at Squaremouth
AXA
While offering multiple plans, AXA might not allow as many customizations compared to some competitors.
at Squaremouth
Pros
- Cancel For Any Reason coverage is available for more premium plans.
- Offers add-on coverage for rental cars and pets.
Cons
- Missed connection coverage not available on all plans.
AXA Travel Insurance is part of the AXA group and has been selling travel insurance for more than two decades in more than 30 countries.
The company says their extensive healthcare provider network sets them apart from their competitors along with their customer support.
If you’re planning a trip and are looking for travel insurance that offers peace of mind, here’s what to know about AXA travel insurance.
On this page
- AXA travel insurance offerings
- What AXA travel insurance covers
- AXA detailed policy overview
- What AXA plans do not cover
- How much is AXA travel insurance?
- Which AXA plan is best for me?
- Does AXA offer 24/7 travel assistance?
- How to file a claim with AXA travel insurance
- Is AXA travel insurance worth it?
- How AXA Assistance USA travel insurance compares to its competitors
- Star rating methodology
AXA travel insurance offerings
AXA offers five travel insurance plans geared towards different kinds of trips and travelers. Each has different benefits and available upgrades.
- Explorer Standard: Good for most vacations including international travel.
- Explorer Select: Good for family trips and cruises with high amounts of emergency accident and sickness coverage.
- Explorer Elite: This is the company’s most popular plan and is for higher-end trips and for seniors.
- North America Explorer: Only for domestic travel and it’s good for trips with pets or road trips.
- Explorer OnTrip: For the last-minute trip or for same day travel.
What AXA travel insurance covers
AXA travel insurance plans are comprehensive and have both pre- and post-departure benefits along with medical and baggage benefits.
- Trip cancellation: Provides reimbursement for prepaid and non-refundable trip costs if a covered reason forces you to cancel your trip before you depart.
- Trip interruption: Reimburses for unused and nonrefundable trip costs if you need to interrupt your trip for a covered reason.
- Trip delay: Reimburses for reasonable additional expenses, unused prepaid nonrefundable trip costs and additional transportation expenses if your trip is delayed due to a common carrier delay, lost travel documents, inclement weather or other covered unforeseen reasons.
- Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR): This add-on makes your plan more flexible and allows you to cancel and cover a portion of the nonrefundable expenses.
- Emergency medical: Covers emergency medical expenses for things like accidents or illnesses during your trip. Some dental emergencies are also covered.
- Emergency medical evacuation: If medically necessary, this would cover emergency medical transport to the nearest medical facility.
- Baggage and personal effects: If your personal items or baggage are lost, stolen or damaged, you can receive reimbursement. There is also coverage for baggage delays.
Some policies include trip delay and missed connection coverage as well as covering change fees. Optional add-ons are available on some policies for pets and rental cars.
AXA detailed policy overview
To get a better idea about which AXA plans are available and how much they cost, we looked at plans for a 45-year-old man from Illinois who is taking a $2,000 trip to Mexico Oct. 1-7, 2026.
Because of these parameters, only three AXA plans were available: the Explorer Standard, Explorer Select and Explorer Elite. The plan that only covers domestic travel and the last-minute plan were not available.
All three available plans offered similar coverage for 100% of trip cancellation and 150% for trip interruption. The differences were in the amount of accident and sickness coverage and evacuation coverage.
The baggage delay coverage also differed among plans both in the dollar amount of the coverage and the necessary delay before the coverage kicked in.
Only the Explorer Select and Elite plans had the ability to add CFAR and rental car coverage. Those two plans also have coverage for evacuation due to political, security or natural disaster events.
