Travel Guard is one of the oldest names in American trip insurance. It started in Wisconsin in 1982, spent nearly two decades as AIG’s travel brand and, since December 2024, has belonged to Zurich Insurance Group. The plans look much as they did: three single-trip tiers, a last-minute option and an annual plan. What has changed is the company behind them, which matters when you read the small print.
Our verdict: Travel Guard Deluxe is a strong plan for an expensive trip, with US$150,000 of medical cover, US$1 million for medical evacuation and security evacuation included. The cheaper tiers are less convincing, and the 50% cancel for any reason payout trails the best rivals. Owner reviews also describe slow claims, so keep your paperwork in order.
Travel Guard at a glance
- Owner: Zurich Insurance Group, which bought AIG’s global personal travel business, including Travel Guard, in a deal that closed on December 2, 2024
- Underwriter: named on your certificate; Travel Guard’s US policy documents from the AIG years name National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Who can buy: US residents
- Plans: Essential, Preferred, Deluxe, Pack N’ Go and an Annual plan
- Price: on quote, based on trip cost, ages, state and plan
- Promo Code: none published
- Cancel for any reason: optional on Preferred and Deluxe, reimbursing 50%
What Travel Guard does
Travel Guard sells comprehensive trip insurance: cancellation and interruption cover for prepaid costs, emergency medical and evacuation cover, and the usual extras for bags and delays. All three main plans reimburse 100% of your insured trip cost for a covered cancellation. The differences are in what happens once you have left home.
Pack N’ Go is aimed at people who forgot to insure before leaving or who book at the last minute. It drops trip cancellation and pre-existing condition cover and keeps the travel medical and evacuation side. The Annual plan covers frequent travelers for a year.
Travel Guard plans compared
Figures are per person, from NerdWallet’s plan table (updated March 2026) and the benefit summaries published on InsureMyTrip and TripInsuranceStore.
| Benefit | Essential | Preferred | Deluxe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trip cancellation | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost |
| Trip interruption | 100% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost |
| Medical expenses | US$15,000 | US$50,000 | US$150,000 |
| Medical evacuation | US$150,000 | US$500,000 | US$1,000,000 |
| Security evacuation | Not included | Not included | US$100,000 |
| Baggage loss | US$750 | US$1,000 | US$2,500 |
| Baggage delay | US$200 | US$300 (after 12 hours) | US$500 (after 12 hours) |
Deluxe adds trip delay cover of US$200 a day up to US$1,000 after a five-hour delay, missed connection cover of US$1,000, cancel for work reasons and a hospital of choice benefit. On Preferred, medical cover is primary if you buy within 15 days of your initial trip deposit and secondary if you buy later, according to TripInsuranceStore’s summary.
Price and what drives it
Travel Guard does not publish fixed prices, and we have not quoted one without a real quote for a real trip. The premium rises with insured trip cost, traveler ages and the plan level, and varies by state. Upgrades such as cancel for any reason, a rental car add-on (US$50,000 with a US$250 deductible on Deluxe) and a medical bundle that doubles Preferred’s medical limit all add to the price.
Pre-existing conditions and cancel for any reason
Pre-existing condition waiver. Travel Guard covers pre-existing conditions if you buy within 15 days of your first trip payment, insure the full non-refundable trip cost and are medically able to travel when you buy. The look-back period, the window in which a condition counts as pre-existing, is 90 days on Deluxe and 180 days on Essential and Preferred, according to the benefit summaries published by InsureMyTrip and TripInsuranceStore; your certificate is the final word.
Cancel for any reason. The optional CFAR upgrade on Preferred and Deluxe reimburses 50% of non-refundable trip costs. It must be bought within 15 days of the initial trip payment, and you need to cancel at least 48 hours before departure. That is a smaller payout than Seven Corners’ 75%, Generali’s 75% of the cancellation penalty or Allianz’s 80% Cancel Anytime.
What we liked
- Deluxe’s evacuation cover. US$1 million for medical evacuation, plus US$100,000 for security evacuation and US$5,000 for ancillary evacuation.
- 150% interruption cover on Preferred and Deluxe, enough for an expensive last-minute flight home.
- Pack N’ Go. A useful fallback if you are already packed and uninsured.
- A long track record. More than 40 years in the market, now backed by one of Europe’s largest insurers.
What we did not like
- Essential is thin. US$15,000 of medical cover would not go far after a serious accident abroad.
- CFAR pays only 50%.
- Claims complaints. Reviews on Trustpilot and ConsumerAffairs include complaints about denied claims and requests for more documents; we have not tested a claim ourselves.
- Ownership transition. Zurich now owns the business, but the underwriter on older documents is an AIG company, and some current benefit summaries name Zurich instead, so check whose name is on your certificate.
How Travel Guard compares
Travel Guard vs Allianz Travel. Allianz OneTrip Prime has higher fixed cancellation limits (US$100,000) and covers children free, and its Cancel Anytime upgrade pays 80%. Travel Guard Deluxe is stronger on medical and evacuation. See our Allianz Travel Insurance review.
Travel Guard vs Travelex Insurance. Travelex Ultimate, also part of the Zurich family, offers US$250,000 of medical cover, US$1 million for evacuation, kids-included pricing and a 21-day waiver window. See our Travelex Insurance review.
Travel Guard vs Seven Corners. Seven Corners Trip Protection Choice includes up to US$500,000 of primary medical cover and a 20-day waiver window, which makes it a better fit if medical cover is your main concern.
Who should buy Travel Guard?
Choose Deluxe if you are booking a costly trip, especially somewhere a security evacuation could matter, and you want one policy that covers cancellation, high medical evacuation and delays. Preferred is a reasonable mid-range plan. Skip Essential for travel abroad, and look elsewhere if you want the largest CFAR payout or the highest medical limit.
Travel Guard FAQs
Is Travel Guard still owned by AIG?
No. Zurich Insurance Group completed its purchase of AIG’s global personal travel insurance business, including Travel Guard, on December 2, 2024, for US$600 million plus a possible earn-out.
Does Travel Guard cover pre-existing conditions?
Yes, if you buy within 15 days of your first trip payment, insure the full non-refundable cost of the trip and are medically able to travel when you buy.
How much does Travel Guard’s cancel for any reason pay?
It reimburses 50% of your non-refundable trip costs. It is optional on Preferred and Deluxe and must be bought within 15 days of your first trip payment.
What is Travel Guard Pack N’ Go?
A plan for last-minute trips. It keeps the medical and evacuation cover but drops trip cancellation and pre-existing condition cover.
Can I buy Travel Guard outside the US?
These plans are for US residents. Zurich and other insurers sell different products elsewhere; UK travelers can start with our UK travel insurance guide.
