Guide to Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) Travel insurance (2024)

Standard travel insurance policies typically reimburse the total amount of your deposit (or close to it) if you act within the time-sensitive parameters and cancel for the reasons accepted under the policy. On the other hand, CFAR policies will typically offer you between 50% and 75% reimbursem*nt of your deposit or total trip cost if you cancel for reasons not explicitly listed under the terms of the policy.

Additionally, CFAR policies are time-sensitive. You must purchase the CFAR travel insurance add-on within a specific time frame of when you purchased your initial travel insurance policy. The time frame for implementing your CFAR benefits is between one and four weeks (depending on the company) after your initial trip deposit and purchase of standard travel insurance.

Most companies offer CFAR trip cancellation coverage if you cancel your trip within a specific time frame. For travel insurance companies Travelex and Seven Corners, it’s within 48 hours of your scheduled departure date.

CFAR policies don’t cover some circ*mstances. For example, Seven Corners insists that, should a travel supplier cancel your trip, the responsibility for refunding your trip expenses falls on the operator, not the CFAR insurance policy. So, review the fine print and individual limitations of your policy before you buy travel insurance to be sure you’re getting the benefits you think you are.

Faye

OUR PICK FOR ALL-ONLINE EXPERIENCE

• CFAR coverage amount:75% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$298
• CFAR upgrade cost: 16%–39% added to premium

Faye travel insurance is our choice for travelers who prioritize a streamlined, online buying process. With 100% online underwriting and the ability to access quick, general coverage, Faye is a good option for those purchasing travel insurance a few days before their trip. Though Faye only offers one travel insurance policy, it includes CFAR coverage that can reimburse up to 75% of your nonrefundable trip costs.

Faye’s CFAR upgrade is one of the most affordable we reviewed, adding an average of 16% to 39% to your premium cost. Compared to other insurance providers like Trawick, which doubled our quote when we added to CFAR coverage, Faye is a good choice for budget shoppers. However, you can only purchase CFAR coverage within two weeks of your initial trip deposit.

Unlike most travel insurance providers, Faye only offers one policy, which includes the following coverages:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $250,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $500,000
• Lost baggage: $150
• Trip delay: $4,500 ($300 per day)
• Baggage delay: $200

According to our review, the average Faye customer will pay $298 for an insurance policy.

Seven Corners Travel Insurance

Our pick for international travelers

• CFAR coverage amount:75% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$169–$236
• CFAR upgrade cost: 40%–42% added to premium

Seven Corners is our top travel insurance provider for international adventures because of its wide range of coverage options. From annual travel insurance plans to options that offer limited, affordable medical coverage, Seven Corners is known for its inclusive selection of plan offerings. While most coverage providers limit CFAR coverage availability to only the most expensive policy, Seven Corners makes this add-on available with two plan options.

Seven Corners’ CFAR upgrades were consistently affordable in our review, adding 40% of the cost of your coverage to most sample quotes we received. You can also upgrade to CFAR coverage 20 days after your initial trip payment, which is longer than some competitors. However, this upgrade is only available on single-trip policies and is not offered on a rolling basis for annual plans.

Seven Corners offers two travel insurance policies that allow you to upgrade to CFAR insurance: Trip Protection Basic and Trip Protection Choice. Both options are single-trip plans, with the Basic policy being Seven Corners’ budget option. It includes the following coverages:

• Trip interruption: 100%
• Medical expense: $100,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $250,000
• Lost baggage: $250
• Trip delay: $600
• Baggage delay: $500

In our review, we found the average Trip Protection Basic policyholder will pay $169 for Basic coverage.

The Trip Protection Choice policy includes more optional coverage than the Basic policy, including a waiver for pre-existing conditions and event ticket registration. This policy also includes extended benefits over the Basic plan, including:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $500,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $250
• Trip delay: $2,000
• Baggage delay: $2,500

We found that the average Choice policyholder will pay about $236 for travel insurance.

