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Starr Travel Insurance Plans
Starr Insurance offers single trip and annual travel insurance policies, with several options to choose from in each category. It also sells a few non-traditional travel insurance plans that cover airline tickets only and rental cars only.
Single Trip Plans
Starr sells two single trip travel insurance plans. A single trip travel insurance plan provides coverage for one trip. Once the trip ends, your coverage ends. If you take another trip during the same year, you’ll need to buy another travel insurance policy.
Classic Plus
The Classic Plus plan provides basic coverage for your trip. It covers trip cancellation, trip interruption, $50,000 in emergency medical expenses, travel delays, baggage and personal effects, and more. You have the option to add “cancel for any reason” coverage that will reimburse up to 75% of your prepaid and non-refundable expenses if you need to cancel your trip for any reason not listed in your policy.
Premier
The Premier travel insurance policy provides more robust coverage than the Classic Plus plan. It also includes significantly higher coverage limits for emergency medical expenses ($250,000), as well as $5,000 in coverage for rental car collisions. The only add-on available with the Premier plan is “cancel for any reason” travel insurance.
| Travel insurance benefit | Starr Classic Plus policy | Starr Premier policy |
|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation | 100% of insured trip cost | 100% of insured trip cost |
Trip interruption | 150% of insured trip cost | 150% of insured trip cost |
Emergency medical expense | $50,000; $750 in dental expenses coverage | $250,000; $750 in dental expenses coverage |
Medical evacuation | $500,000 | $500,000 |
Accidental death and dismemberment | $10,000 | $50,000; $200,000 for air only |
Travel delay | Maximum of $750/$250 per day with a 6-hour delay | Maximum of $1,500/$250 per day, with 6-hour delay |
Baggage and personal effects | Maximum of $1,000/$250 per item | Maximum of $2,500/$250 per item |
Baggage delay | Maximum of $300/$100 per day after 12-hour delay | Maximum of of $500/$200 per day after 12-hour delay |
Single occupancy settlement | Yes | Yes |
Missed connection | $750, with 3-hour delay | $750, with 3-hour delay |
Airline change fee | $200 | $200 |
“Cancel for any reason” upgrade | 75% of insured trip cost | 75% of insured trip cost |
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver available | Yes | Yes |
Rental car collision | No | $5,000 |
Children included in pricing | No | No |
Annual Plans
There are three annual travel insurance plans available from Starr. An annual travel insurance policy covers all the trips you take during the year, so it can be a good option for frequent travelers. Because annual plans provide longer-lasting protection, they are usually more expensive than single trip plans.
Basic Annual
The Basic Annual plan provides the least amount of coverage. It includes benefits for emergency medical expenses and transportation and lost, stolen, damaged or delayed baggage. However, it doesn’t cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delays or missed connections.
Premier Annual
The Premier Annual plan is a step up from the Basic Annual plan. Unlike the Basic plan, this policy provides coverage for trip interruption ($5,000), and higher coverage limits for emergency medical expenses, medical evacuation and lost, damaged, stolen or delayed baggage.
Medical Annual
If you want travel insurance that primarily covers emergency medical care, you can consider the Medical Only Annual plan. This plan provides high coverage limits for emergency medical expenses and medical evacuation, as well as accidental death and dismemberment coverage. The Medical Only Annual plan doesn’t provide any benefits for trip cancellation or travel delays. However, it does provide a small amount of coverage for lost, stolen, damaged or delayed baggage.
| Benefit | Starr Basic Annual policy | Starr Premier Annual policy | Starr Medical Only Annual policy |
|---|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation | No | No | No |
Trip interruption | No | $5,000 | No |
Emergency medical expense | $50,000; $500 in dental expenses coverage | $100,000; $500 in dental expenses coverage | $50,000; $750 in dental expenses coverage |
Medical evacuation | $50,000 | $250,000 | $100,000 |
Accidental death and dismemberment | $25,000 | $50,000; $100,000 for air online | $50,000; $100,000 for air online |
Travel delay | No | No | No |
Baggage and personal effects | Maximum of $2,000/$250 per item | Maximum of $2,500/$250 per item | Maximum of $1,000/$250 per item |
Baggage delay; with 12-hour wait | Maximum of $500/$100 per day | Maximum of $750/$100 per day | Maximum of $300/$100 per day |
Single occupancy settlement | No | Yes | No |
Missed connection | No | No | No |
Airline ticket change fee | $200 | $200 | No |
“Cancel for any reason” | No | No | No |
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver available | No | No | No |
Rental car collision | No | No | No |
Children included in pricing | No | No | No |
Air Ticket Protector Plan
Starr’s Air Ticket Protector Plan insures domestic and international airline tickets. It covers the cost of your prepaid, non-refundable flights if you can’t go on your trip due to unforeseen events listed in your policy. The Air Ticket Protector plan also covers airline change fees, missed connections, travel delays and baggage delays.
