Travel insurance is important because it can help cover the cost of unexpected medical expenses while you're traveling. It can also reimburse you for lost or stolen baggage, canceled flights, and other unforeseeable problems that may occur while you're away from home.
Simply put, there's a lot to consider.
But not all policies are created equal, and you must understand what you're covered for before you purchase a policy. This article will look in-depth at AXA Assistance USA travel insurance. We'll discuss the costs, coverage limits, exclusions, and more to help you make an informed decision about whether or not this particular travel insurance provider is right for you.
AXA Travel Insurance Pros and Cons
AXA Travel Insurance Pros
- Generous medical evacuation coverage
- Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
- Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
- Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
AXA Travel Insurance Cons
- Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
- CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%
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- Generous medical evacuation coverage
- Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
- Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
- Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
- Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
- CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%
AXA Assistance USA keeps travel insurance simple with gold, silver, and platinum plans. Emergency medical and CFAR are a couple of the options you can expect. Read on to learn more about AXA.
- Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans available
- Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the trip cost
- Trip interruption coverage of up to 150% of the trip cost
- Emergency medical coverage of up to $250,000
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- Zero Complaint Guarantee
- Streamlined comparison platform
- Variety of partnered travel insurance companies
- Customer service team is difficult to reach
SquareMouth is an online marketplace that helps you choose a travel insurance policy from 32 companies that shares a comprehensive, streamlined overview page for each insurance provider.
SquareMouth Travel Insurance
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- Policy coverage includes most pre-existing health conditions
- Generous medical and evacuation amounts for peace of mind
- COVID coverage included by default on all insurance plans
- Offers a wide range of plans for various budgets and travel needs
- Some plans offer CFAR, “cancel for work reasons,” financial default, and unemployment coverage
- Limited add-on coverage options
- Baggage loss and delay coverage is low compared to competitors
Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans to meet the unique needs of travelers.
Tin Leg- Tin Leg was founded in 2014 by the travel insurance industry experts at Squaremouth. Designed to meet the most common needs of travelers, these policies offer comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits, and a range of Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation limits.
- Options to cover sports equipment
- Option to increase medical coverage
- Can cancel up to 48 hours before travel when CFAR option is purchased
- Affordable coverage for budget-conscious travelers
- Includes generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage
- Optional "adventure sports" bundle available for riskier activities
- Pricier than some competitors with lower coverage ceilings
- Some competitors offer higher medical emergency coverage
Travelex travel insurance is one of the largest travel insurance providers in the U.S. providing domestic and international coverage options. It offers a basic, select, and America option. Read on to learn more.
Travelex Travel Insurance- Optional CFAR insurance available with the Ultimate plan
- Travel delay insurance starting at $500 with the Advantage plan
- Emergency medical and dental coverage starting at $15,000
AXA Travel Insurance Overview
AXA Assistance USA is among the best travel insurance companies. It covers the fundamentals of travel insurance, with coverage for trip cancellations, medical expenses, and emergency medical/non-medical evacuation. With three plans, AXA also offers coverage for travelers with various budgets.
It's worth noting that many important add-ons, such as pre-existing condition coverage, rental car add-ons, and Schengen travel insurance, aren't available for the cheapest Silver plan. Cancel for any reason coverage is also only available for the most expensive Platinum plan.
AXA Travel Insurance Coverages and Benefits
AXA Assistance USA offers three levels of coverage: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Each plan comes with different protections and varying coverage limits, with the Silver being the most basic option and Platinum offering the most premium coverage.
| Silver plan | Gold plan | Platinum plan | |
| Trip cancellation | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Trip interruption | 100% | 150% | 150% |
| Optional CFAR | N/A | N/A | 75% of trip cost |
| Missed connection | $500 | $1K | $1,500 |
| Travel delay | $100/day; $500 max | $200/day; $1,000 max | $300/day; $1,250 max |
| Baggage delay | $200 | $300 | $600 |
| Missed connection | $500 | $1K | $1,500 |
| Baggage and personal items loss | $750 ($150/ item, $250 specific items limit) | $1,500 ($250/ item, $500 specific items limit) | $3,000 ($500/ item, $1,000 specific items limit) |
| Accidental death and disbursement | $10K | $25K | $50K |
| Emergency medical | $25K (secondary coverage) | $100K (primary coverage) | $250K (primary coverage) |
| Pre-existing condition | No coverage for pre-existing look-back period of 60 days | Covered if purchased within 14 days of trip deposit | Covered if purchased within 14 days of trip deposit |
| Medical evacuation | $100K | $500K | $1M |
| Non-medical evacuation | N/A | $50K | $100K |
The Platinum plan offers some additional benefits for sports and activities that the Silver and Gold plans don't offer, like lost rounds of golf, sports equipment rental coverage, and lost skier days.
