Stuck in Italy after testing positive 😢

Ugh what a bummer
We are here now and having that test hanging over our heads is a nuisance
Glad you are asymptomatic
You might want to retest - there was a recent poster who had a false positive

This might help you
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/covid19/getting-documentation-of-recovery-if-you-test-positive-while-overseas

I don't have an answer to your question regarding testing negative before the end of the 10-day quarantine, but I feel your pain, if that's any consolation. We just returned from Italy Thursday - after a month in Rome, Cortona and Spello - and were sweating the Covid testing at FCO airport where we tested negative. I assume they're "hosting" you at the Sheraton - the one with the 98 Euro daily rate. Maybe for the benefit of fellow travelers, you can relate your experience there - food, Internet, any medications, overall experience - while you wait this out. So sorry you're having to go through this. Stay strong.

Thanks for the support. We’re currently in Pisa as the plan was to fly Pisa to Frankfurt to SFO. We were told the hotel cannot ask about our Covid results but I’m sure they know as we are not leaving the room, ordering room service, and declining housekeeping. At least we have amazing pictures to remind us of our beautiful trip up to this point.

Moral of my story- thank goodness for trip insurance!

Sorry you are going through this!

You can get a certificate of recovery 5 days after your official positive test if you are asymptomatic. That certificate is what you need if you are still testing positive. You are good to go any day that you test negative.

The only other limits you face are those by your host country or by your airline. Which of these two has told you 10 days?

The airline (United) is holding us to the 10 days regardless if I retest negative. Hoping that a different airline will have a shorter requirement. My trip insurance agent just confirmed that a letter of recovery is only needed if I continue to test positive.

United has been reported by several posters as being strict on 10 days, even though that was not being required by the host country. Those with other airlines have had more flexibility.

Hi julieryan6 -- sorry to hear about your situation. Your unfortunate condition is of course what most of us are dreading about traveling overseas right now. It makes me crazy to think that if we were traveling from the east coast of the US to the west coast that no such rule is in place. Makes NO logical sense!

Can I ask you a question? I understand that you are quarantining in your room after the positive test but how do you keep testing yourself to see if you are clear? Did you bring a bunch of tests with you? Or is the hotel able to assist with this? Or are you just waiting it out for 10 days since United is being so strict and you will test then? Thanks.

I'm so sorry. Did you do a self-test and get a positive? If you had a rental car, could you have found an AirBnB (something larger) to stay in after the positive test? I'm just wondering if after you test positive, there is a chance to change locations if you aren't in a place where you can stay for 10 days.

This was posted in this week's Covid News on this site:

Although quarantine and isolation requirements vary by location, we’re finding that most often the delay in returning to the US is at least 10 days. For example: If a person tests positive and isolates for five days, they must test negative on the fifth day to re-enter the US. If they continue to test positive, the CDC mandates they complete a minimum total of 10 days in quarantine before they can obtain a recovery letter signed by a doctor which allows them to re-enter the US.

I think we will do a self-test 5 days before the end of our May tour in case we want to start the clock.

We are planning a trip in September to Tuscany/Milan. This is obviously pertinent. What type of insurance did OP have to cover this situation? Can you be a little more specific about the financial side of this? Must you use room service for food? Can you leave the room?

Quite frankly, I am a little disappointed in the information that Rick Steves put out. I understand the source of the confusion and I understand that they want to tell people up front the "worst case scenarios", but like most things in Covid restrictions this situation is more fluid than that.

Source of confusion: CDC website says don't travel until 10 days after positive test. Some people take this to mean that you can't get a certificate of recovery or travel for 10 days after a positive test. That same CDC recently changed the isolation requirements for fully vaccinated asymptomatic individuals to 5 days after a positive test. There are no isolation requirements from the CDC after 5 days for those individuals. Many physicians are using this 5 day limit to provide certificates of recovery. So, will some doctors tell you that you need to wait 10 days? Yes. Will others provide a certificate of recovery after 5 days? Yes.

