App-enabled hotel check-in. Wireless headphones. Door-to-door grocery deliver in under an hour.

You try them out once and you’re hooked. Instantly, these services become an essential part of your lifestyle moving forward.

But other trials deserve a second chance for you to soak in the potential they have to make your life easier and more fulfilling.

Take that new Wi-Fi router, the one you had to call tech support to finally master. Now you can do your online banking while lounging in the back yard. And then there’s the newfangled wine opener that talks to you in three languages. You can now open that new bottle of Pinot Noir without a deep breath and loud grunt. Even better, it taught you French. Finally, let’s talk about travel insurance.

Travel is a highly personal and eclectic experience overflowing with possibilities. Consequently, the same can be said of your experience with travel insurance. And while travel insurance is globally recognized as a travel essential, akin to a reliable carry-on bag and RFID wallet, some travelers may choose to try it once and move on.

At Allianz Global Assistance, we believe it’s time to give travel insurance a second chance, another opportunity to prove its multi-faceted value to you. Let’s take a closer look at why you may have walked away from travel insurance, and share several developments that may just win you back.

Some of You Purchased Travel Insurance. But Never Used It.

Travel insurance is a unique travel essential because you can buy it time and again — and never actually need to use it. In that sense, it’s like a first aid kit or fire extinguisher. 

You may never have needed to make a claim, for example, for lost or damaged baggage. Perhaps you never had to cancel your trip for a covered reason after pre-paying for a hotel suite and First Class airfare. If this is true, then good for you! The odds have certainly been in your favor. But the odds also suggest you’re due for a travel snafu or two.

But let’s say, hypothetically, that your lucky streak continues. No bout of food poisoning while hiking in Peru or mandatory evacuations of your second honeymoon destination. Travel insurance has other benefits, too, that don’t require that you successfully file a claim to enjoy them. Take Allianz Global Assistance’s concierge benefit, which allows you to reach out and connect with representatives 24/7 to gain assistance for everything from making a dinner reservation to finding an ATM.

Travel insurance can provide peace of mind, too, the confidence that you have a built-in back-up plan and potential financial resource in the event your travel doesn’t go as planned. Knowing this can help you focus on the fun or business at hand.

Others Purchased Travel Insurance, And Weren’t 100% Satisfied.

Imagine that you bought a car with an extended warranty. You didn’t look to see the specific date or mileage when the warranty would end, but you just assumed it was good for the long haul. One day your car was struggling to change gears accelerating out of a red light, and the diagnosis is dire: the transmission needs to be replaced.

Good thing you have that extended warranty, you think to yourself. But when you go check on the policy’s details, you see that it actually expired one year or 12,000 miles ago, whichever came first.

Doh.

Now imagine a similar scenario playing out with travel insurance: you think you’re covered, but it turns out that what you experienced wasn’t a covered event. (For example, you decided to the pull the plug on your weekend beach getaway because rain was predicted.)

Listen, we totally get it. Time is fleeting and there is already too much to do; how can you be expected to review legal documents and fine print? That’s why at Allianz Global Assistance, we make it a priority to carefully and proactively spell out the terms and conditions of travel insurance plans in the plans themselves, within a library of helpful articles and videos, and through our professional team of representatives. We don’t want our customers to encounter surprises, confusion or stress. After all, travel can cause all of those on its own.

So, if you tried out Allianz Global Assistance and weren’t happy with the result, we’d love another opportunity to serve as your travel insurance provider. We’re always working to enhance our communication, and we’d love your candid feedback if you haven’t yet provided it. Plus, as you’ll read below, we’ve made a lot of changes around here — all for the travelers’ benefit.

Why You Should Give Allianz Global Assistance Another Shot

You have a lot of options. For starters, you could simply opt not to purchase travel insurance. Then, if you are seeking a plan, there are a number of providers to choose from.

From our competitive pricing to our friendly customer service, we believe there are a number of reasons to pick Allianz Global Assistance. But we’d like to take a moment to focus on what’s new around here…

• Allyz® TravelSmart App: Who needs a thick folder of travel insurance plan printouts when you have our free, convenient app? Make a claim, access the Allyz TravelSmart hotline, and even quickly learn medical terms in 18 languages. It’s all there, intuitively designed for life on the fly.¹
  
  
• New Plans, New Names: Yes, we’ve streamlined our plan names for clarity. For example, the plan formerly known as Classic Plan with Trip+ is now OneTrip Cancellation Plus. Meanwhile, our Annual plans are now called AllTrips; for example, AllTrips Basic has replaced the Annual Basic Plan. But for the real news, look beyond the names into the plan details and you’ll find new offerings. Take the OneTrip Emergency Medical Plan, a low-cost, flexible plan that kicks in once your trip begins — ideal for backpacking trips, getaways you may need to extend and other adventures.²

• SmartBenefits: We definitely saved the best for last. Our SmartBenefits are innovative enhancements meant to streamline the claims process. For example, if you share your flight details, we’ll monitor your flights (not available for all flights). And if you experience a delay that’s covered based on the terms of your travel insurance plan, we can file a claim on the spot. Additionally, we can send set payments (e.g., $100 per person) that can arrive on your debit card (arrival times vary by bank) or be directly deposited to a checking account. SmartBenefits extend to the way in which travelers can be reimbursed. They may choose fixed payments without receipts or they can choose to file receipts for a higher benefit level.

The list of reasons to give Allianz Global Assistance another shot continues to grow, from fresh benefits to new technology aimed at making your travel insurance experience as seamless and satisfying as possible. We’ll make it easy for you to jump back in — you can take a look at our plans right here.

Thanks for considering Allianz Global Assistance, again. Safe travels and happy trails!

Related Articles

• Can I Buy Travel Insurance After Booking?
• 4 Mistakes to Avoid When Filing a Travel Insurance Claim
• Travel Insurance 101: How Travel Insurance Works

Disclaimer: 

When you opt in and provide flight information, we’ll monitor flights and send flight status and benefit alerts, including about flight delays that qualify for automated travel delay payment. Standard message/data rates apply to SMS alerts. SmartBenefits automated claims system and payment availability is not guaranteed and is subject to our sole discretion. All claims subject to policy terms, conditions, and exclusions.    

When you opt in and provide flight information, we’ll monitor flights and send flight status and benefit alerts, including about flight delays that qualify for automated travel delay payment. Standard message/data rates apply to SMS alerts. SmartBenefits automated claims system and payment availability is not guaranteed and is subject to our sole discretion. All claims subject to policy terms, conditions, and exclusions.