Some policies might even include added coverage free of charge, such as a waiver for preexisting conditions, which is free for Gold and Platinum plans as long as you purchase your plan within 14 days of your trip deposit.
AXA Travel Insurance Additional Coverage Options (Riders)
The plan you purchase will determine which add-ons are available. For example, those with a Platinum plan can add CFAR (cancel for any reason) coverage, allowing you to receive a full refund if you cancel your trip within 14 days of making the initial deposit.
Or, if you want extra protection for your rental car, depending on your AXA plan, you might be able to add a collision damage waiver (CDW). Policyholders with Gold plans can add $35,000 CDW, and those with Platinum plans can include $50,000 CDW.
If you're traveling within the Schengen Territory, which is made up of 27 European countries, you may be eligible for Schengen Travel Insurance, which covers you in all 27 countries. This option is only available for Gold and Platinum travelers and coverage lasts up to 90 days.
AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance Cost
The premium you pay will depend on various factors, including the age of the travelers, destination, and total trip costs. The average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your travel costs.
After inputting some personal information, such as your age and state of residence, along with your trip details, like travel dates, destination, and trip costs, you'll get an instant quote for the plans available for your trip. And from there, it's easy to compare each option based on your coverage needs and budget.
Now let's look at a few examples to estimate AXA's coverage costs.
A 23-year-old from Illinois taking a weeklong, $3,000 budget trip to Italy would have the following AXA travel insurance quotes:
- AXA Silver: $83
- AXA Gold: $107
- AXA Platinum: $127
Premiums for AXA plans are between 2.7% and 4.2% of the trip's cost, well below the average cost of travel insurance. It's also relatively cheap compared to many of its competitors
AXA provides the following quotes for a 30-year-old traveler from California heading to Japan for two weeks on a $4,000 trip:
- AXA Silver: $109
- AXA Gold: $128
- AXA Platinum: $153
Once again, premiums forAXA plans are between 3.6% and 3.8%, below the average cost for travel insurance.
A 65-year-old couple looking to escape New York for Mexico for two weeks with a trip cost of $6,000 would have the following AXA quotes:
- AXA Silver: $392
- AXA Gold: $462
- AXA Platinum: $550
Premiums for AXA plans are between 6.5% and 9.2%, which is roughly in line with the average cost for travel insurance. This is to be expected, as travel insurance is often more expensive for older travelers.
How to Purchase and Manage Your AXA Policy
The process of purchasing an AXA policy is simple. After obtaining your quote, you'll need to decide which of AXA's three plans you want to buy. When you pay for your plan, be prepared to provide additional personal information, like your birthday, phone number, and address.
Once you finalize your purchase, you'll have a 10-day free-look period, in which you can cancel your policy and get your money back.
How to File a Claim with AXA Travel Insurance
To file a claim with AXA Assistance USA, head to the claims forms online to find the appropriate form. Once you've filled out your form and gathered the required documentation, you can email them to AXAClaims@cbpinsure.com or send them by mail to:
AXA Assistance USA
On Behalf of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and Affiliated Companies
P.O. Box 26222
Tampa, FL 33623
If you need assistance when filing claims, AXA's claims office can be reached at 1-888-957-5015 (within the U.S.) and 1-727-450-8794 (outside the U.S.). Office hours are 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET on Thursdays and 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET on all other weekdays.
AXA Customer Service Reviews
AXA's U.S. branch has few reviews on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau — just over 20 between the two sites. Its UK branch has over 1,100 reviews, most of which are overwhelmingly negative. However, the quality of AXA Travel Insurance UK isn't necessarily indicative of its U.S. coverage.
