Travel Guard Insurance Review: Is It Worth the Cost?
AIG's Travel Guard insurance plans can cover you if you need to cancel (or interrupt) your trip.
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Updated · 6 min read
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Travel Guard
A multitude of add ons are available so you can better customize your coverage.
at SquareMouth
Pros
- Offers last-minute coverage.
- Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver available at nearly all plan levels.
- Plan available for business travelers.
Cons
- Cancel For Any Reason coverage only reimburses up to 50% of the trip cost and is limited to higher-level plans.
- Trip interruption coverage doesn't apply to trips paid for with points and miles.
Travel insurance from reputable brands like Travel Guard can protect your trips and assure that your investment is not lost due to last-minute travel changes. The brand has four main plans with reasonable costs (especially if you consider the potential of losing what you spent).
One thing that really sets it apart from the competition is that these plans are customizable to your specific needs, which is not something that all providers offer. Let’s dig into what Travel Guard can offer.
What is Travel Guard travel insurance?
Travel Guard has different plans that suit different needs. Someone taking a weekend trip to the Poconos won’t need the same plan as a senior traveler heading to the Australian outback. These plans are designed to meet every traveler’s need, from families and adventure-seekers to last-minute planners and the budget-conscious.
Travel Guard’s travel insurance is underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh. According to insurance rating firm AM Best, the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of National Union Fire Insurance Company is ranked as an A (excellent), easing any concern of a default on payments.
4 Travel Guard travel insurance offerings
Travel Guard's policies offer a variety of coverage benefits. Three of the four plans can be customized for your individual trip needs while the Pack N’ Go plan covers same-day travel and offers post-departure coverage for last-minute trips.
- Essential: Perfect for those who want the basics, like trip cancellation and trip interruption protection, plus baggage insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage.
- Preferred: This plan increases trip interruption protection and adds more coverage for lost or missing bags and emergency medical needs.
- Deluxe: Travel Guard’s most comprehensive plan offers the highest level of coverage for baggage delay or loss and emergency medical evacuation, and even offers coverage for a missed flight connection, as well as security evacuation coverage due to riots or civil disorder.
- Pack N’ Go: This plan is designed for a last-minute trip and is only able to be booked the day you leave. However, it does cover lost or delayed bags, missed connections, medical expenses and emergency evacuations.
What do Travel Guard insurance plans cover?
Travel Guard travel insurance coverage depends on the plan you pick. While there is an annual plan that covers all of your travel during one year, you can also purchase a dedicated plan that applies to your trip; these are labeled as Essential, Preferred, Deluxe or Pack N' Go and come with trip protections and some medical coverage.
These are the primary inclusions that come with a Travel Guard policy:
- Trip interruption and trip cancellation: This means that you are eligible for reimbursement of nonrefundable expenses you’ve previously paid due to your trip being canceled or interrupted. Trip cancellation benefits are not part of the Pack N' Go plan.
- Travel medical/dental expenses: This covers the costs of any emergency medical services during your trip (including up to $500 for dental expenses) and is part of all four plans.
- Trip delay: This benefit covers expenses, like hotel stays and meals, if your travel is delayed.
- Emergency evacuation: This is focused solely on medical care, when suggested by a physician. Evacuation in the event of war or security concerns is another benefit that is not included in all plans.
- Baggage insurance: This would reimburse the replacement of lost items or buying new things, like clothes and toiletries, if your bag is lost or delayed.
- Protection for other travelers: If you’re sharing accommodations with an uninsured traveler who cancels their trip, single occupancy coverage can be handy. It could cover additional expenses you might incur as the now-sole occupant. A child under the age of 17 traveling with an insured adult is covered on all plans except Pack N’ Go.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Before you shell out for travel insurance, check to see if any of your travel credit cards offer complimentary trip insurance. When you pay for the trip with your card, you could be covered automatically at no additional charge. » Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now
Travel Guard detailed policy overview
Here’s how the plans stack up against each other. There are also numerous add-on options that can help customize the plan to exactly what you need for your trip.
| Coverage limits | |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | Essential: 100% of trip cost. Preferred: 100% of trip cost. Deluxe: 100% of trip cost. Pack N’ Go: N/A. |
| Trip interruption | Essential: 100% of trip cost. Preferred: 150% of trip cost. Deluxe: 150% of trip cost. Pack N’ Go: 100% of trip cost. |
| Medical expenses | Essential: Up to $15,000. Preferred: Up to $50,000. Deluxe: Up to $150,000. Pack N’ Go: Up to $50,000. |
| Baggage | Essential: Up to $750 for lost, $200 for delay. Preferred: Up to $1,000 for lost, $300 for delay. Deluxe: Up to $2,500 for lost, $500 for delay. Pack N’ Go: Up to $1,000 for lost, $200 for delay. |
This quartet of plans is an alternative to the brand’s annual travel insurance plan, which is a great option for frequent travelers looking for year-round protection.
