Allianz just recommended I skip buying their travel insurance, (huh?) and instead I should...

I have never heard of such a thing (not to say that it might not be true).

I use insuremytrip.com to compare coverages and prices, and have gone with Allianz in the past also.

I have needed trip reimbursements on two occasions so far, out of 9 or 10 policies purchased, but will never skip it in the future.
Maybe call a rep at Insuremytrip to review this Allianz agent's advice?

PS: I have NEVER bought "flight insurance", as I think most credit cards offer some time of protection?

This seems like some kind of miscommunication. Are you looking for comprehensive insurance for your whole trip, covering risks like cancellation, interruption, delay, lost bags, medical expenses, and evacuation? Or just the risks of the flights themselves?

Certainly it doesn't make sense to buy flight insurance on top of comprehensive travel insurance. That would be a duplication.

Yes, I called requesting comprehensive coverage with start and end date. He insisted buying their policy was a waste money, saying the int'l flight insurance covers everything, that I simply needed to have them modify the termination date. He repeated "the insurer doesn't care if the policy covers one day or your entire trip." I'm flummoxed, and cautious. But if it's true....I'd like to know it

Yes, he's right. You are overpaying. If you are buying two policies there is a LOT of overlap there and only ONE of them will pay.

That said you need to READ that flight insurance policy. I have read the one from Delta and it is more expensive and has less coverage than the one I buy separately. Personally I would suggest you quit buying those policies and just buy your policy direct.

Of course I actually 'underinsure" the trip. I fly Delta mainly so I can cancel and get a credit for future use. I do not book "non refundable' if at all possible. So all I want is medical/evacuation etc. When i used to buy by the trip I just "guesstimated" a few grand for the trip. That did not impact the coverage I cared about.

When an insurance agent gives you that information, I would see it as a positive. Most agents are in the business of selling you a policy. That is the goal. After reading your post I would likely look to Allianz as being more honest.
I have had a claim with Allianz in the past and it all went very well.

I think you need to investigate further; I do not believe that the trip insurance offered with your flight tickets is truly “comprehensive”. Specifically, I cannot see how it can possibly include medical and evacuation coverage, nor the cost of, say, a tour costing $4000.

It is actually difficult to discover exactly what such insurance (generally called “flight insurance” does cover. To try to find out, I did a “dummy booking” on Alaska Airlines for a hypothetical 3-month trip with roundtrip flights to JFK from Seattle. The cost of the flights came to $712, and the Alaska website booking engine offered to insure this trip for $46.29. It did not name the insurance company, but in the past it did say Allianz, so I assume it is the same. But there was no way to find out exactly what is covered (no link or button for more information), and no way to add extra expenses one wants to cover, such as an expensive tour. Nor do they ask your age, which is a significant factor in pricing medical coverage.

This is all it says:

Success! Your trip to New York is protected.
Compensation
Up to 100% reimbursement for a covered trip cancellation and interruption
Peace of mind
Protection for covered travel or baggage delay expenses
Reliable benefits
Get cash back if your personal belongings are lost, stolen or damaged
Help when you need it
24/7 assistance in the event of a travel or medical emergency.

It would be foolish to assume that this covers more expenses than the $712 cost of the flight tickets and maybe the value of your belongings if they are lost. It certainly cannot cover nonrefundable expenses such as tour costs, which are not mentioned. Nor does the “assistance in the event of a travel medical emergency” imply any form of financial assistance; I assume they mean you can call them for help finding a doctor or hospital if you need it.

Contrast this with the coverages listed on the Allianz website for a “basic: 1-trip policy.

For a 3-month trip to Germany, costing $7500 in flight expense and non-refundable tour costs, they offer trip cancellation and delay, etc., plus $25K medical expenses and $500K in evacuation coverage. The cost is $606 for a person around 50 years of age.