| Type of coverage | Coverage amount/availability |
|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | Explorer Standard: 100% of insured trip cost. Explorer Select: 100% of insured trip cost. Explorer Elite: 100% of insured trip cost. |
| Trip interruption | Explorer Standard: 150% of insured trip cost. Explorer Select: 150% of insured trip cost. Explorer Elite: 150% of insured trip cost. |
| Trip delay | Explorer Standard: $1,000 after 12 hour delay. Explorer Select: $1,500 after 12 hour delay) Explorer Elite: $2,000 after 12 hour delay. |
| Missed connection | Explorer Standard: N/A. Explorer Select: $1,500. Explorer Elite: $1,500. |
| Emergency medical | Explorer Standard: $100,000. Explorer Select: $250,000. Explorer Elite: $250,000. |
| Medical evacuation | Explorer Standard: $150,000. Explorer Select: $500,000. Explorer Elite: $1 million. |
| Preexisting conditions | Explorer Standard: N/A. Explorer Select: If purchased within 14 days of initial trip deposit. Explorer Elite: If purchased within 14 days of initial trip deposit. |
| Baggage and personal belongings | Explorer Standard: $1,000. Explorer Select: $1,500. Explorer Elite: $5,000. |
| Rental car damage and theft | Explorer Standard: N/A. Explorer Select: Optional. Explorer Elite: Optional. |
| Cancel for any reason | Explorer Standard: N/A. Explorer Select: 75% of trip cost (max. $50,000). Optional. Explorer Elite: 75% of trip cost (max. $50,000). Optional. |
| Political/Security/Natural Disaster Evacuation | Explorer Standard: N/A. Explorer Select: $100,000. Explorer Elite: $100,000. |
While not available for the trip above because it was outside the United States, domestic trips have an add-on available for pets.
What AXA plans do not cover
While AXA travel insurance plans are comprehensive, they do not cover everything.
AXA plans do not cover:
- Preexisting medical conditions (unless included in the plan you purchase and plan is purchased within the time limit specified).
- Expected storms and natural disasters.
- Disease outbreaks.
- Dangerous activities.
- Medical tourism to travel abroad to get a medical procedure or treatment.
- Activities involving drinking or drugs.
- Baggage stolen while left unattended.
- Pregnancy or childbirth-related complications.
- Nonemergency dental procedures.
This list is not all-inclusive. Look at your plan documents to find a list of covered and noncovered events.
How much is AXA travel insurance?
Again, looking at AXA plans for a 45-year-old man from Illinois who is planning to take a $2,000 trip to Mexico Oct. 1-7, 2026, the prices varied greatly among the three plans.
The Explorer Standard plan for budget travelers is $73 but has lower levels of coverage than the other plans with no ability to add optional upgrades or cover pre-existing conditions.
The Explorer Select plan, geared more for international travel, runs $98 and has much higher levels of medical and evacuation coverage, as well as pre-existing condition coverage. Optional car rental coverage is available for an additional $63 and CFAR coverage would cost $42.
The Explorer Elite plan is the most expensive and AXA’s most popular. The biggest differences between this and the Select plan are the much higher limit of emergency evacuation and baggage delay coverage. The policy itself is $136 with rental car coverage for $65 and CFAR for $52.
Which AXA plan is best for me?
Figuring out which AXA plan for you depends on where you are going, whether or not you want coverage for a pre-existing condition, the need for flexibility from CFAR coverage and the amount of risk you are willing to take.
The Standard policy does not cover pre-existing conditions and you cannot add additional coverage for rental cars or CFAR.
International trips might require more medical and evacuation coverage, so the Standard plan might not be enough.
Does AXA offer 24/7 travel assistance?
Yes, assistance is available 24/7 to help travelers find help for medical conditions, travel issues or to answer questions about plans.
There is also a digital assistance app called MY Travel Companion, or MyTC, that includes a nurse call-back service, consultation with doctors and travel information.
How to file a claim with AXA travel insurance
You can file a claim with AXA either on the phone, via email or online. You can also get claims information on the MyTC app.
Is AXA travel insurance worth it?
Only you can decide if you need travel insurance and which kinds of coverage you need. It depends on the destination, the cost of the trip, whether your personal medical insurance will cover you at that destination and your willingness to accept financial risk.
AXA has three plans available for international travel, one for domestic travel only and another for last-minute trips, which mostly has medical and other related coverage.
Before shopping for a policy, check whether you already have coverage if you used a credit card to pay for the trip. Some premium credit cards provide travel insurance, which might be enough to cover cancellation, interruption and delays. In this case, you might just need a policy for emergency medical coverage.
If your credit card doesn’t cover you sufficiently, a comprehensive travel insurance plan might be a good idea.
How AXA Assistance USA travel insurance compares to its competitors
On a 5-star scale, NerdWallet rated AXA 4.0 stars.
