Atlas Travel Insurance Review: Is it Worth it For You?

Atlas Travel Insurance Review - picture of woman snorkeling with ray and colorful fish

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In this Atlas Travel Insurance review, we’ll explore what plans they offer, what they cover, and whether the plans are worth it for you. Enjoy!

If you’re getting ready for a trip, you know it can involve a fair bit of planning. From finding affordable vacation ideas to choosing the ideal flights, there are a lot of decisions to make.

One decision you’d probably rather not deal with is choosing a travel insurance plan. Unlike scouting for the best flight and hotel deals, there’s nothing fun about thinking about the worst-case scenario. It’s tempting to skip it altogether – but don’t.

Anything could happen, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. The best travel insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage that protect your financial investment and your health.

Today I’ll review two types of insurance offered by Tokio Marine HCC-MIS Group, otherwise known as Atlas.

Atlas at a Glance

  • Started in 1998 in Indianapolis, IN
  • One of the first to make insurance products and services available on the internet
  • Sells three comprehensive trip cancellation insurance plans
  • Offers a multi-trip travel medical plan
  • Offers two customizable single-trip travel medical plans

Atlas Travel Insurance Products

Atlas provides a suite of travel insurance options to meet the diverse needs of today’s traveler. Let’s take a look.

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Atlas trip cancellation insurance plans protect the non-refundable deposits you make when you book your trip. They’re considered comprehensive plans because they also offer emergency medical coverage. There are three tiers available:

  • Atlas Excursion
  • Atlas Expedition
  • Atlas Enterprise

Atlas MultiTrip

The Atlas MultiTrip plan covers frequent travelers for all trips up to 30 or 45 days in a 364-day period. It’s primarily a travel medical plan, although it also includes trip interruption, trip delay, and baggage loss coverage. It does not include trip cancellation, so you’ll either have to use a travel rewards credit card that includes it, or purchase that separately for each trip.

Travel Medical Insurance

Atlas offers two customizable travel medical insurance plans that provide single-trip coverage for trips lasting 5 to 364 days. These plans also include trip interruption, travel delay, and lost baggage:

  • Atlas Travel
  • Atlas Premium

In this review, I’ll focus on the trip cancellation insurance and MultiTrip plans. If you want to learn more, you can compare Atlas travel medical insurance plans here.

Atlas Travel Insurance: What’s Included?

Trip Cancellation Insurance

Atlas trip cancellation insurance plans protect you from financial loss if you cancel your trip or return home suddenly (for a covered reason). There are 3 plans to choose from – Excursion, Expedition, and Enterprise.

As an example, the basic Atlas Excursion plan includes:

  • Trip Cancellation
  • Trip Interruption
  • Baggage Delay
  • Trip Delay
  • Emergency Medical and Dental Expense
  • Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation of Remains
  • Common Carrier AD&D

Of course, the higher-tiered Expedition and Enterprise plans offer more coverage per category and offer extras like Cancel for Any Reason coverage and a Pre-existing Medical Conditions Waiver.

One note about these plans – they are not easy to find on their website. In fact, you have to get a quote (and therefore, already know your plans or have made reservations) to even get access to coverage amounts. We’d love to see coverage amounts front-and-center like they do for their MultiTrip and travel medical plans – without having to put in specific information first. Anyone should be able to see up-front how much insurance is provided.

Atlas MultiTrip

Atlas’ MultiTrip plan is a travel medical plan that covers all trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days in a 364-day period. It’s an attractive solution for frequent travelers. Their MultiTrip plans include:

  • Emergency Medical Evacuation: $1,000,000 lifetime maximum
  • Repatriation of Remains: Up to the overall maximum limit
  • Emergency Dental: $300
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment: Lifetime max up to $25,000 depending on age
  • Common Carrier Accidental Death: up to $50,000 depending on age
  • Personal Liability: $25,000 lifetime max
  • Trip Interruption: $10,000
  • Lost Luggage: $1,000
  • Travel Delay (12 hours): $100/day for maximum 2 days
  • Lost or Stolen Passport/Travel Visa: $100
  • Deductible: $250 per covered trip
  • For a full list of what’s covered, click here.

Remember that while it includes trip interruption, trip delay, and baggage loss coverage, it does not include trip cancellation insurance. If you want that, you can purchase it separately.

Great Coverage for Your Epic Trip – Protect yourself and your trip from catastrophe. Get started with comprehensive medical and trip insurance from Atlas. Get your free quote here.

Atlas Travel Insurance: How Much?

The cost of a travel insurance policy depends on several factors, including your age, the length and cost of your trip, whether you’re traveling solo or with family, and your state of residence. To weigh your options, get an online quote directly from Atlas. That said, these examples help illustrate how the plans compare in terms of price.

