Some of the most common questions we get at Allianz Global Assistance are about traveling while pregnant. While most pregnant women can safely travel without incident, sometimes complications arise and customers wonder, "What does travel insurance cover?"

Here’s the quick answer: Travel insurance can cover certain situations that result from unforeseen pregnancy complications, or a pregnancy that occurs after you’ve purchased your plan. Travel insurance typically does not cover trip cancellations or other travel losses resulting from normal pregnancy.

Like any other kind of insurance, travel insurance includes specific coverage definitions and restrictions. Read your agreement carefully, and if you have any questions about coverage, call. Pregnant women should consult their doctors with concerns and questions about safe travel.

If you’re pregnant, or you might be soon, it’s wise to protect upcoming trips. Maximize your coverage window by purchasing travel protection as soon as possible. Our most popular plan is OneTrip Prime, which includes substantial benefits for trip cancellation/interruption and medical emergencies.

Read on for a detailed guide to travel insurance and pregnancy from Allianz Global Assistance.

Pregnancy Complications: What Does Travel Insurance Cover? 

You're in the first trimester of your pregnancy and feeling fine — until you begin feeling extremely nauseous a week before you're supposed to fly to New York on business. Your doctor diagnoses you with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe and serious form of morning sickness, and you end up in the hospital on the day of your scheduled flight. Can travel insurance reimburse you for the canceled trip?

Yes. Travel insurance from Allianz Global Assistance can cover losses resulting from unforeseen pregnancy complications, such as pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes or hyperemesis gravidarum. That means your travel insurance may reimburse you for nonrefundable trip costs lost if you must cancel or interrupt your trip because of pregnancy complications. The illness, injury, or medical condition you’re experiencing must be disabling enough to make a reasonable person cancel their trip, and a doctor must advise you to cancel it. For example, normal morning sickness would not be a covered reason for trip cancellation. When you’re filing a claim for trip cancellation/interruption related to a pregnancy complication, you’ll need documentation from your physician.

All travel insurance plans from Allianz Global Assistance include access to 24-Hour Emergency Assistance. If you experience a medical emergency while traveling, or any other problem, contact our hotline via phone or the TravelSmart^TM app for rapid assistance. If your plan includes emergency medical benefits, your insurance may reimburse you for the cost of emergency medical care that you received for covered pregnancy complications while traveling.

Please note that travel insurance does not cover the chance that a complication might occur. For example, if you delivered prematurely with your first two pregnancies, your doctor might advise you to cancel the trip to Paris you planned for the sixth month of your third pregnancy. However, this is still considered a normal pregnancy because no complication has been diagnosed. Travel insurance would not cover the trip cancellation.

Surprise Pregnancy and Trip Cancellation

You and your spouse are planning a week-long European river cruise to celebrate your third anniversary. Tickets are hard to come by, so you book your trip a year in advance. You schedule the flights and purchase your travel insurance — and two months later, you discover you're pregnant. Will travel insurance cover your trip cancellation?

On some plans, Allianz Global Assistance lists pregnancy as a covered reason for trip cancellation if you find out you are pregnant after purchasing your policy. For your trip cancellation to be covered, you must provide medical records to verify the pregnancy occurred after that date. Please see your policy documents for your plan’s specific coverage. And if you’re planning a trip now, don’t wait to buy travel insurance! Get a quote today.

Late-Term Pregnancy and Trip Cancellation 

You decide to plan a babymoon getaway so you and your sweetie can enjoy some time together before the baby arrives. You book your plane tickets and a bed-and-breakfast on the beach. You're feeling fine and getting excited. Then your doctor advises you, as a precaution, not to travel in the eighth month of pregnancy. Will travel insurance cover this pregnancy-related trip cancellation?

No. In this scenario, there are no medical complications with your pregnancy, so the cancellation will not be covered. Please understand that Allianz Global Assistance is not disagreeing with your doctor's recommendation not to travel — you should do what's best for you and your baby's health. However, most travel insurance plans from Allianz Global Assistance do not include normal pregnancy as a covered reason for trip cancellation (except as described above.)

Airline Rules for Flying While Pregnant

You're flying to Los Angeles to see your sister one last time before the baby's born. But when you get to the gate, the airline won't let you on board because you're too close to your due date. Will your travel insurance plan reimburse you for the missed flight?

No. Being refused service by a carrier because of normal pregnancy is not a covered reason for trip cancellation. Cruise ships and airlines have very specific rules about travel while pregnant. Here are selected airline pregnancy policies, but you should also call your travel supplier to check before you book your trip. Please note that this information is subject to change.

• American Airlines: A medical certificate is required to fly within four weeks of your delivery date in a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy. Travel is not permitted within seven days of your due date on domestic flights under five hours, or within four weeks of your due date on international flights, unless you get a medical certificate and clearance from a Special Assistance Coordinator.¹
• Delta: Delta does not impose restrictions on flying for pregnant women. However, ticket change fees and penalties cannot be waived for pregnancy.²
• JetBlue: Pregnant passengers expecting to deliver within seven days are prohibited from travel, unless they provide a doctor's certificate dated no more than 72 hours prior to departure stating that the passenger is physically fit for air travel and that the estimated date of delivery is after the date of the last flight.³
• Southwest: Southwest has no pregnancy prohibitions, but recommends against air travel beginning at the 38th week of pregnancy.⁴
• United: To fly in or after your 36^th week of pregnancy, you must provide the original and two copies of an obstetrician’s certificate, dated within three days (72 hours) prior to your flight departure, that says you’re fit to fly.⁵

Travel Insurance and Childbirth

You're enjoying your babymoon vacation in Cozumel when suddenly you feel the first twinge of labor. Twelve hours later, you're the proud mother of a baby girl. Will travel insurance cover the cost of labor and delivery?

No. Normal childbirth is not covered by travel insurance from Allianz Global Assistance. However, if complications arise in delivery, the costs of emergency medical care may be covered. Also, attending the childbirth of a family member can be a covered reason for trip cancellation, depending on your plan.

While travel insurance from Allianz Global Assistance can't cover every possible pregnancy scenario, we want to do our best to help! Our Assistance team is available 24 hours a day to provide expert advice and aid.

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