American, Delta and United are among many airlines that provide trip insurance policies through various providers – American through Allianz Travel Insurance; Delta through Travel Guard and United through AIG Travel.
Airline travel insurance typically provides nonrefundable, prepaid costs in case of illness, jury duty or job loss as well as compensation for natural disasters, severe weather and other events.
Trip Cancellation
Many airlines now provide customers with the option to purchase travel insurance as part of the flight booking process, with coverage options varying depending on which airline it’s purchased from. Protection typically offered includes trip cancellation, trip interruption/delay/lost bag cover. In some instances other benefits such as emergency medical, rental car and dental coverage may also be provided by this form of policy – typically sold as a single trip policy with annual plans sometimes also being available.
Though insurance premiums tend to be relatively inexpensive compared to flight costs, purchasing this policy may not be worth their while for travelers already covered by other means – for instance if an American Airlines trip was to be cancelled due to illness or natural disaster, this would likely be covered by credit card policies or independent providers.
Airline policies tend not to offer as comprehensive protections than stand-alone travel insurance plans or premium credit card policies, such as protection for pre-paid expenses like hotel bookings and tours, food purchased ahead of time and personal belongings. An exception could be Cancel For Any Reason coverage which may be an add-on option with comprehensive policies.
Purchasing travel insurance through American Airlines generally allows you to review coverage details and policy before finalizing the transaction. Most insurers provide a 14-15 day “free look period”, giving you time to reconsider before canceling or requesting a refund if desired.
Trip Delay
Flight delays can create travel chaos and add an additional level of anxiety, depending on the circumstances of your trip. Trip delay insurance could help offset additional expenses like food, transportation and hotel rooms that result from such delays; travel policies typically cover them after six hours have elapsed with daily limits that might reach up to $150 depending on their policies.
American Airlines flight reservations offer you the ability to add travel insurance protection at check-out or when making their online booking portal reservation. In addition, many credit cards provide travel protection that you can purchase as added protection when booking flights – for instance the Chase Sapphire Reserve card has “trip delay coverage”, which reimburses meals and hotel stays if your flight is delayed for at least six hours and forces an overnight stay.
Take note that credit card travel insurance policies differ significantly from standalone policies in terms of terms and coverage levels; some cards offer better coverage than others. Credit cards do not meet Squaremouth’s recommendations for comprehensive travel insurance policies; however, they could provide suitable coverage in case an unforeseen incident arises on your trip. If the prospect of flight delays worries you, consider adding an interruption for any reason (IFAR) policy to your standard trip insurance coverage as additional protection and reimbursement should your airline be responsible for disrupting travel plans. This policy could provide early homecoming compensation when airlines cause disruptions that force early returns.
Trip Interruption
Trip interruption coverage provides reimbursement of additional accommodations or transportation if your travel plans must be cut short due to illness, injury in the family of traveling companion, jury duty, job loss or natural disaster that makes a destination uninhabitable. Most policies also require notifying hotels, tour operators or cruise lines within 72 hours if a problem arises, so be sure to stay on top of your itinerary and notify necessary contacts as necessary.
Some credit cards, including American Express Platinum card and Chase Ink Business Preferred cards, include trip delay reimbursement or cancellation/interruption coverage as part of their premium offerings. Furthermore, these cards often provide rental car insurance, emergency assistance services and lost luggage reimbursement benefits as well.
Some airlines, like Delta, also sell travel protection plans directly to customers at airports or online. But these typically don’t offer as many benefits as third-party plans from companies like Allianz Global Assistance. These plans often cost more and may come with long lists of restrictions and exclusions; typically only covering purchases made using credit cards for purchases before and after travel journeys. Therefore, we advise researching various travel protection plans before purchasing through an airline or its affiliates. As an alternative, third-party travel insurance providers like Squaremouth provide third-party plans which offer medical and dental coverage as well as emergency transportation assistance and lost baggage reimbursement that surpass what an airline may provide.
Lost or Damaged Baggage
Be it through an airline, premium credit card perks benefits or purchasing travel policies independently, it is always essential to carefully read through your policies. Airlines often impose stringent guidelines regarding when and how you can cancel a trip, as well as which expenses are reimbursed.
Some airline policies exclude losses caused by government restrictions or travel advisories – for instance warnings not to travel due to terrorist threats or outbreaks of disease such as coronavirus pandemic – while also barring losses caused by natural disasters, pollution leading to cancelled flights, war or natural catastrophe.
Airline flight insurance typically offers coverage for baggage and personal belongings that are lost, stolen or damaged while in transit or at an airport. Usually starting after an amount of delay time has elapsed, this coverage can reimburse any essentials you need while waiting – such as toiletries, food or clothing purchases made while waiting on luggage – while being covered through homeowner or renter policies with existing claims already made against them.
Comprehensive travel insurance policies offer coverage for medical expense reimbursement during emergencies as well as 24-hour assistance and emergency evacuation assistance, rental car collision damage waiver coverage and primary coverage without deductible. Usually a standalone independent policy will cost more than the add-on provided by an airline but often represents better value when considering all factors involved.
Emergency Medical
American Airlines sells trip insurance as an add-on when booking a flight and often promotes this option on its website when travelers begin searching for flights. Furthermore, many premium credit cards provide travel protection as part of their rewards programs – however before purchasing any kind of protection policy it’s crucial that travelers carefully examine its policy details, limitations and exclusions to avoid surprises later.
Airline flight insurance typically only covers the costs associated with cancelled or interrupted flights and doesn’t typically cover non-refundable expenses such as hotels or tours; additionally, medical expenses aren’t usually covered. Cruise Critic’s Colleen McDaniels advises people seeking comprehensive travel protection to seek out policies with medical, evacuation and repatriation benefits for additional peace of mind.
American Airlines trip insurance plans only cover one trip itinerary and do not offer coverage for mishaps that arise prior or post trip, making a more comprehensive travel protection plan, like Chase Sapphire Preferred or Citi Prestige credit cards, more useful.
Though it can be tempting to add the airline’s optional travel protection when purchasing flights, it is wise to compare policies and read any fine print before making your decisions. Travel sites and credit card companies frequently pressure travelers into buying this protection; however it might be more advantageous to purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy or use one with built-in coverage instead.
