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Trip Cancellation Insurance: Plans & Coverage Explained

Get up to a 100% reimbursement for your total trip cost when you cancel.
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  • Medical-only travel insurance usually lets you cancel for medical reasons and get a full refund, but it will not refund you if you need to cancel for other reasons.
  • A comprehensive plan with trip cancellation insurance can reimburse you for up to 100% of your total trip costs (minus eligible refunds) if you are forced to cancel for reasons covered in your plan.
  • A comprehensive policy with trip cancellation insurance is around two times more expensive than a medical-only travel insurance policy, but the added benefits are worth it.
  • The added benefits of comprehensive trip cancellation plans typically include coverage for things like travel delays, lost and damaged personal items, and emergency medical care.
  • We compared over 20 providers, and our top picks for the best trip cancellation insurance for this year come from AXA, IMG, Faye, Generali, Travelex, & Trawick. (skip ahead to see plans)

Here are some of our favorite plans

Advertiser Disclosure
Best Cancellation Coverage Overall

AXA Assistance USA

GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
4.2
Preferred Plan
Platinum
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $1,000,000
Runner Up for Best Overall

IMG

GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
4.2
Preferred Plan
iTravelInsured Travel SE
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $500,000
Best 'Cancel for Any Reason' Coverage

Faye Travel Insurance

Check Pricing via the Faye website
4.5
Preferred Plan
Faye Travel Protection Plan
Covers COVID
Yes
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$100,000 / $500,000

Best plans with trip cancellation insurance in 2024

Advertiser Disclosure

Best Cancellation Coverage Overall

AXA Assistance USA

4.2
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Platinum
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

The AXA Platinum plan from AXA Assistance USA is one of the top-selling plans among our readers. Not only is it affordable, AXA Platinum offers great coverage.

AXA Platinum covers trip cancellation for the following reasons:

  • Medical reasons
  • Hurricane & weather
  • Work reasons (i.e. transfers)
  • Employment layoff
  • Financial default
  • Terrorism

This plan offers the most comprehensive trip cancellation coverage among all the providers we looked at. It tied with another plan in terms of coverage but came out nearly $100 cheaper.

Apart from this, the medical coverage is strong enough for you to travel nearly anywhere. We cannot recommend this plan enough.

PROS

  • High coverage limits in every category. Extremely comprehensive
  • Includes identity theft coverage & non-medical evacuation coverage
  • CFAR coverage reimburses 75% of prepaid travel expenses

CONS

  • Coverage cannot be extended unlike other plans
  • Medical limit is lower than other cheaper plans, but still sufficient

Runner Up for Best Overall

IMG

4.2
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
iTravelInsured Travel SE
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $500,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

We rank IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel SE plan as runner-up for the best option for trip cancellation coverage due to its ample cancellation coverage, solid medical limits, and its popularity among users.

This plan ranks among the top five most popular plans over the last year and allows you to cancel for a wide range of reasons including:

  • Medical reasons
  • Work reasons
  • Employment layoffs
  • Hurricanes & weather
  • Terrorism

Apart from this, it has everything most travelers need and want. You’ll get robust coverage for travel delays, lost baggage, and more. With everything that is included in IMG’s iTravelInsured Travel SE plan, it comes at an affordable price as well.

PROS

  • Purchase your plan up until one day before you depart
  • Generous limits for trip delays, emergency evacuation, and more
  • Pre-existing condition waiver available if purchased within 20 days of initial trip deposit
  • 24/7 emergency travel assistance included
  • Coronavirus-related medical expenses covered

CONS

  • Plan gets notably more expensive with age

Best 'Cancel for Any Reason' Coverage

Full Policy Details

Faye Travel Insurance

4.5
Check Pricing via the Faye website
Preferred Plan
Faye Travel Protection Plan
Covers COVID
Yes
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$100,000 / $500,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Faye is a new travel insurance disruptor that offers an innovative solution to travel insurance with a digital-first approach.

Faye can reimburse your for your entire trip cost if you cancel for the following reasons:

  • Illness, Injury or Death: You, your travel companion, or close family members fall sick or get injured.
  • Pregnancy Complications: Complications arise during pregnancy.
  • Travel Provider Issues: Financial insolvency or default of a travel service provider.
  • Accidents: Involvement in a traffic accident on the way to your departure.
  • Natural Disasters: Evacuations or uninhabitable conditions at your destination due to natural disasters.
  • Legal Obligations: Subpoena, court order, or jury duty.
  • Military Duty: Being called to active duty or having military leave revoked.
  • Terrorism or Safety Concerns: Terrorist incidents or travel warnings at your destination.
  • Loss of Travel Documents: Theft of passports or visas.
  • Employment Issues: Involuntary job loss or layoff.