Add-on bundle options
The types of add-ons you can bundle into some, but not all plans, include:
- Quarantine coverage.
- Adventure sports.
- Pet boarding and medical expenses.
- Wedding cancellation.
- Inclusion of one extra person for coverage.
- Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR).
- Medical coverage upgrade (including hospital of choice).
- Evacuation for security (non-medical) reasons.
What Travel Guard plans do not cover
There are some things that are not covered by Travel Guard’s plans, even though there are many options from which to choose. While it is common for travel insurance plans to exclude coverage for adventure sports, Travel Guard’s Deluxe and Preferred plans allow you to include it by adding a bundle. Understanding what is and is not covered is key.
All three of Travel Guard’s main plans include pre-existing conditions with early purchase; its Pack N’ Go plan, however, does not.
These are some of the other exclusions:
- Coverage for trips paid for with frequent flier miles or loyalty programs: Travel Guard will only cover the cash cost of your trip, which means award redemptions remain unprotected. Keep this in mind if redeeming points for that bucket list trip, although the loyalty program you used may be able to offer some sort of alternative if you miss your trip.
- Baggage loss for eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids or dentures: These items should be kept with you in your carry-on as a general rule, so they won’t be covered by a Travel Guard policy.
- Known events: If you knowingly book a trip with some inherent risks, it won’t be covered. For example, once the National Weather Service issues a warning for a hurricane, it becomes a known event.
There are other standard travel insurance exclusions that are part of travel insurance, including:
- Any loss while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Practicing or participating in extreme sports or athletic events (unless Adventure Sports Bundle purchased).
- Traveling to secure medical treatment or outside the advice of a physician.
- Named storms.
How much is Travel Guard travel insurance?
The price for Travel Guard’s travel insurance will depend on your destination and the type of plan that you choose.
We generated a quote for a 45-year-old traveler from Illinois heading to Mexico for a week, with a total trip cost of $1,500. Here’s how pricing shook out.
| Plan | Cost |
|---|---|
| Essential | $65.73. |
| Preferred | $104.29. |
| Deluxe | $134.45. |
| Pack N’ Go | $43.67. |
In general, travel insurance costs more when you add more trip protection benefits. The Pack N’ Go plan is the least expensive because it does not include trip cancellation coverage, which likely isn’t needed when purchasing insurance on the day of departure. When you add additional coverage, like trip cancellation, the cost increases. However, the Essential plan (which includes trip cancellation coverage) is only about $22 more and could be worth it if you are risk-averse.
How Travel Guard travel insurance compares with other offerings
Sample quotes for a 36-year-old Indiana resident taking a five-day, $1,200 trip to Canada, wanting full coverage, are shown below across various travel insurance brands.
The cheapest Travel Guard plan costs $36.94 while the most premium plan with higher coverage limits costs $104.50.
When compared with other brands, the same sample trip ranges in cost from $37-$185. Remember, these plans are not identical. You will need to factor in both the cost and the scope of its coverage, limits and exclusions.
