When to Buy Travel Insurance: Timing is Everything

We suggest you buy a travel insurance plan when you make your first trip payment, like airfare or a cruise. That way you maximize your coverage period in case you need to cancel your trip.

The financially prudent thing to do is to buy insurance when you have money at risk. If you buy nonrefundable airfare, which most travelers do, your money is at risk right away. For cruises and tours, it may not be an issue until cancellation penalties start to kick in. That could be at six months prior to departure.

Later on, you can add coverage to the same plan for your hotel, tours and other pre-paid, non-refundable trip costs. It’s best to contact us to add coverage as soon as possible after you make new trip payments to be sure you have coverage for your full trip cost.

Generali Global Assistance travel insurance can be purchased up to 18 months before the trip departure date and up until the day prior to departure.

Often times travelers will pay for a trip in installments, and they wonder when they can buy travel insurance, since they haven't paid fully yet. Rest assured—you can. When getting a quote, simply enter the total trip costs that you will be paying and you can modify the plan if those costs change, as long as you have not left on your trip or incurred any losses.

When is it too late to buy travel insurance?

You cannot buy a Generali travel insurance plan on the day you are leaving on your trip or once you are on your trip. At 12 a.m. the day you depart for your trip it becomes too late to buy travel insurance.

Can you buy travel insurance after booking a flight? 

Yes, you can buy travel insurance once you've booked your flight. In fact, you should wait to buy travel insurance until you book your flight and know the ticket price.

Also read:
• How Travel Insurance Can Help When You Fly
• What to do if Your Flight is Canceled: Tips to Work with Airlines & Travel Insurance
• Reasons for Air Travel Insurance

Procrastinators are welcome here. While we don't suggest waiting too long before insuring your trip, you can get a last minute travel insurance plan from Generali Global Assistance. The last chance you have to buy a plan from us is the day before you leave on your insured trip. Sorry—you won't be able to buy a plan at the airport as you're leaving or once you arrive at your destination.

Trip Cancellation coverage starts the day after purchase at 12:01 a.m. We'll email your policy confirmation, so you'll have all of the information you need when you leave in case you need to contact us for assistance on your trip. 

One downside to buying last minute travel insurance is that certain coverages are dependent on when you buy your plan and may not be available if you buy last minute. Read the next section for more details.

Learn more about travel insurance:
• What is Travel Insurance?
• How Much Does Travel Insurance Cost?
• Top 5 Reasons to Get Travel Insurance

Life is unpredictable, so it makes sense to be covered for as much time as possible before you start traveling. All sorts of things can throw a wrench into your travel plans after you've paid for the trip, forcing you to cancel. Why wait to insure your trip until the week before you leave?

When travelers can’t go on their trip due to a covered reason, Trip Cancellation coverage pays for forfeited, pre-paid, non-refundable travel arrangements. Travelers can get maximum coverage for Trip Cancellation if they purchase their plan as soon as they make their first trip payment, like airfare. 

If you're interested in Trip Cancellation for Any Reason, an available add-on coverage with our Premium plan, don't wait to buy travel insurance. Your plan must be purchased within 24 hours of the initial deposit for your trip in order to qualify for the coverage. Learn more about Trip Cancellation for Any Reason and other requirements that must be met.

Also read: Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance—Is it Really that Simple?

Some travelers may need to look for plans that offer coverage for pre-existing medical conditions when they buy travel insurance, and it’s important to understand the purchase window to qualify for that feature. If you don't buy insurance during the right timeframe, you might not be covered for Trip Cancellation, Medical and Dental and other claims related to that pre-existing condition.

Coverage for pre-existing conditions is included with our Premium plan, but coverage must be bought prior to or within 24 hours of the final trip payment, travelers must be medically able to travel at the time the coverage is purchased and they must insure 100% of their pre-paid trip costs that would be subject to cancellation penalties or restrictions. Coverage for pre-existing conditions isn’t available with all of our plans.

An important advantage offered by Generali plans is that the exclusion for pre-existing conditions does not apply to non-traveling family members. In other words, if a family member who is not traveling with you has a pre-existing medical condition, and you have to cancel your trip because of their illness, you can still be covered. Generali is one of the few travel insurance providers to offer this.

Also read: Pre-Existing Conditions and Travel Insurance—5 Things Most People Get Wrong

For travelers who have bought a plan but wish to cancel it and receive a full refund of their plan cost, they may do so within a designated number of days from the date of purchase as long as they haven’t left for their trip or filed a claim. This is referred to as a “free look” period and is available with all Generali Global Assistance travel insurance plans. While the timeframe for the free look period varies from state to state, it is generally 10 days from purchase. Travelers should always refer to their Description of Coverage/Insurance Policy documents to determine the number of free look period days available in their state of residence.