The information that you must wait 5 days after a positive test, test negative again or then wait another 5 days is simply inaccurate. I am surprised that Rick Steves travel posted this that way

Carol, it sounds like that is what they are encountering with their positive tour members. I'd rather plan for the worst scenio and get the best, then be surprised at the end of our tour.

@mnannie, I think RS has a responsibility to provide accurate information. How many people like our dear OP will find themselves in this difficult situation and simply accept whatever is said because they read it on that website?

There are always 3 factors in play in this situation.
1. The requirements of your host country
2. The need to either test negative or have a certificate of recovery to enter the US
3. The policies of your airline.

Item #2. It is possible get a certificate of recovery in less than 10 days, despite what RS news said. Now, if your airline isn’t going to let you fly anyway like the OP, it may not matter. However, the information given should be accurate.

My advice would be to pack self tests to use during your trip to avoid the unpleasant surprise I encountered 1 day before my intended flight home. We have now purchased self tests from the farmacia to use on our own before returning for a formal test at the farmacia. We are self isolating on the honor system. I used AIG travel guard insurance that covers Covid related issues. Per the rep who I’m in constant contact with- all hotel, meal, and transportation expenses will be reimbursable for both me and my husband. My biggest concern is that my husband who tested negative will pop up positive and the whole ordeal starts over again!

I think that is why some people choose to have the travel partner who tested negative return home as scheduled. Clearly this is a very personal decision that everyone must make for themselves and their unique situations.

If he turns positive, you’ll be stuck there even longer. If he’s still negative, he should go.

My advice would be to pack self tests to use during your trip to avoid the unpleasant surprise I encountered 1 day before my intended flight home.

OK, let's say we do that, and test 10 days prior to return. If the test was positive at that point, would a quarantine be necessary? I'm just thinking to October when we will be in this general area (N Italy).

Is COVID widespread in N Italy at this time?

I have that same question, too. If we test 10 days before we're supposed to fly home, the clock may start, but now we would have to quarantine. Would be unethical to do anything else, even if asymptomatic. May be it's better to enjoy the trip and quarantine at the end rather than have to quickly cancel upcoming accommodations to quarantine in the middle.

Now that international travel is picking up quickly going into the spring and summer, what will it take for the US to change this rule?

Julie- it would be really helpful if you posted your experience so far
What exactly happened when you tested positive at the pharmacy ?
Who provided you with isolation info?
Are you in same hotel as day if test it did you have to move?
When did you call your airlines and what was their response? ( I’m particularly interested in that as we are flying United as well)
How easy is it to get food delivered? Which services are you using?

If/when you have time ;)

Our experience- We checked into our final hotel and asked directions to a testing pharmacy…
1. What happened at the pharmacy? My parents and husband were handed papers in English and Italian clearly stating they were negative, has a QR code and EU flag. I was pulled aside, given a plain paper in Italian that identifies me by name and passport number stating “positivo”. When I asked the pharmacist what to do next, she basically said go isolate for 10 days and I could not retest for at least 5 days. She couldn’t offer any other directions or info. My parents flew home the following day without issues.
2. Returned to the hotel and explained the situation. They said we were not obligated to disclose the results to them so they would pretend they did not know but we could not extend our stay beyond that night as they were “full”. I asked for help finding a hotel and was given the name of the hotel where we are currently staying. I booked the room for 5 nights in hope of being able to leave once receiving a negative result. As that is not the case per United, the hotel is allowing us to stay longer. We never said our situation but I’m sure they know as we keep ordering room service and decline housekeeping.
3. My first call was to our travel guard trip insurance to find out what to do next. They set up a case number and have been in contact with me daily, It’s nearly impossible to get a live person from United and have mostly been in contact with them via text. Long story short with UA- I can’t fly for 10 days following a positive test regardless if I retest negative. If I continue to test positive- a letter of recovery is required. I canceled my flight and have credit to rebook.
4. Food delivery- thankfully the hotel has a restaurant and delivers us room service… and wine.

