The Essential Guide to Family Travel Insurance

The Essential Guide to Family Travel Insurance 

Packing your bags, booking flights, and charting a course for adventure - the anticipation of new experiences fills family travels with excitement. Without a doubt, these trips will turn into cherished stories for years to come. 

But Murphy's Law reminds us that anything that can go wrong will. Flight delays, lost luggage, sudden injuries—these are just a few curveballs that travel can throw your way. Family travel insurance can help protect your finances and ensure your family's well-being so you can focus on making the most of your precious time together. 

Why Do You Need Family Travel Insurance? 

Family travel is an incredible way to build relationships, explore new places, and create lasting memories. But we all know family travel also comes with its own set of hurdles. Here's a look at some of the unexpected hiccups that can arise on a family trip and how travel insurance can help you navigate them smoothly. 

Imagine booking the ultimate European adventure for your family - exploring the ancient ruins of Rome, indulging in gelato in Florence, and gondola rides in Venice. But a week before departure, your 8-year-old comes down with a nasty ear infection, and the pediatrician advises against flying. Travel insurance with trip cancellation coverage could reimburse you for your non-refundable flights and pre-paid accommodation. This will help ease the economic burden of a missed vacation while allowing you to rebook when everyone's healthy. 

Or imagine… while exploring a bustling market in Marrakech, your family's luggage is stolen. But you have an ‘international travel insurance for family’ with ‘baggage loss’ coverage. Now, it will help replace essential clothes, toiletries, and medications, ensuring your trip is not derailed by that missing suitcase. 

Family travel insurance offers coverage against various disruptions, including trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and even flight delays. Be sure to choose a plan that provides the right coverage for each member of your travel crew.  

How AXA Travel Protection Supports Your Family Trip 

By understanding the different coverages offered by family travel insurance, you can choose a plan that best suits your family's needs and budget. 

Medical Emergencies 

When traveling with young children or aging parents, travel insurance with emergency medical coverage is essential. If your loved one has an accident or gets sick on your family trip, the last thing you want is to get stuck with a hefty medical bill in a foreign country 

AXA’s Travel Protection Plans include the following benefits for your family: 

• Medical expenses: AXA Travel Protection can reimburse you for eligible medical expenses incurred during your family trip up to your plan's maximum benefit. This may include expenses for doctor visits, hospital stays, medical tests, ambulance transportation, medications, and even emergency dental care for accidental injuries. 
• Emergency Medical Evacuation: Offers benefits for hospital-to-hospital transport in the destination country, returning home for further treatment, or both if necessary.  
• Pre-existing medical condition waiver: If someone in your family has had medical treatment within the 60 days prior to purchasing the travel policy, you will want to purchase your family travel insurance as soon as possible to be eligible for a pre-existing conditions waiver, available on some of AXA’s plans. 

Trip Cancellation, Interruption, or Delays 

You never know when you might have an allergic reaction that could make travel difficult. Or severe weather at your destination could force closures. Or an urgent work situation back home might require you to return sooner than planned. With more travelers, the chances of someone facing a pre-trip issue can further increase. 

If you or a family member needs to cancel or shorten the trip due to a covered reason, you can recoup some of your non-refundable expenses, which may include flights, hotels, tours, and cruises you have already paid for.  

Additionally, if a trip gets delayed due to factors outside your control, AXA Travel Protection provides benefits for extra expenses like meals and accommodation while you wait to get back on track. 

Baggage and Personal Belongings 

You disembark from your flight, ready to explore your destination, but your suitcase is missing from the baggage claim. Frustrating, right?  

This could happen to anyone, but the good news is that AXA Travel Protection Plans provides two types of coverage related to baggage.  

• Baggage and Personal Effects Coverage: It typically reimburses you for your lost, stolen, or damaged luggage and personal items like clothes, toiletries, camera equipment, and jewelry. Baggage lost or stolen coverage typically applies to the privately owned items you bring for the trip. 
• Baggage Delay Coverage: Baggage delay coverage can be a lifesaver if your checked luggage gets stuck on its own journey. It can reimburse you for essential items like clothes and toiletries you need to buy while your luggage is delayed. Remember to report the delay to the airline and keep your receipts for reimbursement. 

Emergency Assistance Services 

Worries about lost passports, flight cancellations, or unexpected emergencies can easily disrupt your family trip. But you can travel with confidence, knowing AXA has your back. 

AXA's team of licensed travel insurance agents is available 24/7 to help ensure that your trip runs smoothly. With their extensive reach, you can relax knowing help is just a phone call away. 

Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) 

Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) is an optional travel insurance benefit available with AXA’s Platinum Protection Plan. It can be beneficial for a family trip, especially if you are worried about your family having to cancel the trip for a non-medical reason 

CFAR lets you cancel your trip for any reason at all, even if it would not normally be covered by your travel insurance. If you purchase this coverage, you can receive up to 75% of your prepaid, non-refundable, vacation expenses on cancelling your trip.  

Get the Best Travel Insurance for Family 

Deciding on family travel insurance requires a close look at the policy details. This means understanding the terms, coverage limits, exclusions, and any optional extras available.  

For instance, AXA offers tiered travel protection plans (Silver, Gold, and Platinum) catering to various needs. While all plans offer value, our Platinum Protection Plan stands out for families due to its high coverage limits and zero deductibles and extra benefits. 

Platinum protection covers medical emergencies, evacuation and repatriation, lost luggage, and even optional add-ons like trip cancellation for any reason (CFAR), or protection for lost golf games or ski days.  

FAQs About Family Travel Insurance 

Q: Are there any age limits for purchasing travel insurance for family? 
A. Some policies and providers may have age restrictions, but AXA's travel protection extends coverage to all ages up to 99 years old. 

Q: How much does family travel insurance cost? 
A: The cost varies based on the destination, length of trip, number of travelers, and coverage levels. 

Q: Should I buy family travel insurance for a domestic trip? 
A: Absolutely. Even when traveling within your country, unexpected events like cancellations, medical emergencies, or natural disasters can occur.

Compare the policy and coverage options before choosing the right travel insurance for your family. 

Conclusion 

Embarking on a family vacation should be about making cherished memories, not worrying about potential pitfalls. With the right domestic or international ‘travel insurance for family,’ you can be at ease knowing your journey is protected every step of the way. 

Request a travel insurance quote now to find the travel insurance plan that works best for your family. Once you get yourselves covered, pack your bags and embark on your next family adventure with confidence. 

Disclaimer: AXA Assistance cannot guarantee the availability of assistance services everywhere or under all conditions, as there may be times when circumstances beyond AXA’s control hinder its endeavors to provide services. 

The insurance benefits in the Silver, Gold and Platinum plans are underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies, including Nationwide Life Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio. Benefits are administered by AXA Assistance USA, Inc. (in California, doing business as AXA Assistance Insurance Services, License Number 0H74893). Non-insurance assistance services are provided by AXA Assistance USA, Inc. and are not underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company.   

References: 

(January, 2024). 2023 by the Numbers: More Flights, Fewer Cancellations, More Consumer Protections. U.S. Department of Transportation. https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/2023-numbers-more-flights-fewer-cancellations-more-consumer-protections