While a vacation should be about relaxing and enjoying your time, an unexpected problem or accident can easily ruin your trip. Travel insurance may be well worth the investment.
Generali Global Assistance Travel Insurance offers immediate assistance for emergencies experienced while traveling. Read on for our review of Generali’s services.
Best for emergency support services
With emergency support available 24/7 in all three of its plans, Generali Global Assistance Travel Insurance is our top pick for emergency support services. But how does it stack up in terms of coverage options, policy exclusions, customer support and accessibility? Let’s have a look at key policy benefits and limitations and find out.
Generali Global Assistance travel insurance pros and cons
PROS
100% trip cancellation coverage included in all plans
24/7 travel support services
All plans include identity theft resolution services
CONS
Pre-existing medical conditions are only covered in the premium plan
Baggage delay coverage applies after 12 hours with the most expensive plan
Travel insurance plans are only available to U.S. residents
Pros explained
100% trip cancellation coverage included in all plans
If you need to cancel your hotel, aircraft, lodging or tour reservation due to unforeseeable conditions, travel providers might not refund your purchases, or you may have to pay cancellation fees. Generali Global Assistance provides up to 100% trip cancellation coverage in all three of its travel insurance plans. This applies to your unused, non-refundable, pre-paid travel expenses.
Most reasons for trip cancellation, such as sickness, travel document theft or carrier cancellation or delay, are covered by Generali. This is a feature that even some of the best travel credit cards and travel insurance companies fail to offer.
24/7 travel support services
Generali Global Assistance offers immediate, 24-hour travel assistance for unexpected problems during a trip. This assistance comes with all of its plans. The company’s help hotline is available every day with about 4,700 assistance agents and 425,000 service providers around the world.
All plans include identity theft resolution services
While many travel insurance companies don’t offer identity theft resolution services, Generali Global Assistance includes this benefit in all of its plans. The service becomes available on your planned departure day and terminates after 180 days. The company treats each identity theft case as an emergency.
After you contact the company, it can assist by:
Giving you information about how identity theft happens and protective measures you can take to prevent it
Submitting an ID theft affidavit to the proper authorities, credit bureaus and creditors
Providing you with an ID theft resolution kit
Reporting the fraudulent activity to local authorities
Notifying relevant credit-reporting agencies about the incident
Placing a security freeze on your credit reports
Cons explained
Pre-existing medical conditions are only covered in the premium plan
While all three of the plans include protection for medical emergencies, the Standard and Preferred plans don’t cover pre-existing medical conditions during the 180 days before your planned trip. The company defines pre-existing as sickness or injury for which you or a travel companion received, (or were recommended) a diagnostic test, exam, or medical treatment. Taking or receiving a prescription for medication also falls under “pre-existing,” unless it’s for a condition that is controlled via prescription medication. The Premium plan is the only travel insurance plan from the company that provides coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. To qualify for this plan, you must be medically able to travel during the insurance purchase.
Baggage delay coverage applies after 12 hours with the most expensive plan
All Generali Global Assistance plans reimburse you for the reasonable costs of clothes and items you need to purchase while waiting for your delayed baggage. However, even with the Premium plan, your items must be delayed for at least 12 hours to be eligible for this coverage. While the 12-hour waiting period isn’t an uncommon practice among travel insurance providers, some offer coverage after a three or six-hour delay.
Travel insurance plans are only available to U.S. residents
Generali’s Global Assistance plans are only available to U.S. residents. Additionally, Generali doesn’t provide coverage for travel to Afghanistan, Belarus, Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s regions, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Venezuela. Assistance capabilities in Ukraine are limited.
Generali Global Assistance travel insurance plans
Generali Global Assistance offers three extensive insurance plans: Standard, Preferred and Premium.
Standard
The Standard plan is the most affordable plan you can purchase. It has the lowest benefit limits among the three. The plan offers emergency travel assistance and basic coverage for both domestic and international trips and vacations. It’s best for travelers mainly concerned about trip cancellation.
Preferred
The Preferred plan offers everything that the Standard plan does, but with significantly higher coverage limits for trip interruption, medical services, emergency assistance and transportation, and additional coverages for sporting equipment and accidental death or dismemberment due to a travel accident. This option is best for travelers wanting to enjoy their hiking, skiing, golf or international trips.