I am fully vax’d, super diligent with masking and alcohol gel, absolutely symptom free so all of this has been quite a shock… especially when I’m a healthcare worker and have managed to avoid Covid when in the thick of it!

Thanks, Julie. I'm following your story with interest - I'm sure I'm not the only one! Obviously none of us want this to happen to us or at least be prepared for it if so if we travel.

I am considering a trip next month that would include Italy (not flying home on United fortunately). I had already planned to bring rapid tests with me to test along the way; if I were to test positive earlier, then I could try to get the clock ticking with a doctor to make sure I'd have a "letter of recovery" available later if need be. And I'd be able to adjust my plans earlier. Always possible I would test negative until the last day but then finally test positive...but seems unlikely to me unless I have really bad luck.

If you wore your mask everywhere...where do you think you spent the most time? Did you eat indoors at any restaurant? Is it possible you caught it from the plane ride over and just continued to be positive all of that time? Even a KN95 doesn't protect you indefinitely.

I'd say "hope you feel better" but it sounds like you feel fine - just frustrated with the enforced isolation! Good luck!

Carol. You have some great info! Can you send me the link with the wording about the 5 days, in case we need it at the end of our tour for our guide?

@mnannie
I have sent you a PM and am posting the email I received from quick md here in case others need to see it as well.

Thank you for reaching out.

We can provide you with documentation of recovery. You need to present your official written positive result during your appointment. We are currently ONLY accepting COVID results via PCR, Antigen, or Rapid. PROCTORED at-home test results may be accepted if you are able to provide printed results or a soft-copy. Test must be taken within 90 days from your appointment date. Home test kits and antibody tests will not be honored.

Please check with your airline of choice and destination if this would be accepted and if there is any more information they wish to be included in the certificate to avoid any issues. As per the CDC's new guidelines, you can be seen on the 5th day after you were tested positive of the virus provided you are asymptomatic or with improving symptoms.

You can book a video appointment by creating an account here or you can log in to your QuickMD account if you have already created one, schedule an appointment by finding a time that best works for you. Choose Urgent Care as the Appointment Type, Doctor's Note as the reason. You need to use your US home address and US contact number in your account to be able to see a provider. Each person requiring the note is to create an account with QuickMD and book an appointment under their respective accounts.

Within a few hours after the consultation, the doctor will email you the document to your email address as a PDF.

Thank you for this information. Do all airlines require the 10 days even though CDC says 5 days? We're flying SAS in August and can't find if they have similar requirements.

What a bad deal, this is my fear As we’re headed to Italy in a month. Can I ask how has the travel insurance worked out for you so far, was it a lot of hassle or straight for are? What cost did they cover and what company did you use? Again sorry for the bad luck hopefully you can get around the 10 days.

This thread is super helpful. Thank you, Julieryan6, for your clarity in the process. We are certainly going to get this insurance.

About airlines. It really is a call by the airline. I am traveling Icelandair next week and I called to check. I would have to admit that the customer service agent seemed a little puzzled about why I would be asking. She confirmed that the only criteria for Icelandair was either a negative covid test or a certificate of recovery. Would I get the same answer if I called back? I'm not sure and I hope I never have to find out!

One thing I think a person could do here is to know what the cancellation/refund policy of their airline is in general, not relating to Covid. In my case, I can change my ticket without a fee but would be responsible for any difference in fare. I don't have to give a reason for the change and I am confident I could change to any date I wanted.

This is my nightmare as well. We will be in France next month, coming back in June. I am praying that for vaccinated people this testing requirement will be obsolete, but as it gets closer....it does not look that way.
I am now thinking I should buy travel insurance. Does it matter if I bought my plane tickets serveral months ago? Which insurance is recommended, as I have never bought it before....oh..for the good ole days!
Good luck to you Julie!

@karen, yes you can still buy travel insurance. It may not cover pre-existing conditions due to the time lag in purchasing, but it should cover Covid related issues. Check the coverage carefully.

Thank you for taking the time julieryan6, this is useful. I hope things go smoothly for you getting everything you need and getting a flight home.

