First things first – this article is for those frequent travelers out there. But wait, before you think you don’t qualify as being a frequent traveler, I have a question for you.
Do you have more than 3 trips planned this year?
If your answer is a triumphant “Yes!” then I consider you a frequent traveler…so don’t close this just yet!
Table of Contents
Are you a Frequent Traveler?
Maybe you are a frequent traveler because you:
Are a frequent business traveler and want luggage and international medical coverage
Are an ‘Empty Nester’ getting your wings and starting to travel more
Are just a ‘Travel Addict’ – you plan trips big and small every chance you get!
Are like me – a Travel Blogger or Freelance Writer
You may have noticed that I didn’t include digital nomad in this list…more reasons on that below.
But first – disclosures…
Allianz Travel Insurance Ambassador
One of my new gigs this year is partnering with Allianz Travel Insurance and becoming a member of their Ambassador team. No – I’m not selling insurance – I’m just here to share my experiences with travel insurance and help educate people on the why I use it and how it may be able to help you save money and time.
One of the reasons I chose to become an ambassador for Allianz is because I have been using Allianz Travel Insurance for the past 4 years now. They say that your customers make the best ambassadors and advocates – so here I am!
Actually, I’ve always used travel insurance while traveling – I still remember getting my first policy back in 2006! I got a year long policy but it only covered me while I was outside my home country. That was fine that year since I was planning on being gone for an entire year with no plans to be back in the US while I was on my career break.
However, as my travel styles and business has changed – so has my travel insurance needs. I was back in the US more and more and found that I had to continuously get new travel insurance coverage for each trip out of the US. Just another thing I had to add to my packing list…and frequently forgot.
When I started traveling, I mainly got travel insurance because I wanted some medical coverage and emergency coverage as I traveled. However, once again my needs have changed and I find myself wanting it also for delays, car rentals, and lost luggage.
What is Annual Travel Insurance?
Annual travel insurance a way to protect a year’s worth of trips (domestic AND international) with one simple plan. Consider it travel insurance on steroids!
There is no limit on how many trips you can take or where you can go, however, the trip cannot be longer than 45 days long else it will not be eligible for coverage. This is why I said that this might not be the right policy for a digital nomad if you are gone for long periods or nomadic.
Are you planning taking more than 3 trips this year? If so, read on – this can save you money.
Based on average prices, it is said if you buy travel insurance for 3 trips in a year, you’ll spend more than if you bought one annual travel insurance plan.
Take my travel this year for example:
Using the Allianz website, if I plug in my age (50) and my state (Colorado) I get an annual travel insurance quote of $275 for a All Trips Prime coverage. And only $135 for All trips Basic coverage!
However if I put in my next few international trips individually with similar coverage to All Trips Prime I get
Ecuador 10 day trip at $3000 trip cost: $148
France 1 week trip at $2000 trip cost: $104
Iceland 10 day trip at $3000 trip cost: $148
Total: $400 for individual trip coverage
But I’ll be honest the main reason I love annual travel insurance is that I don’t have to remember to get travel insurance every time I pack my bags! And of course – it does save me money too!
5 Reasons You Should Consider Annual Travel Insurance
- Saves money
As demonstrated by my example above! - Saves Time – don’t have to remember to get coverage
You buy it once and forget it until they send you a reminder when it’s due to renew. One less thing to think about! - Covers you all year for cancellations (if you purchase All Trips Prime or better)
The earlier you purchase insurance, the sooner you can be protected by your trip cancellation benefits. With annual plans you are protected all year for cancellations. - Rental Car Damage Protector Coverage (not available in some states)
The Allianz annual plans cover costs if a car you’re renting is stolen or is damaged in an accident or while it’s left unattended - Covers you on all of those little trips or weekend getaways you forget.
As I mentioned above – I have 3 big international trips coming up this year. However, what about all of the little domestic trips I’m taking. I’m going on a road trip to Santa Fe, a biking trip in Georgia, and often I do little weekend trips around Colorado. Normally I wouldn’t get insurance for those – but with the annual policy I’m covered on any trips I travel to, within, and/or from a location at least 100 miles from my primary residence.
What are the Differences Between Allianz’s Annual Plans:
Trip insurance policies can be complicated. Always read the fine print carefully, so you understand exactly what you’re buying and what’s covered because not all plans offer the same coverage or the same coverage amounts.
AllTrips Basic
The AllTrips Basic plan is designed for the traveler who doesn’t need trip cancellation protection but still wants to feel safe while on the go. For an entire year, it can give you emergency medical care and emergency medical transportation protection while traveling—which is critical overseas where your personal health insurance may not work. Other benefits include trip delay protection, baggage coverage, rental car insurance, and a 24/7 assistance hotline to help with travel-related emergencies.
Learn More »
AllTrips Prime Plan
Everything above PLUS including coverage for trip cancellation ($3,000 annual maximum) and interruption; emergency medical; lost, stolen or delayed baggage; and even rental car collision/loss damage insurance.
Learn More »
AllTrips Executive Plan
AllTrips Executive plan is suitable for the frequent business traveler who is interested in higher trip cancellation and interruption limits (tiered levels up to $10,000 annual maximum); lost, stolen or delayed baggage; and business equipment rental coverage.
Learn More »
AllTrips Premier Plan
AllTrips Premier plan provides the amenities of an entire year of worldwide travel protection and concierge service. One policy covers you and your household, whether you’re traveling separately or together. Three levels of annual trip cancellation are offered up to a maximum of $15,000.
Learn More »
Tips for buying Travel Insurance
I have a lot of history with buying insurance for travel, and a few years ago I wrote an article giving you my best tips for how to research and buy travel insurance. I suggest you check it out before you buy!
Want to know the latest on Coronavirus and travel insurance coverage – read the latest update here.
Disclosure: I am a paid ambassador for Allianz Travel Insurance and I get to learn about their products and services so I can share it with you. However, all opinions expressed here are my own. I purchase my own Allianz travel insurance annually.
PIN IT FOR LATER!
By Tamara March 3, 2020 - 2:19 pm
I’ve been buying an annual plan for the last three years and it has come in handy! We travel too much to buy all the individual plans — this becomes a bargain.
By DML March 3, 2020 - 2:28 pm
We love Allianz as well. Great tips overall for why travel insurance is so important.
By Rosemary March 3, 2020 - 2:57 pm
Great tips and much easier to have an annual plan. As you mentioned, even if a trip is not international, it is just as important to have domestic travel insurance coverage. We use and love Allianz Travel as well and once we renew our plan at the beginning of the year, we just set it and forget it 🙂
By Kristin Henning March 3, 2020 - 6:44 pm
Nice rundown on the various options. Best of all is being on an annual plan and not having to worry about it with each flight–international or domestic. We use AllTrips Premiere, but always intrigued by plans that cover business equipment.