Example

Let’s consider a 33-year-old solo traveler heading to Belgium for two weeks in June. He’s from the U.S. state of Georgia, and his trip costs $3,000. Here is what he would pay for each of the Atlas trip cancellation insurance plans:

  • Atlas Excursion: $91
  • Atlas Expedition: $107
  • Atlas Enterprise: $126

Now, let’s shake things up and see what the prices would look like if it were a family vacation. Let’s add his 35-year-old wife and their two kids, ages 7 and 10. With the additional airfare, let’s say the trip costs $5,500:

  • Atlas Excursion: $204
  • Atlas Expedition: $240
  • Atlas Enterprise: $280

In both examples, the jump from Atlas Excursion to Atlas Expedition is pretty small. Considering Atlas Expedition gets you an extra $100,000 in emergency medical coverage and the pre-existing medical conditions waiver, I think it’s worth it.

Note that adding Cancel for Any Reason coverage to the Atlas Enterprise plan would cost an extra $182. The standard trip cancellation coverage includes the most common reasons for canceling a trip, so most people probably wouldn’t add it on.

Atlas MultiTrip: How Much?

When buying the MultiTrip Plan, you can insure trips lasting up to 30 or 45 days. Let’s look at how much it would cost to insure the travelers from the previous example for all trips taken for 364 days.

Our 33-year-old solo traveler would pay:

  • $188 for all trips lasting up to 30 days
  • $230 for all trips lasting up to 45 days

The family of 4, ages 35, 33, 10, and 7 would pay:

  • $282 for all trips lasting up to 30 days
  • $345 for all trips lasting up to 45 days

Atlas Travel Insurance: What Isn’t Covered?

The nitty-gritty exclusion details vary by plan and can be found in your plan certificate. Here are a few things worth noting.

Pre-existing Medical Conditions (Certain Circumstances)

The Atlas trip insurance plans define a pre-existing medical condition as one you had in the 60 days preceding your scheduled departure. That 60 days is called the look-back period. Pre-existing conditions are handled differently based on the type of travel insurance you purchase.

The Atlas Excursion plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions in any circumstance. For some, this is a good reason to buy the Atlas Expedition or Enterprise plans instead.

The Atlas Expedition and Enterprise plans have a pre-existing conditions waiver. That means that if you meet certain criteria, your trip cancellation, interruption, and medical benefits will cover your pre-existing medical conditions. These are the criteria:

  • You purchase your travel insurance plan within 21 days of making your initial trip deposit
  • You purchase insurance for the full cost of your trip
  • You’re medically able to travel on the effective date of your policy

The Atlas MultiTrip plan has a look back period of two years. That means a condition is considered pre-existing if you had it in the two years prior to the beginning of your coverage.

The MultiTrip plan does not cover pre-existing medical conditions except in cases of acute onset. Acute onset means a sudden, unexpected, brief flare-up that requires urgent care (excluding chronic or congenital conditions).

Adventure Sports

There’s a whole list of adventure sports that aren’t covered. That means if you sustain an injury while taking part in one, Atlas won’t pay your claim. Here are a few notable exclusions:

  • Parachuting
  • Any kind of race
  • Base jumping
  • Independent scuba diving
  • Spelunking or cave diving
  • Whitewater rafting
  • Big game hunting

If any of these are an important part of your travel plans, you should look elsewhere for your insurance needs. We recommend checking out World Nomads, which is known for its adventure sports coverage.

Lost or Damaged Medical Items

It’s important to note that baggage/personal effects and baggage delay coverage do not cover loss or damage to medical items you may travel with. This includes:

  • Eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contacts
  • Artificial teeth and dental bridges
  • Hearing aids
  • Prosthetic devices
  • Prescribed medications
  • Retainers and orthodontic devices

The best course of action is to keep these items in your carry-on luggage to reduce the chance of loss or damage.

Standard Exclusions

As is the case with most travel insurance providers, Atlas does not cover losses related to:

  • Anything self-inflicted
  • War, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, civil war, hostilities between nations
  • Any non-emergency medical treatment
  • Injury or sickness when traveling against the advice of a physician
  • Participation in professional sports, piloting, or military training exercises

Again, consult your plan certificate for the full list of exclusions.

Need an all-in-one travel insurance plan? Atlas has your back with several single trip and multi-trip options. Get started today with a free quote.

Atlas Travel Insurance: Who Can be Covered?

Atlas Travel Insurance Review - selfie picture of woman in hat with waterfall behind her

Two of the Atlas trip cancellation plans, Atlas Expedition and Atlas Enterprise, cover travelers up to age 99. This is something to consider if you or someone you are traveling with is a senior. Atlas Excursion provides coverage to age 75. Atlas MultiTrip provides coverage to travelers aged 14 days to 75 years.

