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Battleface stands out in the travel insurance industry by offering travelers more flexibility than many competitors. Its customizable Discovery plan allows travelers to tailor their policies by adding or removing many individual benefits, including Cancel For Any Reason coverage, pet benefits and vacation rental damage protection. This can be especially appealing for those who already have certain protections through a travel credit card or only need coverage for specific risks.
In NerdWallet’s sample quotes, Battleface’s travel insurance plans were among the more expensive options reviewed. However, both plans included comprehensive travel insurance benefits, such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical coverage, medical evacuation and baggage protections.
Here’s what you need to know about Battleface coverage.
Battleface travel insurance offerings
Battleface offers three primary travel insurance products: Scout and Discovery, which are both single-trip plans, and an annual plan for travelers who take multiple trips throughout the year.
Scout: A comprehensive single-trip travel insurance plan that includes core protections, such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, baggage coverage and emergency medical benefits. Travelers can also add optional benefits, including Cancel For Any Reason coverage.
Discovery: A fully customizable single-trip travel insurance plan that allows travelers to build a policy tailored to their needs by adding or removing coverages, such as trip cancellation, baggage protection, emergency medical coverage and pet benefits. This plan also offers benefits not available on the Scout plan, such as rental car damage insurance.
Annual Plan: A plan designed for travelers who take multiple trips throughout the year and want coverage that extends across several journeys.
Battleface travel insurance plans generally include the following benefits, though specific terms may vary by state.
Trip cancellation: Reimburses eligible prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses if you have to cancel your trip for a covered reason.
Trip interruption: Covers unused prepaid trip costs and certain transportation expenses to return home if your trip is interrupted due to a covered event.
Trip delay: Helps cover certain additional expenses, such as meals, lodging and local transportation, if your trip is delayed for a covered reason.
Baggage and personal effects: Provides reimbursement if your luggage or personal belongings are lost, stolen or damaged during your trip.
Baggage delay: Reimburses the cost of essential items if your checked baggage is delayed and you need to purchase necessities while waiting for it to arrive.
Travel medical expenses: Helps cover eligible emergency medical and dental expenses if you become sick or injured during your trip.
The table below shows the coverage limits for both the Scout and Discovery plans. Although both are single-trip plans, Scout comes with a predefined package of benefits and coverage limits. Discovery, on the other hand, is fully customizable, allowing travelers to add or remove individual benefits. As a result, the limits shown below reflect one sample configuration of the Discovery plan and may vary based on the coverages selected.
Type of coverage
Coverage limits
Trip cancellation
Scout: 100% (up to $20,000). Discovery: 100% (up to $20,000).
Trip interruption
Scout: 125% of trip cost. Discovery: 150% of trip cost.
Single occupancy (for when your companion can't travel)
Scout: 100% of trip cost. Discovery: 100% of trip cost.
Emergency medical transportation and repatriation of remains
Scout: $300,000. Discovery: $500,000.
Waiver of the preexisting condition exclusion
Scout: 7 days. Discovery: 15 days.
Preexisting medical condition look-back period
Scout: 180 days. Discovery: 180 days.
Maximum trip length
Scout: 90 days. Discovery: 90 days.
Although both plans provide many of the core travel insurance benefits that travelers expect, Discovery generally offers higher coverage limits and significantly more flexibility. For example, Discovery increases trip interruption coverage to 150% of trip costs, compared with 125% under Scout, raises trip delay coverage from $1,000 to $2,500 and increases emergency medical transportation coverage from $300,000 to $500,000.
Both plans also include a waiver of the preexisting medical condition exclusion if certain requirements are met and use a 180-day look-back period when determining whether a condition is preexisting. While both plans cover round-trip travel of up to 90 days, Scout also covers one-way trips, though coverage for those journeys is limited to 31 days.
Scout offers several optional upgrades that allow travelers to add additional protections to their policy:
Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR): Reimburses up to 75% of prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if you cancel your trip for a reason not otherwise covered by the policy. To qualify, you must purchase the upgrade within 15 days of making your initial trip deposit, insure your entire trip cost and cancel at least 48 hours before departure. Under the Discovery plan, CFAR is only available when the trip cancellation bundle is purchased.
Rental vehicle damage: Provides up to $35,000 in coverage for theft or damage to a rental car resulting from events such as collisions, vandalism, fire or severe weather.
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D): Provides a benefit in the event of a covered accidental death or qualifying injury while traveling. Coverage limits range from $25,000 to $100,000, depending on the option selected.
Pet travel: Includes up to $2,000 for necessary veterinary expenses if your pet becomes sick or injured during the trip and up to $500 to help return your pet home if you become unable to continue traveling due to your sickness or injury.