They also offer an optional cancel for any reason (CFAR) add-on that can reimburse you for up to 75% of non-refundable trip expenses if you cancel your trip for any reason (up to 48 hrs prior to departure). You must purchase this add-on within 14 days of your initial trip deposit.

*Note: Coverage limits and availability may vary by state of residence.

PROS

  • Friendly agents
  • Easy-to-use mobile app
  • Fast reimbursements for eligible claims
  • Prompt replies to questions

CONS

  • Long wait times for reimbursement
  • Difficulty reaching Faye outside of email & virtual chat

Top Seller & Crowd Favorite

Full Policy Details

Generali Global Assistance

4.3
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Premium
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

While Generali Premium isn’t the cheapest plan on this list, it’s a crowd favorite for a reason. It offers extensive benefits in a range of categories – including trip cancellation coverage. We also rate this provider highly due to the variety of upgrades, bonus coverage, and add-ons it offers, including optional CFAR coverage and rental car coverage, and the fact that it automatically includes coverage for pre-existing conditions.

The Generali Premium travel insurance plan also offers optional CFAR “Cancel For Any Reason” coverage, which can reimburse you for up to 60% of your total trip costs and lets you cancel for any reason under the sun.

Keep in mind that this coverage must be purchased within 24 hours of making an initial trip payment. You can use this coverage by canceling more than 48 hours before your scheduled departure date, although all insured travelers have to cancel for insurance to apply.

PROS

  • High coverage limits with top tier Premium plan
  • Some plans let you add on CFAR coverage
  • Pre-existing conditions covered in the Premium plan
  • Comes with 24-7 worldwide travel assistance services

CONS

  • The standard plan comes with low plan limits, including just $50,000 per traveler in medical and dental expense
  • CFAR coverage must be purchased within 24 hours of the initial trip deposit
  • A 12-hour waiting period is required for luggage delay coverage

Best Basic Coverage

Full Policy Details

Travelex Insurance Services

4.4
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Travel Select
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$50,000 / $500,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Travelex Insurance Services lets you upgrade their Travelex Travel Select plan with Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage that reimburses you for 50% of prepaid travel expenses. This coverage can apply to any travel expenses you paid for your trip upfront, including non-refundable trip deposits, eligible purchases with a travel supplier, and more.

Travelex CFAR coverage must be purchased alongside a Travelex Travel Select plan within 15 days of making an initial trip deposit. For coverage to apply, you must cancel your trip more than 48 hours before your scheduled departure. Reimbursement is for 50% of prepaid travel expenses.

PROS

  • Plans can be customized with upgrades
  • Children 17 and under included for free with some plans
  • Coverage for pre-existing medical conditions available
  • CFAR coverage is available as an add-on to a comprehensive travel insurance plan

CONS

  • Optional CFAR coverage only reimburses 50% of prepaid travel expenses, which is less than some competitors
  • Travel Select plan only has $50,000 in coverage for emergency medical expenses, which is lower than some competitors
  • The baggage delay benefit requires a 12-hour waiting period
  • CFAR coverage is not available with all Travelex plans

Best for Premium Coverage

Trawick International

4.1
GET A QUOTE via Squaremouth’s secure website
Preferred Plan
Safe Travels Voyager
Covers COVID
YES
Medical & Evacuation Limits Per Person
$250,000 / $1,000,000
Why We Like It

Editor's take

Several of the Trawick travel insurance plans rank among our top-selling plans for 2024. The Safe Travels Voyager plan is arguably the most popular among LA Times' readers thanks to its comprehensive coverage. With its higher-than-average coverage limits over many categories, Trawick Safe Travels Voyager is the ideal choice for travelers seeking comprehensive travel insurance with high levels of policy limits.

Starting with its medical benefits, it offers a good primary medical coverage limit of up to $250,000 per person for medical emergencies and covers up to a whopping $1,000,000 per person for medical evacuation and repatriation. The plan is not the cheapest on the list, but these levels make it ideal for global international travel and even travel to remote locations. The plan can also cover pre-existing medical conditions as long as you buy the plan within 21 days of the initial trip deposit and before the final trip payment. This means it’s also a solid option for older travelers or those with existing health conditions.

Other key benefits include cancellation coverage, which can reimburse you for up to 100% of the trip cost, and interruption coverage which can reimburse you for up to 150% of the trip cost if your trip is cut short. Cancellation and interruption cancellation for COVID-19 sickness also come standard.