For a 45-year-old traveler from Illinois who is planning to take a $2,000 trip to Mexico Oct. 1-7, 2026, AXA is on par with many other travel companies when it comes to insuring the same trip. AXA’s plan came in at $73, Tin Leg’s is $65, Travelex is $63, Allianz is $89 and Seven Corners is $75.
| Company | Star rating | Basic plan cost | Premium plan cost | Generate a quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | | $101. | $146. | |
| AEGIS (GoReady) Travel Insurance | | $69. | $84.72. | |
| Allianz Global Assistance | | $89. | $174. | |
| Arch RoamRight | | $103. | $121. | |
| AXA Assistance USA | | $73.07. | $135.62. | |
| Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection | | $52. | $112. | |
| HTH Travel Insurance | | $73. | $116.51. | |
| IMG | | $74.85. | $114.20. | |
| Seven Corners | | $75. | $126. | |
| Tin Leg | | $65. | $147. | |
| Travel Guard | | $81.06. | $160.13. | |
| Travel Insured International | | $74. | $162. | |
| Trawick International | | $55.84. | $88.94. | |
| USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services | | $148.20. | $214.20. | |
| World Nomads | | $83.60. | $256.50. | |
| WorldTrips | | $71. | $91. | |
| 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). | ||||
Frequently Asked Questions
Do AXA policies cover me if my travel provider goes bankrupt or ceases operations?
Some AXA policies provide coverage, but it is not standard. Consult the plan documents for information.
Does AXA cover me if my flight is canceled?
If your flight is canceled and you take a later flight, your AXA policy might reimburse you for additional transportation and other costs to resume your trip or make it home. The plan might also reimburse you for the nonrefundable and prepaid parts of your trip you didn’t use.
Does AXA cover me on a cruise?
AXA policies cover onboard medical treatment, emergency evacuation to hospital on land or travel troubles getting to and from the ship. AXA also has a special cruise plan that includes additional coverage for things like itinerary changes, missed ports or disruption of onboard services.
Star rating methodology
Travel insurance rating and review methodology
Travel insurance
NerdWallet's ratings for travel insurance companies take into account the following details about each insurer:
- Scope of coverage.
- Customizability.
- Consumer experience and complaints.
- Cost.
The best travel insurers excel in all of these categories. They provide the information people need to make a purchase without any surprises along the way. They offer insurance at a fair price and allow customers to customize plans to meet their coverage preferences. They're also able to keep their customers happy throughout the relationship.
Data collection and review process
NerdWallet collects over a dozen data points for each insurer we analyze from their public-facing websites and third-party analyses. These data points are then compared against one another and against NerdWallet's standards for good travel insurance companies to determine a star rating.
Data is collected on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy. Final star ratings are presented on a scale of one to five stars, where a one-star score represents "poor" and a five-star score represents "excellent."
The reviews team
The writers and editors behind NerdWallet's travel insurance reviews are insurance specialists who have had their work featured by or appear in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Chicago-Sun Times, U.S. News & World Report and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet’s strict guidelines for editorial independence.
In addition to travel insurance, the team covers travel rewards programs, airlines and hotels.
Rating specifics
Our star ratings are weighted based on our editorial and professional opinions. We use the following weightings when rating travel insurers:
- Scope of coverage (25%).
- Customizability (25%).
- Consumer experience and complaints (25%).
- Cost (25%).
Scope of coverage ratings are based on assessments of a company’s standard protections, including:
- Travel medical insurance.
- Trip cancellation.
- Trip interruption.
- Trip delay.
- Baggage and personal belongings, lost luggage.
- Emergency medical assistance.
- Emergency medical evacuation.
- Emergency medical repatriation.
- Accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
- Rental car coverage.
Customizability ratings factor in whether coverage limits are fixed prices or a percentage of the trip cost (the percentage is generally better), whether a policy has customizations available, and the number of bonus features.
- 24-hour assistance.
- Pre-existing medical conditions coverage.
- Extreme sport coverage.
- CFAR add on availability.
- Travel health insurance.
- Interruption for Any Reason.
- Travel Inconvenience.
- Cancel for Work Reasons.
- Electronics coverage.
Consumer experience ratings are based on provider reviews on Squaremouth.com. If the company is not in the Squaremouth database, we default to Google reviews.
Affordability ratings are based on the percentage of total trip cost a plan costs a policyholder. Less than 4% is considered excellent, whereas over 9% is considered poor.
How to maximize your rewards
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- 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
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- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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