What’s the number-one reason most people buy travel insurance? That’s simple: They don’t want to lose money. It’s painful to pay thousands for a cruise or a family vacation and then forfeit it all because you had to cancel last-minute.

As valuable as trip cancellation benefits can be, we believe the most important reason to buy a travel insurance plan is peace of mind. When you purchase a plan from Allianz Global Assistance, you know that not only are you protected in case of certain financial risks, but help is always available when you need it.

We believe the best travel insurance plans give you not only financial protection, but guidance when you’re in unfamiliar territory and reassurance that someone’s looking out for you. Here’s what travel protection means to us.

1. Travel protection is personal

Allianz Global Assistance protects over 55 million travelers annually. That’s a lot! But every single one of those travelers can expect personalized, expert help when they need it, just by calling 24-Hour Hotline Assistance.

If you find yourself facing a travel emergency, don’t hesitate to call: 800-654-1908 in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) or Canada, 804-281-5700 (collect) from anywhere else in the world. Our amazing Assistance team can provide all kinds of services, from foreign language translation to assistance with lost travel documents to locating medical care for a covered emergency.

Read more: Secret Superpowers of the Allianz Global Assistance Team

2. Travel protection is intuitive

When you’re in an unfamiliar place where you might not speak the language, an emergency can completely overwhelm you. Having travel protection means you don’t have to figure out what to do on your own — you can get help with two taps. Use the free Allyz app from Allianz Global Assistance to instantly access 24-Hour Hotline Assistance and/or local emergency services. You can also use the app to check your plan benefits.

We write our plan documents in straightforward, simple language, so that it’s easy to understand what’s covered and what’s excluded from coverage. Have a question about how your travel insurance works? Contact us! We’re available around the clock, by phone and through the Allyz app. 

We believe the claims process should be intuitive too. When you experience a covered loss while traveling, we want to process your claim and reimburse your covered expenses as quickly as possible.

Read more: Four Insider Tips for Filing a Travel Insurance Claim

3. Travel protection is proactive

If you travel often, you come to expect a certain number of departure delays. On average, about 19 percent of domestic flights are delayed.¹ We asked ourselves: How can we make it easier to receive compensation for a covered delay?

With SmartBenefits^® (available with the OneTrip Premier plan), customers can opt to receive a fixed inconvenience payment of $100 per insured person, per day, for a covered delay. No receipts required — just proof of the delay! Get paid rapidly after Allianz Global Assistance confirms a covered delay on a monitored flight. (The speed of your payment depends on how quickly your bank can process the funds and the payment method chosen.) That’s travel protection: getting you the money when you need it most.

Read more: How SmartBenefits^® Can Give You Super-Speedy Claim Payments (and More)

4. Travel protection can see you — and your loved ones — safely home

Some basic travel insurance plans (like the ones included with your credit card) might include emergency medical benefits in case of an overseas medical emergency. But read the fine print: They typically don’t cover medical repatriation — the costs of sending you home after a covered medical emergency with a medical escort or special accommodations, if necessary.

Allianz Global Assistance plans with emergency medical transportation benefits also include medical repatriation. If you end up in the hospital for a covered medical emergency while traveling, your Assistance coordinator can check in daily with you and your doctor to monitor your progress, update your loved ones back in the United States, and arrange your travel home once you’re medically stable.

We make sure your children are OK, too. If you’re traveling with children under 18, or other dependents who need your full-time care, and you’re hospitalized for more than 24 hours during your trip, we can arrange and pay to transport them back home, or to a place you specify in the U.S.

We’ll even help look after your pets! If you’re traveling with a dog or cat and you’re unable to care for them because you’re experiencing a covered medical emergency, we can help find a safe place to board them. (Your travel insurance benefits won’t pay for pet boarding, however. This is just a courtesy we offer).

5. Travel protection is customized

People don’t travel because they enjoy sitting in airports. People travel for important reasons: visiting relatives, attending friends’ big events, sharing adventures with family, pursuing personal dreams. Because every traveler is unique, we design travel protection plans to fit all kinds of different needs.

• For the price-conscious domestic traveler, there’s OneTrip Cancellation Plus.
• For the frequent business traveler, there’s the AllTrips Executive plan.
• For the budget international traveler, there’s OneTrip Basic.
• For the traveler with children, there’s OneTrip Prime.
• For the traveler planning a long-awaited dream vacation, there’s OneTrip Premier.
• For the free-spirited international traveler, there’s OneTrip Emergency Medical.
• For the traveler (or family) embarking on a year of big trips, there’s AllTrips Premier.

See all the options for protection to give you peace of mind. Find a plan.

Related Articles

• The Complete Guide to Travel Insurance Benefits
• Behind the Scenes: The Allianz Travel Assistance Hotline
• The Complete Guide to Travel Insurance from Allianz Global Assistance