AIG Travel Guard

Our pick for families

• CFAR coverage amount: 50% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$171–$319
• CFAR upgrade cost: 31%–38% added to premium

AIG is our top pick for families looking for more inclusive group coverage because one child under age 17 is included with the purchase of an adult Travel Guard Deluxe plan. This policy also includes the option to add CFAR coverage at a lower rate than most competitors. However, the Deluze policy is not the only option for CFAR travel insurance — you can also upgrade to the lower-cost Preferred plan with the same coverage rates and reimbursem*nt percentage.

While AIG’s CFAR upgrade is more affordable than competitors, it does come with a few limitations. You can only add up to 50% reimbursem*nt, which limits your benefits. You also must purchase the upgrade within 14 days of your initial trip deposit purchase, which is on the lower end of the spectrum compared to other providers.

AIG offers two policy options that support CFAR upgrades: Travel Guard Preferred and Travel Guard Deluxe. The Travel Guard Deluxe plan includes the following coverages:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $50,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $500,000
• Lost baggage: $1,000
• Trip delay: $800 ($200 per day)
• Baggage delay: $300

In our review, we found the average AIG customer could expect to pay about $263 for coverage.

The Travel Guard Deluxe policy is AIG’s more comprehensive single-trip option and includes a wider breadth of coverage than the Deluxe plan. For example, this policy includes coverage for one child under the age of 17 along with adult coverage. It also includes the following policy basics:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $150,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $2,500
• Trip delay: $1,000 ($200 per day)
• Baggage delay: $500

Based on quotes we collected, we found that the average AIG customer could expect to pay about $319 for Deluxe-tier coverage.

Travelex

Our pick for families

• CFAR coverage amount: 75% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$176–$248
• CFAR upgrade cost: 71% to 110% added to premium

Travelex offers a low-cost choice for travelers looking for a budget policy they can purchase at the last minute. Travelex also allows you to purchase CFAR coverage for up to 20 days from your initial trip payment. CFAR upgrades include 75% reimbursem*nts, which is about average in the travel insurance industry.

In our review, we found that Travelex only offers one policy that supports a CFAR upgrade with its Travel Select plan. This may be disappointing for budget travelers purchasing the low-cost Travel Basic policy, which is offered at a flat rate of $40. CFAR upgrades added between 71% to 110% to the value of our quoted premium.

CFAR coverage is available with the Travel Select policy, which offers the following protections:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $50,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $500,000
• Lost baggage: $1,000
• Trip delay: $2,000 ($200 per day)
• Baggage delay: $200

According to our review, the average Travelex policyholder can expect to pay between $176 and $248 for coverage depending on policy selection.

Nationwide Travel Insurance

Our pick for most coverage reimbursed

• CFAR coverage amount: 75% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$132–$219
• CFAR upgrade cost: 85%–120% added to premium

The only Nationwide policy that includes the option to add CFAR coverage is the Prime travel insurance plan, which includes the following benefits:

• Trip interruption: 200%
• Medical expense: $150,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $250
• Trip delay: $2,000 ($250 per day)
• Baggage delay: $600

In our review, we found the average customer choosing Prime travel insurance level coverage from Nationwide can expect to pay $219.

Trawick International

Our pick for student travel insurance

• CFAR coverage amount:50%–75% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$159–$265
• CFAR upgrade cost: 81%–215% added to premium

Trawick offers CFAR upgrades with five of its Safe Travels policy options for U.S. residents, which is more than any other provider on our list. Additionally, Trawick is our top choice for college students thanks to its wide range of coverage for student-oriented visas.

While Trawick offers a variety of coverage options, you’ll need to be within 14 days of your initial trip deposit to invest in CFAR upgrades on most policies. Depending on the plan you choose, you may have the option to add between 50% and 75% in reimbursem*nts, which may leave you with less coverage than some competitors. Depending on your selected coverage option, CFAR upgrades may also be prohibitively expensive with Trawick.

