Allianz Travel Insurance

There is no way to tell if this is a good deal or not. How long is your trip? How old are the people involved? What kinds of things are covered under the trip cancellation (any reason, only certain reasons?)? What kind of recommendations are you looking for?

Camille, $292 sounds dead cheap to me, for two people. I suggest you carefully read all the fine print, especially the part about exclusions.

I'm not so sure about $292 for two people being cheap, but it's probably in line with others offering similar benefits. I understand your premium depends on a variety of factors, such as age and the amount of coverage purchased, but I had a Classic plan through Access America (Allianz was formerly Access America) this past winter, and the premium was about $40 for one person in my situation. Their coverage for change fees and missed connections was much better than Travelex, which is another carrier I've used before, so I went with them. Allianz is a massive corporation, so you should have no concerns at all about the quality of their services. Frankly, any of the travel insurers will do just fine as long as they are reputable and are underwritten by a big insurer that you've heard of before. Just make sure you read the certificate of insurance (i.e. the contract) before you purchase so you know exactly what's covered and what's not. Don't settle for an online brochure...Allianz will either have a link to this on their website, or you can ask a rep to e-mail a copy. When you look at reviews, most policy holders with negative reviews about one insurer or another are really pissed that the insurer wouldn't cover something they thought should have been covered. But had they read the contract, they would have understood that their problem wasn't covered in the policy they purchased in the first place. Anyway, you'll have something like 10 days after purchase to change your mind and cancel your policy if you wish. Also, cancel for any reason doesn't really mean you can cancel for any reason whatsoever at any time no matter what and get a 100% reimbursement. There are rules and limitations...just make sure you read through the entire contract carefully in advance so you know what you're buying and what's covered. Happy travels!

Good advice from Michael. For any travel insurance you must read the small print (all of it) regarding what's covered and what's not covered. When comparing the prices quoted make darned sure they both have the same coverage (apples to apples) before thinking one is cheaper than the other. I, and many others I'm sure, have been stung at one time or another thinking something was covered when it wasn't. All in all I think Allianz is a good reputable company, I have other insurance with them and have never had any problems. Haven't looked at their travel insurance however. Enjoy your trip wichever insurance you pick.

Thank you all for your advice. I will call and speak to an agent before deciding. My trip is in December and is a river cruise with a pre-extension in Amsterdam. We are traveling with Viking and their trip insurance was a whopping $598.00 which I thought was too high and that's why I opted out.
Your comments are very helpful and am glad to hear Allianz is a reliable company.

I just purchased a plan with Allianz yesterday for our upcoming trip to Ireland. Our premiums were lower, but that obviously depends on the trip, age, etc. We used them before when they were Access America for our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. The thing I liked was that you have 10 days to review the contract once they send it to you and as long as you haven't left on your trip yet or filed a claim, you can return it and get your money back if you are not satisfied with what it says. :)

Some friends recommended Divers Alert Network ...
https://www.diversalertnetwork.org/membership/Travel_Assist. We have had it for a couple of years. When you buy a family membership for $55 per year, you get up to $100,000 of evacuation assistance coverage. This benefit covers both diving and nondiving medical emergencies. Evacuation coverage begins when you travel on a trip at least 50 miles from home. You have to call the DAN Emergency Hotline (+1-919-684-9111) for assistance or evacuation. There are other medical benefits as well. Our friends actually used the coverage (she broke her leg in Switzerland, and she and her husband were flown home). She said it was hassle free. It doesn't cover trip cancellation, but we generally fly using frequent flyer tickets and don't prepay hotels. So for us, this gives us the peace of mind we need at a very low cost.