Paul of the Frozen North - It sounds like you aren't traveling until October? I wouldn't worry about trip insurance until close to departure if you are only concerned about covering expenses you might incur from Covid policies, because who knows what they will be by then. Everyone is waiting and hoping the US drops the testing policy soon.

As for case counts (per the NYT), and fwiw: currently some countries in Europe have high numbers (France, Portugal, Italy), while some are low (Netherlands, Spain, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia). Back in the day, a case-count of >30/100,000 here would have triggered students being kept home from school. Currently "high" case-count countries have around >80/100,000 (Germany = 108, Italy = 91...). These numbers are averages; you can drill down to regions in a country to get more specific. And now everything is open and masks are less prevalent, and the variant is the most infectious (but also perhaps less virulent).

Thanks for sharing your experience in detail Julie
I hope you are still feeling well
Please continue to post if you have time.

So sorry about your experience and having to quarantine! you mention trip insurance. If I may ask, what did you purchase and through whom? Does it cover your hotel stay and other daily expenses during quarantine?

We are planning a trip in October, so not sure if covid testing will still be a thing then!

Any insights from you or others in this thread would be helpful.

Thank you!
Mary

Mary, I went with Allianz and my particular insurance will cover $250 per day up to $2,250 max. If you stay in a Covid Hotel, I have read the Italian government pays for that. I’m sure you can pay fir more coverage. My recommendation is to call and talk to them. There is also Travel Guard, which May people use fir insurance.

I'm curious if your positive test was done with a Rapid Antigen or PCR. The Rapid Antigen has a huge history of false positives, so I hope that if it was a Rapid Antigen that you got re-tested.

I am so sorry you are going through this Julie. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I don't have much helpful to add except for a suggestion about dealing with united. I have had much better success in the last few years getting help when needed by using their twitter account. I ONLY use twitter for this purpose, but I can usually get helpful responses and results much quicker and with much less frustration by reaching out through their twitter account.

Good luck

The Rapid Antigen has a huge history of false positives

I would have to disagree. The rapid antigen actually has a larger chance of providing a False-Negative. It is less sensitive, so does not detect early in the disease cycle. It is possible that early in test development it was less reliable and providing false positives, but tests today, if you test positive, you very, very, likely are. Late in the disease cycle, the PCR test is more likely to continue to show positive, where a rapid test may show negative.

Now should you follow up with a PCR test after testing positive with a rapid test? Yes, or at the least another rapid test, just to rule out some odd anomaly.

We just returned from France and were amazed we didn't test positive for our flight back. We took the Binax Now tests with us so we could self-test with the proctor the day before leaving. Every day I kept telling my travel partner that it would be a miracle if we didn't test positive. The metro, buses, trains, cafes, shops, everything is packed with tourists, and most are not masked at all. We understand the mask mandate has ended except for public transportation, and even there, people could care less. They will put their mask on if an attendant walks through the car, then pull the masks down. We were on an RER train and it was so full of people jumping on at each stop, that you were like sardines in a can. The constant hacking and sneezing of riders were alarming, but it is allergy season. The OP has given good information, and even with the best intentions and protections, travelers must be prepared for this risk. Two days before we were to test for our flight, we went to the pharmacy and bought self-test kits to start testing to see if we would test positive. It is not a pleasant thought and does worry you. Even though there is a chance with the antigen tests being wrong, we figured if we were in full bloom it may show up. We are triple vaxxed and actually got COVID in Feb. Our antigen tests showed negative back then, but the PCR was positive. We retested with the antigen a couple of days later and then it showed a positive result. So while unsure, we figured we would just keep testing as a precaution. The day before we were to leave we did the proctored BINAX test and were quite relieved to test negative, although we really thought with all the crowds, one of us would test positive. WE did get the insurance for COVID coverage, and it was worth the extra $$ for peace of mind. That's what we love about these boards. People sharing their experiences is so helpful for others. Julieyan6, thanks for keeping everyone informed! It goes to show that no matter how careful you think you are, it can happen to anyone.