Trawick offers CFAR add-on options with a variety of plan options, but three of the most popular include Safe Travels Armor, Safe Travels Voyager and Safe Travels First Class. The Safe Travels Armor policy is Trawick’s most popular policy choice and includes the following coverages:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $100,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $1,000
• Trip delay: $1,000 ($100 per day)
• Baggage delay: $250

The Safe Travels Voyager policy is a more affordable option and includes the following coverages:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $25,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $300
• Trip delay: $1,000 ($250 per day)
• Baggage delay: $600

Finally, the Safe Travels First Class policy includes a bit more coverage, including the following options:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $50,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $200,000
• Lost baggage: $200
• Trip delay: $1,000 ($150 per day)
• Baggage delay: $200

Based on quotes we gathered, customers can expect to pay between $159 to $265 for a Trawick travel insurance policy.

AXA Assistance USA

Our pick for leisure travelers

• CFAR coverage amount: 75% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$188–$274
• CFAR upgrade cost: 118%–170% added to premium

We selected AXA as our top pick for leisure travelers because of the unique benefits included with its Platinum Plan, such as coverage for lost leisure activities like lost rounds of golf and ski days. The Platinum Plan also includes generous coverages for baggage — and is AXA’s only option that includes CFAR upgrade options.

AXA’s CFAR coverage includes 75% in reimbursem*nts, which meets the industry average. Customers must purchase a CFAR upgrade within 14 days of their initial trip deposit, which is also average compared to competitors. However, CFAR coverage from AXA is more expensive than most competitors — in our review, adding a CFAR upgrade at least doubled the price of our quoted premium.

AXA’s Platinum Plan includes the following standard coverages:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $250,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $500
• Trip delay: $1,250 ($300 per day)
• Baggage delay: $600

We collected quotes from the company and found the average AXA customer can expect to pay $274 for Platinum Plan-level coverage.

HTH Travel Insurance

Our pick for group travel

• CFAR coverage amount: 75% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$168–$284
• CFAR upgrade cost:50% added to premium

HTH is our top choice for group coverage thanks to its premium discounts — when you buy travel insurance as a group, each individual member can save 10% on their coverage. However, if you want to purchase CFAR coverage you will need to opt for the most inclusive and higher-cost TripProtector Preferred policy. Each member must purchase the same coverage when buying as a group, which can make HTH’s CFAR upgrade less beneficial for multiple people.

Based on our research, HTH offers competitively priced CFAR coverage — after collecting a series of quotes, we noticed a consistent increase in premium cost by around 50%. When combined with average premiums and reimbursem*nt rates, HTH is a solid choice for CFAR coverage. If your full group is interested in higher-value coverage and CFAR upgrades, HTH’s discounts could be right for you.

The only plan from HTH that offers the option for CFAR coverage is TripProtector Preferred, which includes the following coverages:

• Trip interruption: 200%
• Medical expense: $500,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $200
• Trip delay: $2,000 ($500 per day)
• Baggage delay: $400

According to our review, the average HTH policyholder will pay between $168 to $284 for coverage depending on their policy choice.

International Medical Group

Our pick for medical coverage

• CFAR coverage amount: 75% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$95–$356
• CFAR upgrade cost:50% added to premium

Our team recommends the International Medical Group (IMG) for its extensive medical coverage options. With more than 10 individual travel insurance options and medical-only plans, IMG is a strong choice for students and education professionals with visas necessitating medical coverage. However, only one policy option, the iTravelInsured Travel LX plan, includes the choice to add CFAR coverage.

The CFAR upgrade to the iTravelInsured Travel LX plan includes 75% reimbursem*nt, which is average within the industry. We found that IMG’s policy pricing was consistent in terms of adding CFAR coverage, consistently adding 50% of your initial premium to your total cost. While IMG’s higher-than-average premium pricing may negate this benefit in some cases, it is worth considering if you’re looking to combine CFAR coverage with all-inclusive medical protections.