Atlas Travel Insurance Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Trip cancellation plans offer comprehensive coverage with three tiers to choose from.Little adventure sports coverage.
Pre-existing condition waiver included in Atlas Expedition and Enterprise plans. Look back period is short at 60 days. Entry level trip insurance plan, Atlas Excursion, does not cover pre-existing medical conditions under any circumstance.
Atlas Enterprise plan offers optional Cancel for Any Reason insurance.No annual plans that include trip cancellation insurance.
MultiTrip plan available for frequent travelers.Have to get a quote to see trip cancellation plan coverage amounts
Coverage in the Expedition and Enterprise plans up to age 99.

Who Should Buy Atlas Travel Insurance?

Frequent Travelers – If you travel several times a year, Atlas MultiTrip can save you money.

Travelers Who Need an All-In-One Insurance Product – If you need to insure your non-refundable trip deposits but you also want high levels of medical coverage, the Atlas Expedition or Enterprise plans will be a good fit for you. They come with a generous $150,000 or $200,000 in medical coverage.

Travelers Who Need Cancel For Any Reason Coverage – The Atlas Enterprise plan comes with optional Cancel for Any Reason coverage. Although it’s expensive, it will be worth it for some travelers.

Who Should Skip Atlas Travel Insurance?

Seniors Aged 75 and Over – Seniors over age 75 are not eligible for the Atlas Excursion plan or the MultiTrip plan. They can get the Atlas Expedition and Enterprise plan, but they can likely find more options elsewhere.

Adventurous Travelers – Atlas doesn’t offer adventure sports coverage, so if bungee jumping or mountain climbing are in the cards, look elsewhere. I recommend checking out World Nomads.

Frequent Travelers Who Need Trip Cancellation – The Atlas MultiTrip plan is a great option for frequent travelers, except for one thing: it doesn’t include trip cancellation insurance. If you’ll be making expensive deposits several times per year, the MultiTrip plan won’t check all your boxes.

How to Buy Atlas Travel Insurance

The simplest way to buy any of the Atlas plans is online. Start by grabbing a quote and reviewing the coverage. If you like what you see, enter your details and your payment information, and you’re good to go.

The Atlas trip cancellation insurance plans come with a 10-day review period. This means you can request a refund within 10 days of purchasing your plan if you change your mind (as long as your coverage hasn’t started).

With the Atlas MultiTrip plan, you can request a refund any time before coverage begins.

How to Make a Claim

You have 20 days for trip cancellation insurance or 60 days for MultiTrip insurance from the day coverage ends (the last day of the certificate period) to file a claim.

To start a claim, you must contact Tokio Marine HCC-MIS to give notice of your claim. You can do this online or by mail, and you can call to get help. They will advise what forms and information you need to provide.

Atlas Travel Insurance: Should You Buy It?

If you’re looking for a solid, comprehensive travel insurance plan that protects your non-refundable deposits and offers emergency medical coverage, Atlas has you covered.

Their Expedition and Enterprise plans offer robust coverage at a reasonable price. They are the trip insurance plans that will meet most travelers’ needs. In my opinion, the Excursion plan just doesn’t offer enough medical coverage for most situations.

The MultiTrip plan is a good fit for travelers looking to insure multiple trips a year but don’t need trip cancellation coverage.

Whether you chose Atlas or another provider, make sure you protect yourself and your trip by purchasing a travel insurance policy before you go. Thanks for reading and safe travels!

Have you purchased travel insurance before? Share your tips and advice in the comments below! Atlas Travel Insurance Review Pin - picture of woman snorkeling with ray and colorful fish

Get International Medical Insurance with Atlas – Are you ready to protect your trip and your health? Hop over to Atlas to get your free quote for your next trip. Grab a free quote here.

Atlas Travel Insurance Review
  • Amount of Coverage
  • Medical Coverage
  • Travel Coverage and Protections
  • Affordability
  • Covered Activities & Sports
  • Availability
Overall
3.3

Atlas Travel Insurance Review

If you’re looking for a solid, comprehensive travel insurance plan that protects your non-refundable deposits and offers emergency medical coverage, Atlas has you covered.

Their Expedition and Enterprise plans offer robust coverage at a reasonable price. They are the trip insurance plans that will meet most travelers’ needs. In my opinion, the Excursion plan just doesn’t offer enough medical coverage for most situations. The MultiTrip plan is a good fit for travelers looking to insure multiple trips a year but don’t need trip cancellation coverage.

There is little adventure sports coverage and no annual plans that include trip cancellation insurance.

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