| Benefit | Starr’s Air Ticket Protector policy |
|---|---|
Trip cancellation | 100% of insured airline ticket cost |
Trip interruption | 125% of insured trip cost |
Emergency medical expense | No |
Medical evacuation | No |
Accidental death and dismemberment (air only) | $25,000 |
Travel delay, with 6-hour wait | Maximum $500/$100 per day |
Baggage and personal effects | Maximum $500/$250 per item |
Baggage delay; with 12-hour wait | $100 |
Missed connection fee | $500, with 3-hour delay |
Airline ticket change fee | $200 |
“Cancel for any reason” | No |
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver available | Yes |
Car Rental Plan
The Car Rental Plan from Starr provides $35,000 in rental car collision insurance if your rental is damaged during your trip due to a reason listed in your policy. You also get access to the company’s global travel assistance services if something happens to the rental vehicle during your trip. This plan isn’t available in New York, Texas, Washington or Kansas.
Starr’s Optional Add-ons
Starr travel insurance doesn’t offer many add-ons. However, you can add “cancel for any reason” travel insurance to either of Starr’s single trip plans. If you purchase this upgrade, it will reimburse 75% of prepaid, non-refundable expenses if you cancel your trip for any reason, as long as you cancel no less than 48 hours before your scheduled departure.
Cost of Starr Travel Insurance Plans
Travel benefits vary among Starr travel insurance plans and so does pricing for each policy. Travel insurance costs generally vary by your age and the trip cost being insured.
| Travelers and trip | Cost per trip for Starr Premier plan |
|---|---|
Two travelers age 30, $3,000 trip cost, traveling to Mexico for 8 days | $198 |
Two travelers age 40, $6,000 trip cost, traveling to Italy for 17 days | $420 |
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to Italy for 17 days | $1,000 |
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to France for 17 days | $1,000 |
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to U.K. for 17 days | $1,000 |
Two travelers age 65, $6,000 trip cost, traveling to the Italy for 17 days | $552 |
Two travelers age 70, $3,000 trip cost, traveling to the Mexico for 8 days | $408 |
Average cost | $654 |
Does Starr Travel Insurance Offer 24/7 Travel Assistance?
Yes, all of Starr’s travel insurance plans include access to 24/7 global assistance. The team can provide assistance with visas, currency exchange rates, medical evacuation, lost luggage, hotel and restaurant recommendations, translation services and more.
What Does Starr Travel Insurance Cover?
Starr travel insurance provides comprehensive coverage for domestic and international trips. The company offers a good variety of plans, including single trip and annual plans. Here are the coverage types that are included with most Starr Travel Insurance policies:
- Trip cancellation coverage: Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for prepaid and non-refundable expenses, such as a hotel or flight, if you cancel your trip for a reason outlined in your policy.
- Travel medical insurance: Travel medical insurance pays for emergency medical expenses if you get sick or injured while traveling, up to your policy. It compensates you for costs like hospital bills, emergency dental work and prescriptions.
- Emergency medical evacuation: If you get sick or injured during your trip and need immediate medical care beyond the services locally available, medical evacuation travel insurance will cover the cost of transportation to the nearest adequate treatment center that can treat your condition.
- Travel delay insurance: The travel delay coverage pays for temporary accommodations and expenses for necessities if your trip gets delayed beyond a specified amount of time because of an issue that is listed in the policy. For instance, if your flight gets delayed 24 hours because of bad weather, your travel delay insurance can compensate you for the cost of a hotel room and meals, up to the policy’s coverage limit.
- Travel interruption insurance: If an unforeseen event listed in your policy crops up during your trip and you need to go home early, trip interruption coverage can pay for a last-minute flight home. It can also reimburse you for money lost on prepaid, non-refundable expenses for the part of the trip you miss.