Like most travel insurance policies, Battleface plans only provide benefits when a loss results from a covered reason. For example, canceling a trip because you’ve changed your mind generally won’t be covered unless you’ve purchased the Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade.
Additional situations and losses that are generally excluded from coverage include:
Intentional acts of self-harm.
Losses resulting from acts of war.
Being under the influence of drugs.
Elective or nonemergency medical treatment.
Preexisting medical conditions that don’t qualify for the policy’s waiver.
Losses arising from known events or circumstances that existed before purchasing coverage.
In NerdWallet’s sample quote for a one-week, $2,000 trip to Mexico for a 45-year-old traveler from Illinois, Battleface’s Scout and Discovery plans cost $97 and $100, respectively.
While both plans were similarly priced, they take very different approaches to coverage. Scout comes with a predefined set of benefits, whereas Discovery allows travelers to customize their policies by adding or removing individual coverages.
How Battleface compares with its competitors
To compare Battleface against other travel insurance providers, we obtained quotes for the same sample trip to Mexico across multiple insurers.
Prices ranged from $17 to $148. At $97 and $100, respectively, Battleface’s Scout and Discovery plans were among the more expensive options reviewed. However, both plans included comprehensive travel insurance benefits, such as trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical coverage, medical evacuation and baggage protections.
One of Battleface’s biggest differentiators is flexibility. Unlike many competitors that offer only prepackaged plans, Battleface’s Discovery plan allows travelers to fully customize their policies by adding or removing individual benefits, which may appeal to travelers who prefer a more tailored approach to travel insurance.
Company
Star rating
Basic plan cost
Premium plan cost
Generate a quote
Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection
4.0 NerdWallet rating
NerdWallet's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account consumer complaint and customer satisfaction data.
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 Battleface plan is best for me?
The right Battleface plan depends largely on whether you want a comprehensive, all-in-one policy or need coverage for only specific risks.
For travelers who want a straightforward travel insurance policy with a predefined set of benefits and a handful of optional upgrades, Scout may be the better fit.
Discovery may make more sense for travelers who only need certain types of coverage. For example, if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which provides trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance of up to $10,000 per covered traveler, you may prefer to customize a Discovery policy to focus on benefits that aren’t otherwise covered, such as travel medical coverage or pet coverage.
Before purchasing any travel insurance policy, it’s worth reviewing the travel protections that may already come with your credit card. Depending on the card you carry, you may already have coverage for trip cancellation, trip interruption, baggage delays and rental cars, potentially reducing the need to purchase duplicate coverage.
Yes. Battleface provides 24/7 support through Robin Assist, a global travel assistance platform available to all policyholders. The service can help travelers with a range of issues, including medical emergencies, lost passports and other travel-related challenges that may arise during a trip.
How to file a claim with Battleface travel insurance
Battleface claims can be filed online through Robin Assist. To begin the process, you’ll need your policy number and either your date of birth, email address or ZIP code.
You will be asked to provide details about the incident and the financial losses you’re seeking reimbursement for. Battleface’s policy also states that you or someone acting on your behalf should notify the claims administrator within 20 days of the loss, or as soon as reasonably possible.
Supporting documentation will vary depending on the type of claim, but it’s generally a good idea to keep receipts, proof of payment, booking confirmations, medical records and any other documents that may help substantiate your claim.
Is Battleface travel insurance worth it?
Battleface can be a good choice for travelers who value flexibility and want more control over their travel insurance coverage. While its plans were among the more expensive options in NerdWallet’s sample quotes, both Scout and Discovery provide comprehensive travel protections, including trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical coverage and medical evacuation benefits.
Battleface’s biggest differentiator is its customizable Discovery plan. Travelers who already have certain protections through their credit cards or only need specific benefits, such as travel medical coverage or pet coverage, may appreciate the ability to tailor a policy to their needs. However, travelers simply looking for the lowest-priced coverage may find better value elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Battleface cover flight cancellation? Does Battleface cover flight cancellation?
Yes. Battleface plans can include trip cancellation coverage, which reimburses prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs if you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason. Travelers can also purchase the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade for additional flexibility.
How long does a Battleface refund take? How long does a Battleface refund take?
The amount of time it takes to process a refund or claim reimbursement can vary depending on the type of claim and the supporting documentation required. Battleface reviews claims individually.
Is Battleface travel insurance primary or secondary? Is Battleface travel insurance primary or secondary?
It depends on the specific benefit. For example, Battleface’s rental vehicle damage coverage is primary on both plans, meaning Battleface pays eligible claims first. The Illinois policy documents reviewed did not state whether the other benefits are primary or secondary.
Does Battleface cover COVID? Does Battleface cover COVID?
Yes, Battleface provides coverage for COVID-19-related illnesses and losses, though coverage may vary by state.