Great information, thank you! We are going back to Italy in September. We were there this past September/October and I remember I was a nervous wreck waiting in that pharmacy for the test results. When I saw "negative" I grabbed that paper and wouldn't let it out of my hands. I felt like I won the lottery. But, it's worth it all just to be in Italy.

Thanks to all for their experiences, JR, I'm not jumping on you since you ultimately tested negative, but you tested positive with a PCR and then a few days later positive again with an antigen. If people aren't going to quarantine with a positive, what is the point of testing? It's like a game that we're all paying for and stressing about and losing. It means nothing.

@PHJ, read the post again. They tested positive in February, not while on their trip.

Great thread for information and experiences. It seems clear we need to think ahead what our plan might be if we test positive at the end of our trip when we travel to Italy. Overthinking it causes me a bit of anxiety when I think about our upcoming trip during July to Piemonte, Italy and Haute-Savoie, France. As a fully vaccinated health carer workers, we've successfully avoided COVID so far including travels to France last summer.

I found a website that appears to have great info for the current status of COVID rates in Italy. You can break it down to each province. It makes me feel a bit less paranoid when I compare the new case rate in the province of Cuneo compared to our home in San Diego. Pretty much the same. I hope things don't get worse here or there before July arrives. Fingers crossed.

https://coronalevel.com/Italy/

Julieryan6, I hope you continue to be asymptomatic and your husband remains COVID free.

This incident is precisely why I did not book a trip to Italy this year. I cannot afford to be absent from work after being on vacation for up to another 10 days. I might as well stay there because I'd be unemployed! LOL

I plan on booking my trip next April/May--hoping by then airlines/quarantining will be a thing of the past. If not, then I will decide as the date draws near if I want to "risk it"

I am so grateful to this forum for all the information/suggestions it provides to other travelers

PHJ - you misread.

Read again before jumping on someone. Tested positive this past February. Not while traveling. We would never put someone else in jeopardy had we tested positive while traveling. Not our style. To clarify:
Triple Vaxxed
Tested Positive via PCR in February after 2 negative antigen tests
Left for trip April 20 - tested the day before just for reassurances and negative
Tested several times during the trip for precaution - all negative
Tested negative day before we left for the flight home.

We did our due diligence to keep ourselves and everyone around us safe.

Real time update- tested at the pharmacy yesterday on day 5 of isolation- negative (as I expected). United Airline still holds us to 10 days so in the meantime we are being diligent with masking, social distancing, hand gel. Limiting ourselves to outside dining in uncrowded places, avoiding major tourist areas, and enjoying the time we have been “gifted” to remain in this beautiful country. We both have to test negative again 1 day before flying home on day 10. Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement and concern. Moral of my story- spend the money for trip insurance. AIG travel guard has been great so far. Hopefully reimbursement for the extra hotel stay, meals and transportation goes without a hitch once we get home!

Julie: Thank you so much for sharing your story here. Your experience has been well noted by those of us who are traveling to Italy later this year. And how wonderful to have purchased travel insurance...and to have tested negative after day 5, so at least you and your husband can now wander around. A bonus 5 extra days of vacation. We'll all think positive thoughts for both of you testing negative before your flight home. Your attitude embodies the "Rick Steves travel philosophy." Hope these next 5 days are super for you...with great weather!

Julie thank you for continuing to update and provide great info.

Question for you. Do you have to test one day prior to your return flight? For instance is that an actual requirement of Italy or United for someone in your circumstances? I’m thanking that it might be better to just get the Covid recovery certificate and not have to worry about testing positive again.

Enjoy your umm extended vacation.

Safe travels.

Great info Julie. And congrats on being negative now! Enjoy your extra days. Italy is a wonderful place to be. Please keep us informed how it goes for your final testing!

Hi Julie,
I also thank you so much for sharing. We are planning to go to Italy in June and this forum has really helped me think through what we'd do if one of us tests negative. Julie you may want to double check with United but I called them yesterday and they told me were we to test negative, we would have to wait 10 days after testing positive to fly and provide a certificate of recovery. I asked if we would also have to provide a negative COVID test and they said no.

