The Best Group Travel Insurance Companies of 2024

Yes, you can get travel insurance for a group, but group members must have similar travel itineraries. Many travel insurance websites let you pull quotes and purchase group travel insurance plans online. Group coverage can be for family members or between friends.

Group travel insurance typically covers emergency medical expenses and evacuations, luggage loss or delay and cancellations due to sickness or death. Groups can also choose to tack on add-ons such as Cancel-for-any-reason (CFAR) coverage.

Here are our top picks for companies that offer group travel insurance:

• Travelex: Our pick for families
• Faye: Our pick for an all-online experience
• Seven Corners: Our pick for international travelers
• Nationwide: Our pick for cruise travel
• Tin Leg: Our pick for customizable coverage
• AXA: Our pick for leisure travelers
• Allianz Global Assistance: Our pick for concierge services

We created a hypothetical group trip to gain an estimate of costs for each insurer. We based our cost analysis on a group of 10 traveling from Massachusetts to the Dominican Republic for two weeks in June. Five travelers are 34 years old, and five travelers are 40. The trip costs $2,500 per person or $25,000 total.

Travel insurance is financial protection you can buy to mitigate the risks associated with travel. It typically covers a range of potential mishaps, such as trip cancellations and lost baggage. Policies compensate you for non-refundable trip expenses, medical emergencies and evacuations. What is coverage and what is not depends on your specific policy details.

Some groups considering travel insurance may like the reassurance that their financial investment is protected in the face of unforeseen events. Group travel involves coordinating the plans and schedules of multiple people, making it more susceptible to disruptions caused by illness, flight delays and other unexpected incidents. Travel insurance can offer peace of mind by providing financial protection and streamlining the process of addressing unforeseen challenges.

Travel insurance coverage includes multiple types of protections, depending on the insurer. Common coverages include:

• Trip cancellation: Group travel insurance often includes trip cancellation as base coverage, reimbursing the costs of your prepaid, non-refundable trip expenses in case of an unforeseen event. To qualify for this coverage, a group member must suffer a qualifying event as named in the policy, like a storm causing a flight cancellation.
• Emergency medical: Depending on your health insurance provider, you could be liable for a percentage of any hospital bills you incur if injured outside the U.S. Emergency medical protection ensures that group members receive medical assistance and coverage for unexpected medical expenses while traveling. It covers illnesses, injuries, hospitalization and emergency medical evacuations.
• Travel delay: Insurance can compensate for additional expenses (accommodations, meals and transportation) incurred because of a covered delay, such as flight cancellations or severe weather waits for a cruise.
• Evacuation: Emergency evacuation coverage is important in remote and international destinations. It covers the costs of medically necessary evacuations, such as airlifting travelers to the nearest suitable medical facility if appropriate care is not available locally.
• Trip interruption: If your group’s trip is cut short because of unforeseen circumstances, such as a family emergency or severe illness, trip interruption coverage can help reimburse the unused portions of your trip. It can also cover the cost of booking new flights home, which is why it usually has a higher coverage percentage than cancellation coverage.
• CFAR coverage: CFAR coverage is an add-on that provides flexibility to cancel your trip for reasons outside those listed in your policy. While it often comes at an additional cost, CFAR allows you to recoup a significant portion of your prepaid expenses if you decide not to travel for personal reasons, providing an exceptionally high benefit for expensive group trips.

Common Add-ons

Add-ons for travel insurance can vary, but some may include:

• Rental car coverage
• Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage
• Accidental death and dismemberment coverage
• Sporting and golf equipment coverage

Considering COVID-19

We still live in a world where COVID-19 is an active virus that could throw a wrench into travel plans. Travel insurance may cover your group members if their trip is canceled or interrupted due to a medical illness, such as catching COVID-19. However, canceling due to fear of travel alone may not be covered. Reading the terms of your policy can help you understand how you’re protected.

