Travel Guard Insurance Review: Is It Worth the Cost?

Erin is a former writer and assigning editor on the NerdWallet Content team who now heads NerdWallet's travel business. She's a credit card and travel rewards expert at NerdWallet, based in Baltimore, Maryland. She has spent nearly two decades showing readers unique ways to maximize their investments and personal finances. Prior to joining NerdWallet, Erin worked on dozens of newsletters and magazines in the areas of investing, health, business and travel with Agora Publishing. Her love of travel led to a passion for credit card and loyalty rewards to subsidize trips, and she thrives on teaching others how to harness the power of credit card rewards. When she's not helping NerdWallet readers find the best travel value, Erin is planning her next adventure for her family of four using points and miles.

Assigning Editor

Meg Lee
Assigning Editor | Travel, SEO, Travel Loyalty Programs

Megan Lee is a former editor on the travel rewards team at NerdWallet. She had more than 12 years of SEO, writing and content development experience, primarily in international education and nonprofit work. She has been published in U.S. News & World Report, USA Today and elsewhere, and has spoken at conferences like that of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Megan has built and directed remote content teams and editorial strategies for websites like GoAbroad and Go Overseas. When not traveling, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base where she likes to attend theme parties, ride her bike and cook Asian food.

Fact Checked Co-written by Elina Geller Lead Writer

Elina Geller
Lead Writer | Airline miles, hotel points, travel insurance

Elina Geller is a former NerdWallet travel writer specializing in airline and hotel loyalty programs and travel insurance. In 2019, Elina founded TheMissMiles, a travel rewards coaching business. Her work has been featured by AwardWallet. She is a certified public accountant with degrees from the London School of Economics and Fordham University.

Co-written by Carissa Rawson

Carissa Rawson

After spending seven years in the U.S. Air Force as an Arabic linguist, Carissa is now a freelance writer using points and miles to fund a four-year (and counting!) adventure. She previously worked as a reporter for The Points Guy. Her writing has since been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Business Insider, and The Balance. When she's not flying, you'll usually find her in a Priority Pass lounge somewhere, sipping tea and cursing slow Wi-Fi.

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Travel Guard by AIG

A multitude of add ons are available so you can better customize your coverage. Compare Rates at SquareMouth pros & cons

Offers last-minute coverage.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Exclusion Waiver available at all plan levels.
Plan available for business travelers.

Cancel For Any reason coverage only available for higher-level plans, and only reimburses up to 50% of the trip cost.
Trip interruption coverage doesn't apply to trips paid for with points and miles.

Compare Rates at SquareMouth

Travel Guard by AIG

A multitude of add ons are available so you can better customize your coverage. pros & cons

Offers last-minute coverage.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions Exclusion Waiver available at all plan levels.
Plan available for business travelers.

Cancel For Any reason coverage only available for higher-level plans, and only reimburses up to 50% of the trip cost.
Trip interruption coverage doesn't apply to trips paid for with points and miles.

Travel Guard travel insurance is a great option for last-minute travelers. There are four plans from which to choose. Costs are reasonable, and plans allow more customization than you'd normally find on travel insurance policies.

Why trust NerdWallet?

Our Nerdy editorial team aims to be a starting point in your travel insurance research. We default toward transparency and follow a comprehensive methodology for rating and reviewing travel insurance companies. Advertisers and advertising relationships do not influence our ratings. Learn more about our strict editorial guidelines .

What is Travel Guard travel insurance?

Travel Guard offers a variety of plans for prospective customers, including plans oriented toward sports enthusiasts, last-minute travelers and those looking to save money.

Policies issued by Travel Guard are underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh. According to insurance rating firm AM Best, National Union Fire Insurance Company has a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (excellent). This means it’s unlikely to default on any payments.

What does Travel Guard cover?

Travel Guard travel insurance coverage has a lot of variety. Depending on which plan you pick — Essential, Preferred, Deluxe or Pack N' Go — you’ll have trip protections and some medical coverage.

Generally speaking, here is what to expect when purchasing a Travel Guard policy:

Trip interruption and trip cancellation : These coverages can reimburse you for nonrefundable expenses that you’ve already paid in the event that your trip is canceled or interrupted. Trip cancellation protection is not included in the Pack N' Go plan.

Travel Guard health insurance coverage : This health insurance coverage can pay for costs associated with emergency medical services during your trip.

Trip delay : Trip delay can cover expenses such as food and accommodation in the event your travel is delayed.

Emergency evacuation : If you need medical care at another facility and need to be evacuated, emergency evacuation can cover the costs.

Baggage insurance : Baggage insurance includes coverage for lost and delayed luggage, and can reimburse you for the cost of replacing lost items or purchasing new ones in the event of a delay.

Travel Guard policy overview

Travel Guard's policies have a broad array of inclusions. It offers three comprehensive single-trip plans that can be customized to meet your travel needs. It also offers a plan designed for last-minute trips that focuses on post-departure coverage — this plan is much more affordable, but offers fewer protections.

100% of trip cost.

Up to $750 for loss, $200 for delay.

100% of trip cost.

150% of trip cost.

Up to $1,000 for loss, $300 for delay.

100% of trip cost.

150% of trip cost.

Up to $2,500 for loss, $500 for delay.

Up to $1,000 for loss, $200 for delay.

The company also offers an annual travel insurance plan if you travel frequently and want year-round protection.

Add-on options

The types of add-ons you can include will vary based on your plan but can include:

Quarantine coverage. Adventure sports. Boarding and medical expenses if your pet gets sick. Wedding cancellation. Inclusion of a family member for coverage. Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR). Medical coverage upgrade. Evacuation for non-medical reasons.

Don’t want to shell out for travel insurance? A variety of travel credit cards offer complimentary trip insurance assuming you pay for the trip with your card.

What’s not covered by a Travel Guard travel insurance plan

Travel Guard offers plenty of options when it comes to customizability, which is great for those who need additional coverage. For example, most insurance policies automatically exclude adventure sports. The same is true for Travel Guard, unless you add on the adventure sports bundle.

You’ll want to be aware that all three of Travel Guard’s comprehensive plans will cover pre-existing conditions. However, the Pack N’ Go plan does not.

Here’s what else isn’t covered:

Coverage for trips paid for with frequent flier miles or loyalty rewards programs : Travel Guard will only protect the trips you pay for with cash. If you’re redeeming your points for that bucket list trip, you unfortunately won’t qualify for coverage.

Baggage loss for eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids or false teeth: These items should be kept with you in your carry-on as a general rule, so they won’t be covered by a Travel Guard policy.

Known events : If you knowingly book a trip with some inherent risks, it won’t be covered. For example, once the National Weather Service issues a warning for a hurricane, it becomes a known event.

Beyond this, most travel insurance plans have specific exclusions to their coverage, including:

Activities when you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Extreme sports. Named storms. Participation in athletic events.

How Travel Guard travel insurance compares to its competitors

A sample trip for a 36-year-old traveler from Indiana to Canada for 5 days showed that the cheapest Travel Guard plan cost $135. If you were to spring for the premium plan, which increases your coverage limits, expect to pay $236.

When looking across multiple providers, the same sample trip ranges in cost from $10-$202. Note that price isn't the only differentiating factor. Coverage is not identical across plans; each company offers various levels of scope, limits and exclusions.

Basic plan cost

Premium plan cost

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GeoBlue Travel Insurance