Forgot to add that our plan is to take rapid antigen tests with us and begin self testing 5 days before we return home. That way if we test positive, we can go into a pharmacy and get an official test to start the countdown. It would also be really tough if I were to add another 10 days onto the trip because of work and our dogs so I'd rather quarantine for 5 days than 10. Anyone else have strategies they'd like to share? I'm all ears.

JR, my mistake, I didn't catch that you tested positive before you left the US.
Glad to know since I thought that a new approach was to test 10 days before the flight back to the US just in case and to start the 10-day clock.

Thanks Julie. As my wife and I are headed to Tuscany etc this fall, I read through your entire thread like a it was a movie (of sorts) haha. Very sorry for your situation but it'll be a helluva story one day. This must be a U.S. rule only? Canada no longer requires Covid tests to enter the country. This whole thing continues to be so maddening/ confusing. Thanks for sharing!

Julie,
Curious for an update on your challenges please.
-Assuming you made it home finally?
-Is Travel Gaurd insurance still accepting your claim?
-Did you have to get your quarantine orders signed by a local doctor, US doctor or was a local pharmacist sufficient for Travel Gaurd?
Thanks

I too would like an update. Hope you got home safely, OP!

UPDATE... We both tested negative on day 10 and were able to fly home to California on day 11. I have submitted all receipts for the additional hotel, airfare, and meal expenses to AIG travel guard and now wait for approval (fingers crossed)! I did not require any medical clearance as I never had symptoms and did not require any medical attention. If I had, then I would have needed a fit to fly certificate which the medical team from our travel insurance would have assisted to facilitate. The airport basically just glanced at our negative covid certificates, put a sticker on our tickets, and let us through.

Glad you're home and thanks for sharing your experience. I'm so nervous this will happen to me in September.

I have submitted all receipts for the additional hotel, airfare, and meal expenses to AIG travel guard

I hope you will report back about what happened here.

Same here. We purchased the exact same insurance and hoping it turns out well for all of us.

Julie-

Your post and all of the responses it generated have been so useful in educating me- thanks for that! I'm so pleased that you are finally home. We are heading to Italy in early September, and as I read through all of the threads, I gathered that requirements can vary according to which airline one is using. We are on Delta, and their requirements for a positive result state:

"Customers who receive a positive test result will not be able to fly and are advised to follow the guidelines in the country where the test result was received. In the U.S., CDC guidelines, opens in a new window state that any customer who tests positive should self-isolate for at least 5 days and delay travel to the U.S. until they have recovered from COVID-19. Internationally, isolation requirements vary, and customers must follow the public health guidelines where they are located before commencing travel."

"Advised" to follow Italy's guidelines sounds kind of squishy (which I assume is a 10 day quarantine) and the mention of the CDC five day one suggests that this is an alternative (?). My question is, if after a 5 day quarantine, one tests negative, can they fly back to the U.S. via Delta on day 6 or 7? Does anyone have experience with this airline?

Sara

Sara, the mention of the CDC guidelines is for isolation if you are sick in the US. It is not an "alternative" to Italy's guidelines. Since you are in Italy you are supposed to follow their rules. Italy's guidelines have been talked about quite a bit here, because I think a lot of people are surprised at how potentially strict they can be when you do compare them with the US guidelines.

It is not 10 days, it is minimum 7 days with the possibility of up to 21 days of isolation. It does not end until you get a negative test. If you are still testing positive after 21 days, then you can end isolation: https://www.salute.gov.it/portale/nuovocoronavirus/dettaglioFaqNuovoCoronavirus.jsp?lingua=italiano&id=244

Having said all that, I'm sure you can read other people's experiences who tested positive and realize that there are ways to "game" the official rules so to speak (this is not a judgement condoning that just to be clear).

James,

"CDC guidelines state that any customer who tests positive should self-isolate for at least 5 days and delay travel to the U.S. until they have recovered from COVID-19."