Many factors affect the cost of a group travel insurance policy, including:

• The number of people: The number of people traveling is the primary influence of price. For every person included in the policy, the insurer takes on a new level of risk by providing all travelers with individual protections. You can expect to receive a general discount for every traveler you add, but the overall cost goes up as your group size increases.
• The magnitude of the trip: The duration of your trip also adds more risk to the insurance provider, increasing costs. The longer your trip, the more opportunities for something to go wrong. If you’re traveling to a remote location where medical or political evacuation may be more likely, you can expect to pay more for travel insurance.
• The cost of the trip: Like individual travel insurance, your trip cost directly affects the coverage price. Trip cancellation and interruption levels depend on each individual’s non-refundable expenses. As individual trip costs increase, the total price of your trip coverage also increases.

Buying travel insurance as a group presents opportunities to save on individual coverage, but you can follow a few strategies to lower costs even more. Start by collecting quotes from each of the top group insurers on our list to see which offers the most affordable policy. Because of differences in underwriting processes, finding the same coverage at different prices between insurers is possible.

Tailoring the insurance plan to meet your group’s specific requirements is another good tactic that allows you to avoid unnecessary expenses and find adequate coverage. Weigh if you need any add-on coverages, and consider medical-only coverage if your group is less concerned about cancellations and interruptions. For frequent travelers, looking at annual policies covering multiple trips is a cost-effective alternative to buying separate policies for each journey.

Getting group travel insurance with people sharing the same itinerary and travel reservations can make sense. Managing one policy can be convenient, and you’re aware that each person you’re responsible for on the trip has adequate protection.

For friends, students, and extended family coming from different places and meeting up at a location at different times, you’re better off going with separate coverage. That’s because you need to provide similar travel dates and the same trip destination to get a quote. And from a planning standpoint, it would likely be easier to manage policies for separate itineraries individually.

Ask an Expert

We asked four experts to share insights on how to save money on trip expenses, which you can apply to your group travels.

ASK THE EXPERTS: What are your best travel tips for people traveling on a budget?

Amit Mehtora Daniel Plunkett, Ph.D. Rebecca Heid Susan Weidmann, Ph.D.

“Make a total of how much…

you want to spend for the vacation. You can then break it down for each day of travel. Think about the reason for your trip. If you are trying to enjoy the outdoors, keep your accommodation costs at a minimum. Hostels or homestays can be much more economical than hotels, where you may not even spend much time. Look for last-minute deals on Kayak, TripAdvisor, etc., and travel during low season.“

Amit Mehtora

Assistant Professor in the Hospitality Management Department at New York City College of Technology

“Consider going to destinations in…

the off-season. Even though summer is the busy travel season, some destinations are more popular in fall, winter or spring. For example, some popular destinations in Mexico are more humid in the summer and resorts may offer discounted rates compared to busier winter or spring seasons. If traveling to a bigger city, consider staying outside the city center where you can often find cheaper lodging. “

Daniel Plunkett, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology at University of California, Riverside

“Resist the temptation to splurge…

on items you don’t truly need. Also, while we strive for flawless travel experiences, reality often throws us curveballs. Have a contingency plan ready for inclement weather or unexpected closures of venues. Flexibility is key to ensuring a smooth journey.“

Rebecca Heid

Professor of Hospitality Management at Northampton Community College

“Outside of the typical expenses…

of transportation, accommodations, food and drink, entrance fees, etc., remember that you may need a passport, passport renewal or a visa. Sometimes we forget to investigate the status of our documents or are not aware of regularly changing entrance requirements. Also, local transportation costs (gas for your rental car or subway, bus or taxi fare) are sometimes forgotten but can add up. When choosing airfare, be honest with yourself about how much luggage you will take, as there is often a baggage fee, which for some airlines is more expensive than airfare. Also consider if you might be interested in add-ons, such as fast passes at theme parks or a beverage package on a harbor cruise.“

Susan Weidmann, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation Management and Physical Education at Appalachian State University

“Start of the expert quote…

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