American Express insurance?

[newsbob]

We're planning our 6th cruise, a 10-day cruise to Italy next year. As in the past, I checked InsureMyTrip.com.

 

We're somewhat limited in our choices because the trip is more than one year in the future, and a number of companies don't offer policies that far in advance.

 

I kinda like the American Express "Global Travel Shield Deluxe" plan, which offers $10,000 trip cancellation and $10,000 trip interruption coverage, as well as $100,000 medical reimbursement and $100,000 medical evacuation.

 

I've been reading many of the posts here about peoples' experiences with TravelGuard and others, but not one mention (so far) of AMEX.

 

Any comments?

[Keith1010]

I haven't used AMEX but have used Travelex several times and we were very pleased with their timeliness in processing claims and the fact that they provide primary health insurance.

 

Keith

[NYLady]

I'm more concerned about medical emergencies than trip cancellation.

 

Anyone have knowledge/experience with the AMEX travel medical plan. I called and spoke to them to get as much info as possible and, for what I know of it so far, it sounds like it would meet basic emergency medical coverage needs. Sounds like there is 24/7 telephone assistance (they do communicate with cruise ships) to help with coordination of complicated situations and up to $100,000 reimbursement. At this point, my finances would survive if I had to cancel a trip or if my baggage was lost but a serious medical emergency would be devastating financially.

 

Wondering if anyone knows more about the AMEX plan...

[Everready]

I just read the question about the Amx travel ins...did anyone respond? I am also interested, all of them are so complicated.

[cherylandtk]

Cannot say specifically how that insurance compares in either coverage or performance, as the Global Travel Shield site does not show me the actual DOC online and says it will be sent after purchase. So here are my ovservations:

 

I did a quote, and Amex coverage runs 6.4% for a $10,000 trip and the coverages you noted. Other sites sell a variety of coverages, between $25,000-$250,000 medical, $250,000-$1,000,000 emergency transport, $10,000 cancellation and $15,000 interrruption for between 4.3% and 9.6%. Price-wise, its similar to other coverages, but you have to choose which specific coverages are worth an increased premium to YOU. (No, the cheapest policy was not $25K/$250K medical/evac)

 

Questions I would ask of the Amex policy before purchasing:

Is it primary or secondary coverage?

Are there pre-existing condition exclusions and can they be waived?

Is there a time limit for trip delay coverage? Is it for more than flights?

Are non-travelling family members covered for cancellation or interruption?

 

Good luck in choosing a policy that is right for you and your situation.

[LuckyStar]

We are considering a last minute trip and as we are AMEX cardholders, I contacted them and their price is awesome and seems too good to be true. I priced through insuremytrip.com and their price was 1/3 of the cost of any plans I found there. I'm gonna call them again after we book final plans. They offer monthly and annual plans but they told me I can cancel after a month.

[6rugrats]

We are considering a last minute trip and as we are AMEX cardholders, I contacted them and their price is awesome and seems too good to be true. I priced through insuremytrip.com and their price was 1/3 of the cost of any plans I found there. I'm gonna call them again after we book final plans. They offer monthly and annual plans but they told me I can cancel after a month.

 

Many policies will let you cancel within a certain time period, or let you transfer the insurance policy to a different trip.

[Rudy888]

The most expensive part of travel insurance is trip cancellation. I just bought a policy for a 2 week cruise in the Carribean, just medical and trip delay for a little over $140.00. The cost for trip cancellation was over $600. With Amex you can pick what coverage you want instead of just buying a complete insurance package.

 

Mike