In fact, on SquareMouth, where the majority of AXA U.S.'s reviews, reviews are generally positive. It received an average of 4.22 stars out of five across over 900 reviews. Customers reported that adjusting an AXA policy was easy and the customer service team was responsive. However, reviews on the claims process was more mixed, with spotty communication and long wait times.
AXA Travel Insurance Alternatives
See how AXA travel insurance compares to top travel insurance providers.
AXA Assistance USA vs. AIG Travel Guard
When comparing AXA to Travel Guard, we'll look at the coverage levels from their mid-tier plans, the Silver plan and Travel Guard Preferred plan, respectively.
With Travel Guard Preferred plan, you'll get:
- Trip cancellation coverage up to $150,000
- Trip interruption coverage up to $225,000
- Emergency medical coverage of $50,000
- Coverage for baggage loss, theft, or damage up to $1,000
- Travel delay coverage of up to $800
Comparing those Travel Guard coverages with AXA's Silver plan, you'll see that AXA's coverage limits are a bit higher. With AXA's Silver plan you'll get $100,000 in emergency medical coverage, for example. And the baggage loss coverage limit is up to $1,500.
If you're looking for greater coverage limits, AXA makes the most sense in this scenario. But premiums will also vary based on factors like the traveler's age, trip destination, and trip cost. So you'll have to run your own numbers to make a final decision.
Read our AIG Travel Insurance review here.
AXA Assistance USA vs. Allianz Travel Insurance
Allianz Travel Insurance provides single-trip and multi-trip insurance for travelers who want to go abroad for an extended period of time. And, like with all insurance, the various plans have varying degrees of coverage.
Allianz Travel Insurance's most popular single-trip option is the OneTrip Prime plan, which offers:
- Trip cancellation coverage up to $100,000
- Trip interruption coverage up to $150,000
- Emergency medical coverage for $50,000
- Coverage for baggage loss, theft or damage up to $1,000
- Travel delay coverage up to $800
Looking at AXA's mid-tier Silver plan, you'll see that, again, AXA offers more coverage for emergency medical and baggage loss, theft, or damage than Allianz Travel Insurance. That said, if cost is an essential factor for you, you'll have to get quotes using your personal trip information to make an informed decision.
Read our Allianz Travel Insurance review here.
AXA Assistance USA vs. Credit Card Travel Insurance
Already have a great travel credit card, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or American Express Platinum? Some of the standard coverages, such as rental car insurance, may be included in the card you already have. It's a good idea to research the terms of your credit card's travel protection before purchasing a separate travel insurance policy.
If you're driving to your destination and don't have any non-refundable trip expenses, the coverage from your credit card may be enough. Another time it might work is if you have health insurance covering you while abroad and you're in good health without worrying about possible medical costs.
It's essential to remember that credit card coverage is usually secondary. This means you'll have to file a claim with the other applicable insurance before filing a claim with your credit card company.
Read our guide on the best credit cards with travel insurance here.
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed AXA Assistance USA
We researched AXA by evaluating its travel insurance plans compared to other plans from the top travel insurance companies. The aspects we looked at included, but were not limited to, different coverage options, claims limits, what is covered, available add-ons, and extra services for policyholders.
What's important when choosing a policy isn't just the price — it's making sure you're getting adequate coverage that meets your needs without breaking the bank. Filing a claim should also be easy and stress-free if you ever have to use your policy.
Read more about how Business Insider rates insurance products here.
AXA Assistance USA FAQs
If you're diagnosed with COVID-19 before a trip and need to cancel, AXA may cover your expenses. Additionally, a COVID-19 diagnosis during a trip may be covered under AXA's medical expense, trip interruption, and trip delay benefits. Be sure to review your policy to ensure coverage details.
While you may extend your coverage in certain circumstances, such as extended hospitalization, and update your travel dates prior to your departure, you can't extend AXA travel insurance plans while you're traveling.
AXA's Gold and Platinum plans cover pre-existing medical conditions as long as you purchase your policy within 14 days of your initial trip deposit. AXA's Silver plan does not cover pre-existing conditions and has a 60-day look-back period.
You can download AXA claims forms on its website and email them to AXAClaims@cbpinsure.com.
AXA isn't the most flexible travel insurance company and isn't great at specializing, but it offers comprehensive general coverage. Its prices aren't significantly more expensive or cheaper than its competitors.