As with other plans, examples of covered reasons for canceling can include:

  • Medical Reasons
  • Hurricane & Weather
  • Financial Default
  • Employment Layoff
  • Terrorism

This plan also has the highest reimbursement limits for travel delays and baggage issues of any on our list of best travel plans for . You also be reimbursed for travel delays (up to $3,000 per person) and missed connections on cruises and tours (up to $1,000 per person).

Loss or delay of baggage is always a concern while traveling, but with this plan, you can rest easy. It offers coverage for:

  • Baggage and personal items loss up to $2,500
  • Baggage delay coverage up to $600 per person

Sports and activities are covered (with some limitations), and sports fees are included in the cancellation and interruption coverage.

Trawick Safe Travels Voyager plan also includes coverage for rental car damage up to $35,000 per person, a 10-day money-back guarantee after purchase, and 24-hour assistance service should you need help during your trip. Whether you’re looking for medical coverage, trip cancellation protection, or assistance services, this plan has you covered. Travel with confidence knowing you’re protected with Trawick Safe Travels Voyager.

PROS

  • Excellent medical coverage limits
  • Up to $2,500 baggage coverage included
  • Covers quarantine accommodation expenses

CONS

  • Baggage delay coverage only kicks in after 8 hours
  • CFAR only covers 75% of the insured trip cost

What does trip cancellation insurance cover?

Every trip cancellation policy is slightly different, but if you meet the terms in your policy, trip cancellation coverage can reimburse you for up to 100% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs. This can include things like airfare, lodgings, tours, excursions, etc.

Trip cancellation eligibility

Travel insurance policies with standard trip cancellation coverage will typically reimburse you for the following reasons:

That said, each trip cancellation insurance policy comes with its own unique list of inclusions and exclusions of what can be considered a covered reason for canceling. We recommend using a comparison tool to quickly compare trip cancellation insurance plans side by side to ensure you find the coverage you need.

Types of trip cancellation coverage

  1. Medical travel insurance lets you cancel for medical reasons and receive up to 100% reimbursement.
  2. Comprehensive travel insurance lets you cancel for medical reasons and some non-medical reasons (stipulated in the policy) and receive up to 100% reimbursement.
  3. Cancel for any reason travel insurance lets you cancel for any reason whatsoever and receive up to 75% reimbursement.

When you go to buy travel insurance, you will be asked to enter the total trip cost and select whether you want trip reimbursement or not. This will determine if your plan includes trip cancellation coverage or only medical-based coverage.

Does all travel insurance cover trip cancellation?

There are different levels of travel insurance, and not all travel insurance policies will include trip cancellation coverage.

The most basic cheap travel insurance policies usually only include emergency travel medical coverage and medical evacuation coverage. This means you can only cancel for medical reasons.

If you decide you want travel insurance that can reimburse you for other reasons, such as a hurricane, terrorist threat, layoff, or more, you’ll need to opt for a comprehensive travel insurance policy with trip cancellation coverage. This will typically double the cost of your plan, but the added coverage is usually well worth the cost.

Comprehensive plans are some of the best travel insurance policies and will include extra coverage for things like medical treatment, evacuation costs, trip cancellation and interruptions, travel delays, lost, delayed, or damaged baggage, rental car damage, and more.

Passport and Plane Ticket

Optional “Cancel for Any Reason” insurance

There is also an additional type of trip cancellation coverage called “Cancel for Any Reason” (CFAR). CFAR coverage is the most expensive type of travel insurance coverage, but it allows you to cancel your trip for any reason whatsoever. This means if you suddenly decide you don’t want to go on your trip, you can cancel it and still be reimbursed for your lost expenses.

CFAR coverage usually reimburses you for up to 75% of your total trip expenses, but if you are unsure whether or not you will be able to take the trip, CFAR can be a valuable investment. That said, it does increase the cost of the policy by upwards of 50%.

Trip cancellation vs interruption insurance

Most travel insurance plans with trip cancellation coverage also come with trip interruption coverage. The difference between these two coverages is that trip cancellation insurance reimburses you if you cancel your trip before starting it, whereas trip interruption insurance reimburses you if you halt your trip once it’s already begun.

Trip interruption coverage works by reimbursing you for the money you lose by not completing your trip and extra expenses you incur if you need to alter the itinerary, rebook certain legs of your trip, or return home altogether.

The reimbursement limits for trip cancellation & interruption plans also differ.

Trip cancellation coverage usually reimburses you for up to 100% of your prepaid non-refundable trip costs. Whereas, trip interruption insurance often reimburses you for between 150%-175% of your total prepaid, non-refundable trip costs.

