When most people think of travel insurance, they are thinking of a package plan, which combines a lot of coverage into a single, comprehensive plan suitable for most travelers. This is the most common type of travel insurance plan.
What makes a travel insurance Package Plan unique?
As opposed to a travel medical or medical evacuation plan, which covers only a certain set of travel risks, travel insurance package plans are the most common type of travel insurance purchased, and for a good reason: they are comprehensive travel protections combined into a single, easy-to-understand package.
Many coverage combined in a single plan
Travel insurance companies combine a comprehensive set of coverages for each package plan for targeted traveler types. For example, you can find travel insurance plans for golf trips, that includes cancellation, interruption, medical and evacuation and provides coverage for your checked sports equipment as well.
Protects many kinds of travelers
Because you can choose a package plan with the coverages you need, you won’t be paying for coverage that’s not useful to you. Optional coverages ensure that travelers with special needs like pre-existing medical conditions or plans for adventure activities have coverage - even for things that are typically excluded from coverage.
Covers many types of trips
It’s important to note that there are package plans for just about any kind of trip, from a family vacation, to a honeymoon, to a missionary trip, and more. The great thing about package plans is that they are designed specifically to cover the common types of trips people take. You can even get a package plan for multiple trips.
Some plans cover kids free
Some package plans cover kids free too, which means a better price value for parents and grandparents traveling with kids.
Why would you need a Package Plan?
- You have to cancel your trip because your kids got severe ear infections.
- You have to abandon your trip and return home because your father’s illness has taken a dangerous turn for the worse.
- Your toddler son is prone to climbing things and you don’t want to have to pay for an emergency room visit.
- You want medical evacuation in case you become very ill or badly injured on your cruise.
- A series of tornadoes tears through the connecting airport and it will be a day or two before flights are operating again.
- You’ve decided to check all your bags so you don’t have to cart the luggage around but you want some replacement cash in case your bags go missing.
- You want assistance services and reimbursement for the unexpected costs related to catching up to your departed cruise when you miss a connection.
- You want to be sure your children will be safely returned home if you are hospitalized and you can have someone brought to visit you as well.
- You want ‘cancel for any reason’ or ‘cancel for work reasons’ coverage to insure your non refundable trip costs from loss.
- You want the comfort of knowing your family will have the necessary coverage to return your body home if you are killed or die on your trip.
- You want the convenience of pre-trip planning support, immunization information and emergency travel assistance services on your trip.
What coverage is included in a Package Plan?
The following coverage is typically found in a Package Plan travel insurance plan.
- Coverage for trip cancellations for covered reasons like illnesses, injuries, hurricanes, job loss, revoked leave, military duty, traffic accidents and more.
- Coverage for trip interruptions for many of the same reasons as trip cancellation plus extra dollars for the unexpected airfare, lodging, and transportation.
- Coverage for medical and dental expenses due to emergency illnesses and injuries.
- Coordination and coverage for emergency medical evacuations (some plans also have security or political evacuation coverage) when you cannot obtain proper medical care where you are.
- Travel assistance services and reimbursement for unexpected lodging, meals and transportation due to travel delays.
- Coverage for lost, stolen, destroyed baggage and even delayed baggage means you can be reimbursed for unexpected losses due to missing luggage.
- Assistance, coordination, and reimbursement for return of minor children and emergency bedside visits if you are hospitalized.
- Optional ‘cancel for any reason’ lets you cancel your trip for reasons not covered under standard trip cancellation; optional ‘cancel for work reasons’ lets you cancel your trip for a number of covered work-related reasons.
- Coverage and coordination assistance for your body to be returned home.
- Experienced travel assistance services representatives to help you locate medical help, arrange for an evacuation, deliver pre-trip planning assistance and much more.
Some package plans also provide coverage for:
- Adventure activities
- Sports equipment
- Pre-existing medical conditions
- Rental car collision coverage
- Roadside assistance
- Identity theft assistance
- Business services
- Concierge services
- Passport and credit card services
- Pet care
Who should buy a travel insurance Package Plan?