IMG’s only policy that offers a CFAR add-on option is the iTravelInsured Travel LX policy, which includes the following coverages:

• Trip interruption: 150%
• Medical expense: $500,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $250
• Trip delay: $2,500 ($250 per day)
• Baggage delay: $500

Our review found the average IMG customer can expect to pay $356 for travel insurance, which is higher than most competitors we reviewed.

Generali Global Assistance

Our pick for emergency assistance

• CFAR coverage amount: 60% of trip cost
• Average plan cost:$211–$322
• CFAR upgrade cost:50% added to premium

Generali is worth considering if you’re planning an adventure to a country where your primary language is not as commonly spoken. All of Generali’s policies include access to 24/7 bilingual travel assistance — which can add peace of mind for those taking their first international trip. Based on our research, Generali also consistently quoted its CFAR upgrade at 50% of the price of the original premium.

While Generali’s CFAR upgrade is more affordable, you must be within 24 hours of your initial trip deposit to add coverage. The company also caps reimbursem*nts at 60% of your total trip cost, which is less than most other providers on our list.

If you’d like to opt into CFAR travel insurance, you’ll need to buy Generali’s most expensive coverage option, the Premium plan, which includes the following basic coverages:

• Trip interruption: 175%
• Medical expense: $250,000
• Emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains: $1 million
• Lost baggage: $2,000
• Trip delay: $1,000 ($300 per day)
• Baggage delay: $600

Based on the quotes we gathered, we determined Generali Platinum coverage came at an average premium of $322.

Our team surveyed dozens of travel insurance providers and created a scoring system to judge each company based on coverage, quality and service. We also collected sample quotes from each company, both over the phone and on the internet, to simulate an authentic customer experience. Here are the factors we take into consideration when rating providers:

• Cost (10%): To determine a baseline average travel insurance cost, we gathered quotes from each travel insurance company based on different traveler profiles. Travel insurance companies at or below our calculated average cost of $221 earn full points in this category. Specifically, we obtained quotes for the following trips
  • A 30-year-old couple taking a $5,000 vacation to Mexico.
  • A family of four taking an $8,000 vacation to Mexico.
  • A 65-year-old couple taking a $7,000 vacation to the United Kingdom.
  • A 30-year-old couple taking a $7,000 trip to the United Kingdom.
  • A 19-year-old taking a $2,000 trip to France.
  • A 27-year-old couple taking a $1,200 trip to Greece.
  • A 51-year-old couple taking a $2,000 trip to Spain.
• Plan availability (10%): We look for insurers with a variety of travel insurance plans and the ability to customize a policy with coverage upgrades.
• Coverage details (29%): We review the baseline coverage each company offers in its cheapest comprehensive plan. A provider with robust coverage earns full points, including baggage delay and loss, COVID-19 coverage, emergency evacuation and medical coverage, trip delay and cancellation coverage, and more. Companies also receive points for offering a variety of policy add-ons like accidental death and dismemberment, extreme sports, valuable items, cancel for any reason coverage and more.
• Coverage times and amounts (34%): We compare each company’s waiting periods and maximum reimbursem*nt amounts for baggage, travel and weather delays. Companies that offer customers reimbursem*nt after fewer than 12 hours of delays earn full points in this category. We also reward travel insurance providers that cover more than 100% of trip costs in the event of cancellations or interruptions.
• Company service and reviews (17%): We look for indicators that a company is well-prepared to respond to customer needs. Companies with an established global resource network, 24/7 emergency hotline, mobile app, multiple ways to file a claim and concierge services score higher in this category. We assess reputation by evaluating consumer reviews, third-party financial strength and customer experience ratings, specifically from AM Best and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

For more information, read our full travel insurance methodology.

A.M. Best Disclaimer