The bottom line is that both cancellation and interruption coverage are valuable in their own rights and we recommend buying travel insurance that covers both scenarios.

Do I need trip cancellation insurance?

Whether or not you need trip cancellation insurance depends on:

  1. Where you are traveling
  2. How much you spent on the trip
  3. The likelihood of running into a travel mishap

For example, if you are traveling in-state and are just going on a weekend trip, the amount you stand to lose if your trip is canceled may not be enough to warrant buying a trip cancellation policy.

However, if you are traveling abroad to Italy for example, taking an expensive trip, or are planning to visit an area prone to natural disasters you may want to consider opting for trip cancellation coverage.

Ask yourself the following questions to help you decide:

1

How much money do I stand to lose if my trip is canceled?

It may not be worth getting a trip cancellation plan if the total cost of your trip is negligible. You may want to opt for a travel medical plan instead.

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2

What is the likelihood of one of the trip cancellation plan’s covered reasons applying to me or my travel partner on this trip?

This is difficult to judge, but some trip interruption covered reasons are very specific, such as military reassignments or relocation because of work. Reviewing the covered inclusions, you may find you are at a higher likelihood of needing trip cancellation coverage.

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3

Is there a high likelihood of civil unrest or bad weather at my destination?

Cancellations due to strikes, foreign or domestic terrorism, inclement weather, or natural disasters are typically all covered reasons for canceling a trip.

See More See Less
4

Would I regret bearing the full cost of my trip out-of-pocket if it were to be canceled?

This depends on your personal financial situation and how you perceive the significance of financial loss due to a canceled trip. That said, if you are taking an expensive trip, cancellation travel insurance is usually a “no-brainer”.

See More See Less

If the cost of opting for trip cancellation insurance is prohibitive, but you still need some coverage, you may want to consider opting for medical travel insurance instead.

Is trip cancellation coverage worth it?

Trip cancellation insurance is worth the money if the amount you stand to lose outweighs the total cost of the travel insurance policy. Additionally, travel insurance plans that include trip cancellation coverage typically come with many more inclusions as well such as medical coverage, interruption and travel delay coverage, coverage for lost and damaged personal items, rental car damage protection, and more.

When you weigh the cost of a trip cancellation policy, the benefits you stand to gain typically outweigh the expense.

That said, insurance is one of those things where the value is only found when it comes time to use it. Likely, you will be very glad you bought travel insurance if you find yourself in a situation where you need to rely on it. On the other hand, you may wish you had bought it if you find yourself needing it but not having coverage in place.

Passport and Plane Ticket
AXA Assistance USA
AXA Assistance USA Platinum
IMG
IMG iTravelInsured Travel SE
Compare plans from providers side by side
Type of medical coverage
Primary
Primary
Emergency Medical
$250,000
$250,000
Medical Evacuation & Repatriation
$1,000,000
$500,000
Covers COVID
YES
YES
Pre-Existing Conditions
Waiver Available
YES
Extension Of Coverage
NO
YES
Non-Medical Evacuation
$100,000
NO
Trip Cancellation
100% trip cost
100% trip cost
Trip Interruption
150% trip cost
150% trip cost
Travel Delays
12+ hours
12+ hours
Missed Connection
3+ hours Cruise & tour only
6+ hours
Baggage Loss
YES
YES
Baggage Delay
12+ hours
12+ hours
24 Hour AD&D
$50,000
NO
Flight Only AD&D
$100,000
NO
Common Carrier AD&D
NO
$25,000
Sports & Activities
Some Sports
Some Sports
Sports Equipment Loss
YES
YES
Sports Equipment Delay
$1,000
NO
Sports Fees
YES
YES
Rental Car Damage
Optional Add-on
$40,000
Money Back Guarantee
YES
YES
24 Hour Assistance Service
YES
YES
Cancel For Any Reason
Optional Add-on
NO
AMBest Rating
Better Business Bureau Rating

Trip cancellation travel insurance FAQs

Can you just buy trip cancellation insurance?

Trip cancellation travel insurance is part of a wider and more comprehensive insurance plan. These plans include further additions such as emergency medical coverage and emergency evacuation coverage.

What qualifies as trip cancellation?

Trip cancellation is defined as any circumstance that arises that is out of your direct control. This includes cancellation of any public transportation that results in you missing a connection or any unforeseen natural disasters in your home country or vacation destination

About the Author

The comparison team is a proud partner of the LA Times and is a combination of expert freelance writers, editors, and contributors specially selected for their extensive experience writing and working in the financial industry. Every article written is thoroughly researched, edited, reviewed, and then fact-checked by a member of The LA Times Business Development staff before publication to ensure you receive accurate information.