Travelers like these should purchase travel insurance package plan:
- Families or couples taking an expensive cruise. You may have waited and saved a long time for this trip, so it’s important to protect your financial investment. If the trip costs more than you can afford to lose, you should purchase adequate travel insurance coverage.
- Sports enthusiasts traveling to a once-in-a-lifetime event. The cancellation coverage can cover all your non refundable trip costs – even the tickets to the event if you have to cancel or abort your trip.
- Newlyweds on their honeymoon. The last thing you want to come home with you from your honeymoon is a fat medical bill. Be sure you have the coverage for medical accidents and illnesses just in case.
- Adventurers planning to scale mountains, hang-glide off peaks, ski unknown terrain and more. Because these activities are typically excluded from travel insurance plans, it’s important to purchase a package plan customized for adventure travel or add the optional adventure coverage to ensure you will be safe if you are injured on your trip.
- Families on a budget. If you are already counting pennies (and even if you’re not!), you don’t need to lose all your non refundable trip costs back or have to pull out every credit card or call for emergency cash to pay a big emergency room bill while on vacation.
How much does a travel insurance Package Plan cost?
The cost of a package plan ranges depending on whether it’s a budget plan, a standard plan, or a premium plan and the options that are added. A general rule of thumb is that a package plan will cost between 5 and 7% of the total trip cost depending on the plan.
The following factors affect the cost of a package plan:
- The number of travelers
- The age of each traveler
- When the plan is purchased
- The length of the trip
- The type of trip
- The total trip costs
- The destination
- The optional coverage
Travelers must take many factors into account when deciding which package plan to choose, but remember that you get what you pay for. Many travelers have purchased a cheap travel insurance plan only to find out later it doesn’t have coverage for their particular situation when they make a claim.
- 4 Steps to 100% confidence in your travel insurance plan
- Do not base your purchase on price alone
- Is ‘Cancel for any reason’ worth it?
Where should you buy your Package Plan?
You have two options for buying travel insurance – the best option is to compare plans from all companies, get quotes, and purchase your travel insurance plan online:
- Compare plans from all companies: Compare travel insurance plans from all companies, get quotes, and buy online.
- Quote and buy direct: Review the travel insurance companies and plans and purchase directly from the company.
All travel insurance companies include a free look period with a refund that lets you review the plan documentation. If you decide you need something a little different, you can make changes to your policy or cancel it for a refund (minus a small fee).
Which companies offer travel insurance Package Plans?
| Company | Plan |
|---|---|
| Allianz | Basic Classic Deluxe |
| CSA | Custom Custom Luxe |
| Global Alert | Essentials Preferred Preferred Plus |
| HTH Worldwide | TripProtect e-Saver TripProtector TripProtector Preferred |
| IMG | Patriot T.R.I.P. Patriot T.R.I.P. Elite Patriot T.R.I.P. Student |
| MH Ross | Asset Bridge Complete |
| Seven Corners | RoundTrip RoundTrip Choice RoundTrip Economy RoundTrip Elite |
| Travel Guard | Platinum Gold Silver My Travel Guard Savvy Traveler Basic Pack 'N Go Tee, Tour, and Travel Sportsman's Travel Protection Adventure Travel Protection |
| Travel Insurance Services | Select Basic Select Plus Select Elite |
| Travel Insured International | Worldwide Trip Protector Gold Worldwide Trip Protector Trip Protector Lite Expanded Trip Protector Lite Student Comprehensive Student Basic Student Post Departure Group Deluxe Group Lite |
| Travelex | Travel Basic Travel Select Travel Max Travel Plus TraveLite |
| TravelSafe | Vacation Basic Vacation Classic Protect-a-Group |
Summary
- Package plans are customized to certain types of travelers and trips
- All package plans combine a number of coverages into a single, comprehensive package
- A package plan typically costs between 5 and 7% of the total trip costs depending on a number of factors
- You can compare and price travel insurance package plans using our travel insurance comparison tool