"delay travel to the U.S" suggests to me that this applies to travel abroad.

I agree that they've made it confusing, but I think there are a couple of points here:

1: The CDC actually says don't travel for 10 days. Specifically:

Do not travel until a full 10 days after your symptoms started or the date your positive test was taken if you had no symptoms.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel-during-covid19.html

2: You are still subject to your host country's guidelines and are supposed to be following their rules which trump the CDC guidelines.

Returning to your question specifically about Delta, I'm afraid I don't have a clear answer for how strictly they are enforcing the time period between a positive test and when you can fly again.

Julie,

Given your experience with the positive test.... if you had to do it over again, would you ?

@Buster- I would absolutely do it all over again. I have no regrets. A 5 day inconvenience followed by an extra 5 days to responsibly continue enjoying Pisa. Fortunately, I had already taken the week off from work following our intended return date so I didn’t have issues from my employer. Still waiting on the review from our trip insurance. I’ll update y’all with that outcome.

Hi Julie,
Just curious if you've received any response from the insurance company yet?
Thanks much!

This has been extraordinarily valuable - thank you all

Several things come to mind:

Bring self-testing kits

Start self-testing 5 (or 12) days before flying home. That way, you'd be able to take your scheduled return flight rather than have to rebook 10 days later).

United looks like it requires 10 days before you can fly, are there any airlines that allow shorter periods.

Would love to see someone create an outline. Better yet, and flow chart and link to it since I don't think we can upload photos to this forum

Ira

Hi Julie,
Just curious about the outcome with your travel insurance provider? We've all been following this for quite some time.
Thanks!

Hello all- I didn't realize there was still interest in my ongoing saga! Travel Guard is still working on processing my claim, which can take up to 6 weeks and they are quite backlogged. So in the meantime, I wait with fingers crossed!

Yes, Julie, DW and I are still following your saga as we plan our fall trip to Sicily. I'm trying to figure out the best insurance option to help cover possible quarantine expenses. Maybe Italy will drop the requirement by then, but who knows. I'll do my best to prepare but the uncertainty is annoying at best. Your detailed info is greatly appreciated.
Lew

Your situation seems so straightforward and claim justified that it doesn't seem like it should be disputed so just curious to see it closed out. Also, we purchased the same coverage for our upcoming July trip so hoping no problems.
Thanks for keeping us posted!

Thanks to this thread, I also just purchased AIG insurance for our trip to Italy in 3 weeks. (I didn't realize it was still possible -- I thought I had missed the window.) It was about $100 for me and my 16-year-old daughter, because kids under 17 tag along on the parent's policy.

I actually think I have Covid right now (waiting on PCR result), but if I don't, or if my daughter gets it, it's well worth the money for the peace of mind. Thank you Julie for starting this discussion!

Alden - if you do have Covid now, get a letter of recovery so that you dont have to get a negative test to return to the US when you return from your trip (there letter of recovery is good for 90 days)

Julie,
There are so many options when buying travel insurance. Which AIG Travel Guard did you buy? Deluxe, Preferred or Essential? I can't tell which one covers COVID relate expenses.

Thank you and I'm glad your home!

(I’m not Julie but since I just did this yesterday, I thought I’d chime in.)
I got the Preferred insurance with the Lodging add-on (which was less than $10). That add-on seems to be intended for this exact situation. I can’t remember why I went with Preferred rather than Essential, but since this situation is the only reason I was buying it, I assume it had something to do with better coverage for trip interruption/delay due to medical issues.

There’s a “compare plans” button on the AIG website that brings up a checklist of what each level does and doesn’t cover.

And I do definitively have Covid, so I’ll make sure to get that letter of recovery!

No more testing to get back in US starting June 13! Wall Street Journal

Great news that testing to return home will no longer be required.
Julie,
Sorry for being a pest but still curious to know that Travel Gaurd is treating you fairly? Last we heard you mentioned that they were very busy and had not confirmed they would compensate your family for having to quarantine. Any updates please?