Do you really want to believe the agent who told you that you can get that same medical and other coverage for the $46.29 you would pay for “flight insurance”? Or that if you buy the flight insurance and then call up to add the other expenses and modify the insurance, it will come out way less than buying a comprehensive policy in the first place? You have no way of finding that out that extra cost in advance, so you are truly “flying blind” if you go that route. You also have no way of comparing coverages of different companies, or different plans, etc. You are stuck with Allianz.

Note: I realize this is somewhat like comparing apples to oranges, as I used a domestic USA flight to find the cost of the simple flight insurance, and the other trip is to Germany. This is because I could not get American Airlines to show the cost of flight insurance before the payment page when I tried a dummy booking. Alaska offered it before the payment page, as I knew it would. I always have to check the “decline” box when I book with them.

If someone can figure out the cost and, more important, the coverage of flight insurance through Allianz when purchasing tickets to Europe, I hope they will report back.

I bought twice once before when booking the return flight (same airline, used miles but had to pay some fees too) then found out from Allianz that buying the coverage for the first flight was all I needed. I don’t recall the length of coverage but our trips have been from 3 weeks to two months. We’re traveling more lately so I got us annual policies from USAA.

OK, I found one that gives the Allianz flight insurance details for a flight booking before the payment page. I was doing a dummy booking on Virgin Atlantic for a friend, SFO-London round trip. The cost for a 2-week RT was $815 (October dates). Cost to insure $63.16. The Allianz insurance, when checked, gives a link to use for more details. That shows that the coverage includes trip cancellation, etc., plus $20K in emergency medical expenses, and $30K in emergency transport/evacuation. They note that the insured “trip cost” (the amount available for reimbursement in the event of cancellation) does not include any expenses booked separately from the flight booking (such as a tour), but one can modify the plan (link and phone number provided) for an additional premium.

This is much better, because it is actually in writing and you know what you are getting. That amount of medical coverage is very low if you have a real emergency, but if one is OK with that, the price is right.

However, I would be very skeptical about relying on this if booking a one-way flight (outbound only). I looked at that and they do offer the same amount of medical and evacuation coverage when booking a one-way to London; insurance is $40.46 for a flight costing $523.30. The details explain that the medical coverage provides reimbursement for the cost of treatment for a medical or dental emergency “incurred while traveling”. I would not count on that language to include coverage for anything that happened the day after your flight, or on any subsequent day of your trip.

I’d highly recommend reading your insurance policy to determine what is actually covered.

I was intrigued by your question so decided to call Allianz Travel insurance.

Basically when one buys travel insurance through the airline, it just covers your airfare due to trip cancellation/interruptions, baggage loss & such. This type of insurance does not cover medical expenses, or prepaid nonrefundable expenses such as accommodations, tours, cruises, etc.

So if you want “comprehensive” coverage for all your paid trip expenses, you need to call the insurance company, or modify your coverage online, and your premium will be adjusted appropriately.

Wishing you a great trip!

There is a separate thread going about travel insurance claims, with a link to a NY article (see below). The article offers this important advice:

Beyond that, the basic advice for travel insurance remains unchanged: Shop for a plan separately through a provider you trust or an aggregator like InsureMyTrip, rather than adding trip protection by checking a box just before you purchase a big-ticket item. Read the policy summaries fully and click through to the actual policy document to read fine print on issues that concern you most (say, bankruptcy protection or medical coverage for pre-existing conditions).

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/interesting-travel-insurance-story

I had a bad experience with Allianz insurance. Their coverage policy is very restricted. Shop around. Don't waste your money.

He said "save yourself some money, the insurer for your flight doesn't
care if your coverage is for 1 day or 120 days, the price of
insurance, and the coverage will be the same as on your flight."

Regarding 1 vs 120 days, one time I needed to revise a roundtrip. Extend from two week to three and asked Allianz to cover the extra week. They did so at no additional cost to what I was paying for two weeks. They just modified the dates on the policy.

Some policies have coverage brackets. Within each bracket, and within the maximum time length for a "trip", you can increase coverage up to the max for that bracket with no additional charge. Exceed the bracket and you may owe additional premiums.