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American Express Travel Insurance Review
Our verdict: American Express Travel Insurance covers all the basics but excludes pre-existing medical conditions so if you have one, you might want to look elsewhere.
American Express makes claiming easy, with an online portal, email and phone options.
The loss of income benefit is particularly strong, paying a monthly benefit of up to $2,000 for a maximum of 5 months if you're seriously injured while on holiday and subsequently unable to work.
Cons
Pre-existing medical conditions are excluded and there's no option to add them on for an additional fee. Even American Express warns that its policy might not be right for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions.
Even the most comprehensive American Express policy, Ultimate Plan, has a $20,000 limit on cancellation costs. There are many brands which offer unlimited cancellation cover.
American Express Travel Insurance is not currently available via Finder. You can head to the American Express website or compare alternative options available below.
Summary of American Express International Comprehensive policy
Overseas Medical and Hospital Expenses
Unlimited
Cancellation and Amendment Fees
$10,000
Luggage and Personal Effects
$10,000
Maximum Age Limit
79
Table updated August 2023
How does American Express Travel Insurance cover COVID-19?
American Express has you covered if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 before you head on holiday or while you're away. Here's what you can expect:
Any costs incurred from having to cancel, delay or change your trip because you or a travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19 - that includes additional accommodation and travel expenses.
Overseas emergency medical costs if you need treatment for COVID0-19 while on your trip
Transport of your remains or burial costs if you die as a result of COVID-19 during your trip.
There are some scenarios that are not covered by American Express including costs incurred as a result of mandatory quarantine or isolation, border closures or government travel bans.
Also, if you were diagnosed with COVID-19 before heading on your trip but you went anyway, you won't be covered for any COVID-related overseas medical expenses.
What policies does American Express offer?
American Express offers four insurance policies to travellers. The Essential, Comprehensive and Ultimate plans are available to travellers heading overseas while the Domestic plan is for travellers staying in Australia.
Essential
Comprehensive
Ultimate
Domestic
The insurer of this product is Chubb Insurance Australia Limited. It comes with a cooling-off period of 14 days and choice of $200 standard excess for international plans.
Here's a breakdown of American Express Travel Insurance features
These are some of the main insured events that American Express will cover. These benefits apply across all international policies.
Overseas medical treatment
Lost, damaged or stolen property
Trip cancellation or amendment
Additional accommodation and transport
Theft of money
Luggage and travel delay
Kidnap and hijack
Personal liability
Accidental death
Optional add-ons
American Express also offers three add-ons that provide cover for a wider range of risks.
Rental vehicle excess cover. If your rental vehicle is damaged, this benefit will cover the cost of the insurance excess. Does not apply to campervans, motorbikes or scooters.
Snow Sports Cover.Cover for equipment and cancellation expenses if you're going skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing or snowmobiling. .
Cruise Cover Extends your insurance policy to cover cruises and any cruise-related claim.
Exclusions
Unfortunately, travel insurance doesn't cover everything. Generally, American Express will not pay your claim if it relates to:
Unlawful, wreckless or unreasonably unsafe behaviour by you
Behaviour while you were drunk or under the influence of drugs
Expenses related to a pre-existing medical condition
Alternatively, you can phone Chubb on 1800 139 149, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST.
Here's the bottom line about American Express Travel Insurance
Travellers with pre-existing medical conditions might want to look elsewhere as they won't be covered by policies and American Express won't consider adding them for an extra fee.
Further, there appears to be no cover available for travellers wishing to ride a motorbike or scooter, even if you have a valid licence.
You have 60 days from your return date to submit your travel insurance claim. If you're still waiting on documentation to support your claim but worried you won't make the deadline, you can start the process and submit the additional documentation later.
Yes, American Express does not offer travel insurance to people over 80. However, there are plenty of other providers that offer travel insurance to over 80s..
No, you do not have to be an American Express customer to take out a travel insurance policy.
Request travel insurance quotes and compare policies
Nicola Middlemiss is a contributing writer at Finder, with a special interest in personal finance and insurance. Formerly a business and finance journalist, Nicola has written thousands of articles helping Australians better understand insurance and grow their personal wealth. She has contributed to a wide range of publications, including Domain, the Educator, Financy, Fundraising and Philanthropy, Insurance Business, MoneyMag, Mortgage Professional, Yahoo Finance, Your Investment Property, and Wealth Professional. Nicola has a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Leeds. See full bio
Nicola's expertise
Nicola has written 232 Finder guides across topics including:
Personal finance
Personal insurance, including car, health, home, life, pet and travel insurance
Compare Travel Insurance Direct policies online to save time and money. Travel Insurance Direct offers various policies including Annual multi-trip, The Works, The Basics and Domestic travel.
Qantas Travel Insurance offers various cover choices with the added benefit of travel points rewards for spending money on insurance when booking flights through Qantas.
Domestic travel insurance can provide cover for trip cancellation (domestic flights), loss or damage to luggage and expensive items, car rental excess charges and much more. Find out why domestic travel insurance is worth getting and compare policies from Australian insurers.
If I am overseas and require hospital or medical
attention do I have to pay and then claim when I arrive home
Finder
MarcDecember 9, 2013Finder
Hello Val,
thanks for the question.
This will depend on the type of treatment, where you are and the cost of it. I’d suggest getting into contact with Chubb Insurance, the provider of this cover for American Express credit cards.
Cheers,
Marc.
gwenJune 21, 2015
I am a Platinum card holder and have been for many years. I am travelling by myself to France for 2 weeks and want cover for cancellation, medical, luggage and theft. What is the best cover.?
Finder
RichardJune 22, 2015Finder
Hi Gwen,
Thanks for your question.
There is no best cover option. It’s all very specific to the person. If you would like to compare the free cover your card offers against the cover provided by the insurers in our panel, please enter your travel details into the quote form on the travel insurance.
Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
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If I am overseas and require hospital or medical
attention do I have to pay and then claim when I arrive home
Hello Val,
thanks for the question.
This will depend on the type of treatment, where you are and the cost of it. I’d suggest getting into contact with Chubb Insurance, the provider of this cover for American Express credit cards.
Cheers,
Marc.
I am a Platinum card holder and have been for many years. I am travelling by myself to France for 2 weeks and want cover for cancellation, medical, luggage and theft. What is the best cover.?
Hi Gwen,
Thanks for your question.
There is no best cover option. It’s all very specific to the person. If you would like to compare the free cover your card offers against the cover provided by the insurers in our panel, please enter your travel details into the quote form on the travel insurance.
Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard