alcohol or drug use
- High-risk or extreme sports (bungee jumping, skydiving, etc.)
- Criminal acts
- War or war-related activity (including terrorism)
Before purchasing a policy, make sure you're aware of the specific exclusions for your chosen plan.
How Much Does AAA Travel Insurance Cost?
The cost of a AAA travel insurance plan depends on several factors, including:
- Your home state
- The number of travelers
- The age of the travelers
- Your destination
- The length of your trip
- The total cost of your trip
When you request a quote on the official AAA travel insurance website, you'll provide all of this information. That way, AAA can quote you an accurate price.
For a general idea of typical costs, here's how much the TripProtect Select II plan would cost in certain situations:
- $152 – A 23-year-old from Illinois taking a week-long, $3,000 trip to Italy
- $186 – A 30-year-old from California taking a two-week trip to Japan for $4,000
- $434 – A Texas family (two 40-year-old parents with a 10-year-old and 4-year-old) taking a two-week trip to Australia for $20,000
- $418* – A 65-year-old couple from New York taking a $6,000 trip to Mexico for two weeks
*This quote is for the TripAssist Family Care plan, which is currently only available in New York and Washington.
How to Purchase and Manage a AAA Travel Insurance Policy
AAA Travel Insurance provides affordable, user-friendly policy options. You can purchase a AAA travel insurance policy online by going to the official AAA travel insurance website and follow the following steps:
- Enter information about your upcoming trip, including your state of residence, the total trip cost, destination, travel dates, and the ages of all travelers.
- Choose from the available plans (and then click "Buy Now").
- Provide additional information (name, address, and flight information).
- Enter your credit card information.
- Click "Complete Purchase."
The entire process should only take a few minutes. Just make sure you carefully look at each available plan before making your decision. Additionally, consider whether you need the pre-existing condition waiver. To qualify, you'll need to purchase your policy within 14 days of your initial trip deposit.
How to file a claim with AAA Travel Insurance
The easiest way to file a claim is to do it online.
Go to the travel insurance page of the AAA website and click "File or check a claim." In the next window, click "File a claim." This will take you to the Allianz Insurance Claims Center (remember, Allianz is the supplier of AAA travel insurance).
You can also go directly to the Allianz Insurance Claims Center.
Within Allianz's online claims system, you'll follow a basic three-step process:
- Provide some details about what happened in an online form.
- Upload supporting documentation (incident reports, proof of payment, trip itineraries, receipts, etc.)
- Continue to check your claim status online through the Allianz Insurance Claims Center.
If you prefer not to file a claim through the Allianz website, you can use one of these alternative methods:
- The Allyz TravelSmart mobile app (available for iOS and Android)
- Email via [email protected]
- Fax to 804-673-1469
- Mail to the following address:
Allianz Global Assistance
P.O. Box 71533
Richmond, VA 23255-1533
Whichever filing method you choose, remember that Allianz can't accept a claim without proof. So, make sure you include all the documents necessary to show that the incident occurred. If Allianz needs more documentation, they'll ask for it – but the request is likely to slow down the claim process.
AAA Travel Insurance Customer Service and Support Experience
AAA travel insurance is provided by Allianz, a reputable insurance provider based in Germany. In online reviews, Allianz customers report an overall positive support experience.
Allianz gets an average of 4.2 stars from users on the popular review site Trustpilot. People frequently comment that the claims process goes smoothly and takes less time than expected. Customers also praise the staff for being truthful and responsive.
AAA Travel Insurance vs. Its Competitors
AAA Travel Insurance isn't the only option for travelers who want coverage. Here's how AAA stacks up against the competition.
AAA Travel Insurance vs. Nationwide
Unlike AAA, which is a nonprofit motor club organization that offers travel insurance on the side, Nationwide is an actual insurance company. That means they have a wider variety of travel insurance plans to choose from.
Along with single-trip insurance, Nationwide Travel Insurance offers annual multi-trip plans and special cruise plans.
Annual travel insurance can be cost-effective if you take multiple trips in a year. So, if you're a frequent traveler, getting an annual plan from Nationwide could be better than using AAA to buy multiple single-trip plans.
Read our Nationwide travel insurance review.
AAA Travel Insurance vs. Faye
Faye Travel Insurance is an app-based travel insurance provider that offers highly customizable plans. With Faye, you can choose to add coverage for vacation rental damage, extreme sports, and even pet care. This flexibility, along with the app-based interface, makes it a great option for young, adventurous travelers.
Faye doesn't let you choose between different coverage amounts for included categories. This is different from AAA travel insurance, where you can select between a basic plan with lower coverage amounts and a more comprehensive plan with higher coverage amounts. So, if you're hoping to match your coverage to your level of risk tolerance, AAA could be better.
Read our Faye travel insurance review.
AAA Travel Insurance vs. Cat 70
Operated by travel insurance aggregator SquareMouth, Cat 70 Travel Insurance provides $500,000 in emergency medical coverage. That's significantly more than AAA travel insurance, which only covers up to $75,000 in emergency medical expenses. That makes Cat 70 a better option for older travelers or anyone who worries they could suffer a medical emergency.
However, the signup process for Cat 70 is relatively confusing compared to AAA's system. You have to go through SquareMouth, instead of requesting a quote from Cat 70 directly. So, if your goal is to simplify the process, AAA is better.
Read our Cat 70 travel insurance review.
AAA Travel Insurance FAQs
All AAA travel insurance plans cover trip cancellation, with the exception of the specific rental car damage plans.
AAA travel insurance covers trip cancellations, trip interruptions, medical emergencies, lost baggage, and lost or stolen travel documents. It can also cover pre-existing medical conditions, but only if you secure a waiver ahead of time. The exact coverage will depend on the specific AAA travel insurance plan.
Yes, Allianz provides the travel insurance that AAA offers. This means that if you purchase an AAA travel insurance plan and have to file a claim, you'll file it with Allianz.
AAA membership does not include travel insurance for seniors or anyone else. For an AAA member to get travel insurance through the organization, they have to pay for it separately.
Why You Should Trust Us: What Went into Our AAA Travel Insurance Review
To evaluate AAA travel insurance, we reviewed the variety of options it offers, coverage limits, benefits, add-ons, flexibility, protocols, claims process, and affordability. We pay attention to any savings opportunities travelers can take advantage of, like discounts for children. We also look at how travel insurance companies handle pre-existing medical conditions.
We'll also consider how customers rate a travel insurance company. After all, it doesn't matter if a travel insurance company offers great coverage if it's not going to follow through on payouts if a covered event occurs.
Read more about our travel insurance ratings methodology here.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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