AXA travel insurance review (2023)

Travel insurance offers peace of mind when planning a trip. In the event of a cancellation, delay, or even a medical emergency scenario, insurance either reimburses prepaid travel costs or makes sure you aren’t paying out of pocket for interruptions that aren’t your fault.

AXA Assistance USA travel insurance is an established insurance provider that offers travel coverage as part of its portfolio and is one of our picks for the best travel insurance companies. In this review, we discuss the different coverage options available with AXA travel insurance, the cost of various policies, and our views on the insurance offering.

AXA Assistance USA is part of the AXA Group, which is a multinational conglomerate of companies offering a wide variety of insurance products. We recommend AXA Travel Insurance as one of the top rated travel insurance providers in the US, particularly for leisure travelers looking for insurance.

AXA’s tiered policy plan system provides even basic policyholders with comprehensive coverage, including medical expenses, lost luggage and travel delays or interruptions. The range of insurance plans is limited, with fewer add-ons available compared to competitors, but we think the overall value of AXA’s insurance is very good.

AXA Assistance USA has three different coverage plans for customers: silver, gold and platinum. The Silver plan is the best option if you are looking for comprehensive and affordable travel insurance and includes the following:

• 100% of the cost of the trip for cancellation or interruption of the trip
• $100 per day for travel or travel delays, with a maximum of $500
• $500 for a missed connection
• $200 for baggage delay
• $750 in baggage and personal effects coverage
• $25,000 for medical accidents and illnesses
• $100,000 for emergency medical evacuation
• $10,000 for death and dismemberment in one trip

Gold and Platinum plans offer higher coverage limits, including 150% of the cost of travel for travel interruption and $100,000 or $250,000 in the event of an accident or illness while traveling.

Complements

Travel insurance add-ons, also called riders, are optional extras with which you can customize your insurance policy depending on the type of coverage you need. AXA Travel Insurance has just a few add-on options to its travel insurance plans, plus additional coverage on its Gold and Platinum plans.

AXA’s coverage add-ons include:

• Cancel for any reason (CFAR)
• Collision damage protection

Your Platinum Plan also includes:

• $25 for a lost skier day
• $500 for missed rounds of golf
• $1,000 for sports equipment rental

Policies offered

Below is a breakdown of the three travel insurance policies offered by AXA Assistance USA and the key details of what each plan covers.

The cost of travel insurance policies is affected by the age and health of the people traveling, the length of time they are travelling, the activities involved in the trip and where they are visiting. Generally, AXA is known for the cost-effectiveness of its insurance policies, especially for its basic plans.

Cost of international travel insurance

To help you get an idea of ​​the cost of AXA Assistance insurance policies in the US, below is an estimate we received from an AXA travel insurance policy for an international trip to Croatia. Two US citizens, ages 25 and 27, are traveling. Their trip is from September 1, 2023 until September 9, 2023 and costs $4,000. The initial deposit for the trip was made on May 5, 2023.

The majority of positive reviews about AXA travel insurance show that customers are satisfied with the coverage options and the peace of mind that travel insurance provides. While many customers have had positive claims experiences, others have stated that the process is incredibly time consuming, team response times are very slow, and the standard of customer service is poor.

Below are reviews of companies found on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) ​​and Trustpilot.

“I found myself in a medical emergency while abroad and needed surgery. Every team member I spoke to [was] helpful, friendly and empathetic to my situation. They secured additional seats for my return trip home, as well as assistance at the airport. I made an additional claim on returning to the UK for expenses I incurred whilst in hospital – this was processed quickly and without a hitch. I feel strongly that people only tend to complain because of a negative experience, but I felt compelled to make people aware of my experience, which was completely positive. — Abigail N. via Trustpilot

“Every time I have made a complaint with this company it has been handled excellently with no issues whatsoever. paid in two [COVID-19] complaints this year, a holiday canceled due to illness a few years ago and illness during absence 7 years ago, is part of my banking package. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone.” —Silver F. via Trustpilot

“They paid very slowly, but eventually they did. I took a trip in June 2022. While there I caught COVID just before returning. My return home was delayed by 9 days and I had to buy a new ticket back home. They don’t respond to emails (beyond the automatic default “We got your mail blah blah”) but no personal communication until 8-10 weeks later. Don’t bother calling because you will be on hold for a long time and then disconnected. Can I recommend them? No. Will I be insured with them in the future? Certainly not. But to their credit they refunded me and for the full amount I asked for. —William S. via BBB

“Worst company to buy travel insurance. I had to cancel the return ticket due to illness last year and I have already submitted all the requested documents and filed the claim in December 2021 and I am still waiting for a response. No updates, no progress on my claim and it’s been almost 6 months. […]”—Dilshadhamad K. via BBB

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AXA Assistance USA offers a selection of great value insurance plans that provide comprehensive coverage and specific benefits for sports and leisure travel. Their basic insurance plan includes medical coverage, delay or cancellation compensation, and baggage coverage, while the highest levels of insurance offer generous limits when it comes to compensation.

However, some customer comments criticize the claims resolution process and claim that the service provided by the company is poor, requiring persistent action to receive compensation for a trip. With only three insurance coverage options, AXA also has a more limited set of policies than competitors, so it may not be the best choice for those looking for specific coverage for business or education. We recommend getting quotes from three or more different providers to find the best value for your trip.

Our team researched dozens of travel insurers and created a scoring system to judge each company’s quality and service. We request sample quotes, both over the phone and over the internet, to simulate an authentic customer experience. Here are the factors that account for our provider ratings:

• Plan availability (20%): We are looking for insurers with a variety of plans and the ability to customize the policy with upgrades.
• Coverage (40%): Among the benefits scored were medical expenses, medical and non-medical evacuation, COVID-19 coverage, preexisting condition exclusion waivers, “cancel for any reason” coverage, trip interruption, travel delay time requirements, baggage delay, baggage reimbursement and financial default by a travel supplier. Special attention was paid to companies that offer unique add-ons such as extreme sports coverage, business equipment coverage and pet coverage.
• Customer service and support (30%): We look for indicators that a company is well prepared to respond to customer needs. Companies with an established global resource network, a 24/7 emergency hotline, robust mobile apps, and perks like concierge and translation services scored higher.
• Reputation (10%): We measure reputation by evaluating consumer reviews, third-party financial strength, and customer experience ratings, specifically from AM Best and the Better Business Bureau.

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sabrina lopez is an editor with over six years of experience writing and editing digital content with a particular focus on home services, home products and personal finance. When not working on articles to help consumers make informed decisions, Sabrina enjoys writing creatively and spending time with her family and two parrots.