- Baggage and personal effects: This policy applies when your luggage gets damaged, lost, or stolen during travel. Baggage insurance will pay you the depreciated value of your luggage and possessions, up to your policy limits. If your baggage is delayed for the amount of time listed in your policy, baggage delay insurance will pay for essentials, such as toiletries and clothing.
- “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: This optional add-on typically reimburses 75% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs as long as you cancel no less than 48 hours prior to your departure. “Cancel for any reason” travel insurance generally adds 50% to your travel insurance cost. You usually must purchase it within 14 days of your first trip deposit.
What’s Not Covered by Starr Travel Insurance?
Starr’s policies have exclusions, like all travel insurance plans. Here are examples of situations that are not covered under a standard single trip or annual trip plan:
- Criminal acts.
- Wars and political unrest.
- Routine medical or dental treatment.
- Traveling for medical tourism.
- Injuries resulting from the use of drugs or alcohol.
- Injuries resulting from extreme sports or activities.
State Availability of Starr Travel Insurance
Starr sells travel insurance plans in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. However, some plan types or coverage options may not be available in all locations.
Customer Experience
- Website. Starr’s website is easy to navigate and includes detailed plan information. You can get an instant quote online for all the plans available, and download a sample policy to see the fine print before purchasing a plan. After getting a quote, you can buy a plan online or call an agent if you have questions.
- Mobile app. Starr does not have a mobile app, but the website is optimized for mobile use. You can get a quote, purchase a plan and file a claim from your smartphone if you don’t have access to a computer.
- Customer service. You can get in touch with the company by calling (866) 477-6741 during business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. You can also send an email to info@starrtravelinsurance.com or contact Starr via mail.
How To File a Claim with Starr Travel Insurance
There are several ways to file claims with Starr. You can submit a claim online, over the phone, or through mail or fax. The phone number for Starr claims support is (800) 567-3512 and you can file claims Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. You can also email aci247@acitpa.com to start the claim process.
How Does Starr Travel Insurance Compare to Other Travel Insurance Companies?
Before purchasing travel insurance, it’s a good idea to compare a few different companies. Every insurer offers different benefits and coverage limits, which can impact cost.
When compared to several competitors, Starr has a few advantages. First, it provides higher coverage limits for emergency medical expenses than some companies. It also offers generous coverage for baggage and belongings. One drawback: The average cost of Starr’s Premier policy is at least a few hundred dollars more than other companies we evaluated.
Starr vs. Travel Insured International
Starr’s Premier plan and Travel Insured International’s Worldwide Trip Protector plan offer similar coverage, but there are some notable differences. Starr’s Premier plan provides $250,000 in emergency medical expenses coverage, whereas Travel Insured’s policy provides $100,000. But Travel Insured’s policy has higher medical evacuation benefits of $1 million and shorter waiting periods for trip and baggage delays. Another major difference: The average price for the Premier policy is about $285 more than the Worldwide Trip Protector plan.
| Benefit | Starr Premier policy | Travel Insured International Worldwide Trip Protector policy |
|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation | 100% of insured trip cost | 100% of insured trip cost |
Trip delay | Maximum of $1,500/$250 per day, after a 6-hour delay | Maximum of $1,500/$200 per day, after 3-hour delay |
Emergency travel medical/evacuation | $250,000/$500,000 | $100,000/$1 million |
Trip interruption | 150% of insured trip cost | 150% of insured trip cost |
Baggage and belongings | Maximum of $2,500 | Maximum of $1,000 |
Baggage delay | $500 after 12-hour delay | $500 after 3-hour delay |
“Cancel for any reason” reimbursem*nt | 75% of insured trip cost | 75% of insured trip cost |
Average cost (based on seven sample trips) | $654 | $370 |
Starr vs. TravelSafe
Starr’s Premier plan and TravelSafe’s Classic plan both provide the same benefits for trip cancellation, trip interruption and optional “cancel for any reason” travel insurance. The main difference between these two policies is that the Classic plan from TravelSafe provides up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage, whereas Starr’s plan only provides $500,000 in coverage. And, the Classic plan’s average cost is nearly $225 cheaper than the Premier plan. But the Premier policy has higher travel medical benefits.