Julie,
Assuming you must not have good news back on your claim to travel guard since you haven't provided an update?

Sorry for the silence! No update at this time except my increasingly frustrated twice weekly calls to AIG. Hoping for a positive outcome soon!

Sorry to hear that. We've had to enlist the help our state insurance commission on two previous travel claims and it really helped both times.
Thanks for keeping us posted and good luck.

Hi Julie
Still no resolution to your travel insurance claim? Sad since it seemed Travel Gaurd was ready to support you during your quarantine.

Still no resolution despite my increasingly frustrated calls to AIG. They were so helpful and involved up until I submitted all the docs for reimbursement! I have requested to speak with a supervisor, upper management, and the direct claims adjustor- all have been silent. No email or phone communication. What avenue should I take? Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated!

As someone had stated in a prior post, I think a great place to start would be your state insurance commissioner's office. I would also let AIG know that you are (or have) filed a complaint with them. That might help loosen things up. If they are selling policies in your state of residence then the insurance commissioner has oversight and a complaint is definitely warranted.

From the Elliott Advocacy - company contacts for AIG.

https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/aig-insurance/

Executive Contacts
You may write to the CEO first at the request of AIG. They have informed us that if a complaint is received by one of the CEO’s it is automatically routed to one of many complaint mailboxes, which accordingly provides the most expeditious approach. Such a routing network is not set up for any of the more junior executives, so it is possible that complaints or queries might not be seen as quickly if sent to those contacts.

Emails of the contacts listed on their site.

I live in Washington state and as I mentioned earlier, they provide incredible, unbiased support. File a complaint with your state insurance commission, share all your correspondence and documentation with them. Then, as the previous poster mentioned, copy Senior level management. All this will make a positive difference. Now you have to keep us posted:).

Thanks Jed, Gail, and PGW. I really appreciate your advice!

CONCLUSION to my saga! I just received an email confirming my reimbursement check is on the way. I guess telling them I was contacting the state insurance commission and Elliott Advocacy made them take me seriously! Thanks to everyone for your advice and concern throughout this saga! As Rick says "Keep on Travelin'! ... with traveler's insurance!" Now to plan my next Italian adventure...

I am so glad that your claim was settled. I don't think we will ever know if your mention of those agencies made a difference or if it would have been processed in that amount of time anyway. The good news is that it was processed, you are well, and you are planning your next trip.

Thanks for sharing the good news!
I hope you and yours are doing well.

Were you happy with the figure? What percent of your extra expenses did they pay? I am curious whether it is worth the trouble or expense.

Thanks for coming back & sharing. Wonderful to hear you got resolution. Be well.

My question exactly - was the reimbursement adequate?

@Lotus Traveler. Allianz is indeed covering trip cancellation and trip interruption costs associated with an official positive covid test that keeps you from beginning or continuing your trip. Their coverage is quite clear.

The part that you read dealt with canceling a trip because you were worried that you might get covid. That is not covered.

I'm glad you got reimbursed. Thank you for letting us know.

Thank you Carol, I have deleted the message.

It was not clear to me from the website, so thanks for clarifying and I hope what you say is correct though I also hope no one needs it!

We just returned from Rome July 2nd, no covid test required (and we certainly weren't going to take one to find out!) Flew Lufthansa FCO to Newark via Frankfurt.

Also Newark didn't have any customs. Not sure why. So we just walked out. So easy!
We were lucky as we didn't have any delays or canceled flights, but we heard horror stories from others who had.

I was reimbursed the full amount for the extra airfare, hotel stay, meals (including wine!), and pharmacy expenses for both me and my husband. Everything I claimed was refunded. Case closed.

On June 7 I sent in 33 pages of all documents, flights, hotel receipts related to staying in Italy an extra 5 days due to Covid. We got 1 email from travel guard July 1 asking for our RS itinerary that showed what we did each day of the tour, that was sent July 5.

We've heard absolutely no other communication, calls placed just simply tell us the claim is under review. Julie, I sent you a PM to see if you have any tips and tricks on getting through to them 🤔