| Company | Star rating | Basic plan cost | Premium plan cost | Generate a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeoBlue Travel Insurance | | $10. | $18. | |
| Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection | | $26. | $75. | |
| Tin Leg | | $36. | $188. | |
| WorldTrips Travel Insurance | | $47. | $66. | |
| World Nomads | Currently being rated and reviewed. | $63. | $115. | |
| Trawick International | | $100. | $194. | |
| AXA Assistance USA | | $114. | $159. | |
| Generali | | $123. | $164. | |
| Travelex Insurance Services | | $135. | $198. | |
| AEGIS (GoReady) Travel Insurance | | $139. | $208. | |
| HTH Travel Insurance | | $146. | $233. | |
| Seven Corners | | $154. | $225. | |
| Travel Insured International | | $164. | $218. | |
| Allianz Global Assistance | | $166. | $291. | |
| USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services | | $169. | $297. | |
| AAA | Currently being rated and reviewed. | $183. | $222. | |
| IMG | | $183. | $252. | |
| Travel Guard by AIG | Currently being rated and reviewed. | $135. | $236. | |
| Chubb | | $185. | $312. | |
| TravelSafe | | $200. | $468. | |
| Arch RoamRight | | $202. | $225. | |
| These star ratings are based on a separate analysis of each travel insurance provider’s offerings. For more detailed scoring, see our recommendations for the best travel insurance companies, read each individual provider's NerdWallet review or view our methodology at the end of this article. Pricing is subject to change based on your specific trip details. You can verify the latest price by clicking through to Squaremouth (a NerdWallet partner). | ||||
Which Travel Guard travel insurance plan works for me?
The right Travel Guard plan for you is based on the kind of trip you’re taking and risk tolerance. Insurance is designed to take the worry out of travel disruption, and most premium plans are not significantly more expensive than the less-protective plans. If you are buying insurance for peace of mind, a premium plan may be worth the additional cost.
Review the coverage details
Determine which plan works best for the trip you’re taking, what you need covered and the levels of coverage required.
Travel Guard’s Preferred Plan is its most popular and is a great middle ground. It includes numerous add-on options that allow you to tailor the plan for what you need.
Don’t forget about existing coverage
Many travel credit cards come with their own travel insurance perks, and these can be significant. Coverage can include trip interruption insurance, baggage delay reimbursement, coverage for overnight hotels or meals, and emergency medical insurance.
Just remember that you’ll only qualify for that built-in insurance if you use that card to pay for your trip.
Comparison shopping can save cash
Travel insurance aggregators can help you compare several policies at once, much like an OTA like Orbitz does with airlines. Remember, each company may have different inclusions and exclusions that affect the price.
» Learn more: How to find the best travel insurance
What information do you need to buy a Travel Guard travel insurance policy
Purchasing a Travel Guard insurance plan is simple to do online, and takes just a few minutes. From Travel Guard’s homepage, you fill out a form using the following details to generate a quote:
- Destination country.
- Dates of travel.
- State of residence.
- When initial payment was made.
- Age.
- Trip cost and how much you want to protect with insurance.
Does Travel Guard travel insurance offer 24/7 travel assistance?
Yes, Travel Guard is available 24/7 to provide travel assistance. They can help with everything from finding an English-speaking doctor, replacing a lost passport or lost baggage, or sorting through delayed flight plans.
To reach these services, call (800) 826-1300 in the U.S. and (715) 345-0505 when calling U.S. and International Collect.
How to file a Travel Guard travel insurance claim
Policy holders who purchased their plan in the U.S. can file a claim online using Travel Guard’s claim form. Anyone who purchased outside of the U.S. should call (866) 478-8222. Be sure to have your policy details and relevant documentation available.
Is Travel Guard travel insurance worth getting?
Buying a policy is simple, and the types of customizable coverage can help protect the money you spend on travel, in case any unforeseen circumstances arise. Before purchasing, look into any existing coverage you have and that your destination will be covered by your plan. Some health insurance policies provide coverage when you’re overseas, but it is best to check with your insurance provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Travel Guard travel insurance cover flight cancellation?
Yes, if your flight is canceled or you miss a connection, you may have coverage via trip delay insurance that will refund reasonable costs like a hotel and meals.
How long does a Travel Guard travel insurance refund take?
Claim refunds may vary based on the nature of the request, and the more information you can provide, the speedier the process can be. Use the existing claim form to check the status.
Is Travel Guard travel insurance primary or secondary?
The Deluxe and Preferred plans include primary travel medical expense coverage, but for the Essential plan, it is considered secondary coverage.
Does Travel Guard travel insurance cover COVID?
Yes, Travel Guard insurance covers COVID-19 if you have a confirmed diagnosis before or during your trip.
» Learn more: Is travel insurance worth it?
The bottom line on Travel Guard travel insurance
With numerous plans that fit different needs, there is something for all types of travelers (even budget-conscious and last-minute travelers). Travel Guard even has the ability to add on “Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR)” insurance.
Keep in mind that plans vary by state of residence, and that if you have a premium travel credit card, you may already have some built-in travel insurance coverage.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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