| Benefit | Starr Premier policy | TravelSafe Classic policy |
|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation | 100% of insured trip cost | 100% of insured trip cost |
Trip delay | Maximum of $1,500/$250 per day, after 6-hour delay | Maximum of $2,000/$150 per day, after 6-hour delay |
Emergency travel medical/evacuation | $250,000/ $500,000 | $100,000/$1 million |
Trip interruption | 150% of insured trip cost | 150% of insured trip cost |
Baggage and belongings | Maximum of $2,500 | Maximum of $2,500 |
Baggage delay | $500 after 12-hour delay | $250 after 12-hour delay |
“Cancel for any reason” reimbursem*nt | 75% of insured trip cost | 75% of insured trip cost |
Average cost (based on seven sample trips) | $654 | $431 |
Starr vs. Travelex
Overall, Starr’s Premier plan offers much more robust coverage than the Travel Select plan from Travelex. For example, you get five times the medical expense limits with the Premier plan than with the Travel Select plan. Additionally, Travelex will only cover a maximum of $1,000 in lost and damaged baggage, whereas Starr will cover up to $2,500. The Travel Select policy also has a much lower average cost—about $265 cheaper than the Premier plan.
| Benefit | Starr Premier policy | Travelex Travel Select policy |
|---|---|---|
Trip cancellation | 100% of insured trip cost | 100% of insured trip cost |
Trip delay | Maximum of $1,500/$250 per day, after 6-hour delay | Maximum of $2,000/$200 per day, after 5-hour delay |
Emergency travel medical/evacuation | $250,000/$500,000 | $50,000/$500,000 |
Trip interruption | 150% of insured trip cost | 150% of insured trip cost |
Baggage and belongings | Maximum of $2,500 | Maximum of $1,000 |
Baggage delay | $500 after 12-hour delay | $200 after 12-hour delay |
“Cancel for any reason” reimbursem*nt | 75% of insured trip cost | 75% of insured trip cost |
Average cost (based on seven sample trips) | $654 | $391 |
About Starr Travel Insurance
Starr Insurance was founded in 1919 in Shanghai and was the first American-owned insurance company in the region. Today, the company maintains a global headquarters in New York City. It underwrites policies in 124 countries.
Methodology
We analyzed the average cost for Starr travel insurance policies for trips to popular destinations for various traveler profiles:
- Couple, age 30, for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.
- Couple, age 40, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
- Family of four for an Italy trip costing $15,000.
- Family of four for a France trip costing $15,000.
- Family of four for a U.K. trip costing $15,000.
- Couple, age 65, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
- Couple, age 70, for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.
Starr Travel Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
How do I buy Starr travel insurance?
There are two ways to purchase a Starr travel insurance policy. You can get a quote and buy a policy online, or you can purchase a policy over the phone. You can contact a Starr agent by calling (866) 477-6741 during business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
If you’re shopping for travel insurance, remember that the best travel insurance policies will provide robust pre- and post-departure benefits and lots of choices for upgrades at a competitive price.
Do Starr travel insurance plans cover Covid-19?
Yes, Starr travel plans cover Covid-related cancellations and medical expenses if you contract the virus. If you test positive for Covid before a trip and a doctor determines that you cannot travel, you’ll be eligible to file a trip cancellation claim. If you contract Covid while traveling and have a confirmed diagnosis from a doctor, you can use your emergency medical expenses to help pay for treatment. If you’re concerned about Covid, review Forbes Advisor’s ranking of the best Covid-19 travel insurance plans.
Does Starr offer ‘cancel for any reason’ coverage?
Yes, Starr offers optional “cancel for any reason” travel insurance on its single trip plans. If you add “cancel for any reason” coverage, you will get reimbursed for 75% of your prepaid and non-refundable travel expenses if you cancel your trip for any reason. You must purchase CFAR within 14 days of making your first deposit. CFAR usually adds about 50% to your travel insurance policy cost.
Does Starr cover pre-existing medical conditions?
Starr’s Classic Plus and Premier travel insurance plans provide pre-existing medical condition exclusion waivers. This waiver allows you to use your plan’s emergency medical benefits if you need medical care related to your pre-existing condition while traveling.
Is Starr an AIG company?
Starr is not an American International Group (AIG) company. But at one point, AIG was a subsidiary of Starr Insurance. The current Chairman of Starr Insurance Companies, Maurice R. Greenberg, served as the chairman and CEO of AIG before joining Starr Insurance.
