How to travel smart with Allianz Travel benefits and app

My friends, we recently made an $800 mistake with our travel insurance.

Note, there was NO mistake with travel insurance, but simply our stupidity in being lax with it and not renewing our policy!

I know things get hectic in your life too, which is why we want to save you from possibly the same mistake.

A travel insurance policy will give you security and peace of mind. You don’t know what can happen on your trip and using your health insurance as your back up plan could be a big mistake.

Which is what we thought we were doing. But nothing is more complicated than health insurance and our emergency visit to the hospital so Kalyra could get her chin stitched up after a campground hoverboard accident resulted in $800 out of pocket for us.

When it comes to travel insurance, all the health insurance components like out of network, in network, deductibles, co-pays and all the other confusing language won’t matter – you can just get the help you need and when.

There was nothing more distressing to me than trying to help my daughter in pain and having to first search online to see which hospital and urgent care was in our network.

As it was late at night the Urgent Care was closed, and we had to take her to the more expensive emergency room.

Never again. Never.

For the small initial investment, travel insurance is the SMART way to travel.

So, while I sit here kicking myself (and giving Kalyra a severe hoverboard ban), I wish to share with you the smart benefits to Allianz Travel Insurance.

It is important to note we are ambassadors for Allianz Travel and have been for several years.

We’ve done the vetting and the groundwork to establish the trust required to share with you (including going through the claims process ourselves when our cruise trip was interrupted by Hurricane Irma).

Not only do they offer you security in your travel investment and peace of mind should any unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances arise, they have a range of smart benefits that will also enhance your trip and make it a little easier for you.

We want to share those specifics for you!

Including a unique feature that allows you to receive immediate payment should your flights be delayed – like while-you’re-waiting-for-your-next-flight-immediate. It’s cool.

Allianz Travel SmartBenefits SM

Allianz Global Assistance has a new suite of savvy SmartBenefits SM that automate some of the traditional claims process and gets your payments to you at lighting fast speed – when you need it most, during a travel setback.

These special travel-delay and baggage-delay benefits are available with the OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier travel insurance plans from Allianz Travel insurance.

Video: Smart Benefits Explained

Watch this short video to see how these Allianz SmartBenefits can help pay for your glass of wine and meal while you wait for your delayed flights.

1. Proactive Claim Payments for Covered Flight Delays

Last year it took me 12 hours to fly from Raleigh, NC to New York State thanks to several hours of flight delays.

Not only did it mean I arrived at my conference late, I also had to extra unforeseen costs to cover food while I was waiting around at the airport.

Airport food is not cheap, and of course, a glass of wine was needed to calm my nerves – I hate being late!

How handy would it be to have $100 deposited immediately into your bank account when your flight is delayed?

Then you have access to money to help you cover the cost of food, clothes and any other unexpected costs due to the delay.

This is an Allianz Travel SmartBenefits SM.

You don’t need to file a claim, Allianz Travel detects the delay and notifies the customer they are eligible.

Make it super easy for yourself by getting the right policy and using the Allianz App to make this effortless and automatic for you. (Keep reading for more on that.)

How does this Flight Delay SmartBenefit SM work?

1. When you purchase a policy with the travel delay benefit, you can submit your flight information on the TravelSmart app or allianztravelinsurance.com (or through AgentMax, if using a travel agent).
2. Indicate how you want to receive communications: via text, email, both or none. (If you choose none, you won’t be notified of your eligibility for proactive payments, but you will receive a check if eligible)
3. Two days prior to departure, you’ll receive an email confirming the flight info on file. You can make changes at this point
4. If a covered delay is detected on a monitored flight, and the announced delay meets the length threshold specified in your plan, then you’ll receive an email or text from AGA. The message informs you that you’re eligible for an automatic claim payment.
5. You’ll be asked to follow a link and choose how you’d like to receive payment:

• Debit card (happens almost instantaneously; speed depends on bank processing)
• Direct deposit (within 2-5 business days)
• Check (5-10 days)

Important things to note:

• You do not need to wait the full 3 hours (for OneTrip Premier) or 5 hours (for OneTrip Prime) hours in order to become eligible for payment. Once a delay that meets the threshold is displayed on monitors, then they are eligible.
• If the airline later reverses or shortens the delay, you still receive the payment.
• The automatic payment only applies to one delay per 24-hour period. If the delay is lengthened, or there’s another delay, you do not receive an additional payment automatically – you would need to call or go online to file a claim.
• If a flight is cancelled, you are not eligible for proactive payments, as cancellation is not a covered reason for the Travel Delay benefit. You can still file a no-receipts claim, if cancellation results in an eligible travel delay.
• If your covered expenses during an eligible travel delay exceed $100, you can submit a claim with receipts for the remaining expenses, up to the maximum benefit limit specified in your plan.
• Remember proactive claim payments only apply to monitored flights

2. No-Receipt Claim Payments for Covered Travel Delays

What happens if your train, bus or boat is delayed?

Or what if a flight is delayed that Allianz Global Assistance is not monitoring? Do you miss out on the $100 per person, per day claim payment?

No. You are still eligible to receive it in a no-hassle, quick way.

You don’t need to file any receipts; you only have to submit a claim with proof of the covered delay and you’ll receive your claim payment.

Not having to submit receipts can be a lifesaver as it’s so easy to misplace them when you are in the midst of a frustrating travel challenge.

How does the No-Receipt Claim SmartBenefit work?

1. If a covered travel delay that meets the length threshold specified in your travel insurance plan, you can file a claim online, in the app, or over the phone. You don’t need to submit any receipts for expenses; only proof of covered delay, such as an email, revised itinerary or other notification from your travel provider.
2. Select your preferred way to receive payment:
   Debit card (happens almost instantaneously; speed depends on bank processing)
   · Direct deposit (within 2-5 business days)
   · Check (5-10 days)

Important things to note:

• The fixed claim payment only applies to one delay per 24-hour period.
• If your covered expenses during a qualifying travel delay exceed $100, you still can submit a claim with receipts for the remaining expenses, up to the maximum benefit limit specified in your travel insurance plan.

3. No-Receipt Claim Payments for Covered Baggage Delays

Baggage delays are the worst!

It’s a huge inconvenience, especially if you have a tight schedule or are moving on quite some distance from the airport or where the baggage delay occurred.

Many people don’t consider travel insurance for domestic travel, but be warned, the only country in the world where my baggage has been delayed has been in the US.

It happens more than you realize, and it can put you in a bit of a pickle.

Yes. You would like clean underwear and a fresh pair of clothes while you wait for it to return to you.

Again, Allianz SmartBenefits SM are here to help.

If you experience a covered baggage delay (check your policy) of 12 hours or more, you may be eligible for a fixed, no receipts required claim of $100 per person, per day.

You don’t need receipts; you only have to file proof of baggage delay.

This is especially handy for families. Kalyra’s bag was delayed for 24 hours on our Florida winter vacation. The $100 came in handy for getting her essentials.

You will never regret buying travel insurance when you receive helpful benefits like this.

How does the No-Receipt Claim Payments for Covered Baggage delays work?

1. If you experience a covered baggage delay of 12 or more hours, you can file a claim. No receipts for expenses needed, just show proof of covered delay, such as the claim form from the airline and the delivery receipt.
2. Select your preferred way to receive payment:

• Debit card (happens almost instantaneously; speed depends on bank processing)
• Direct deposit (within 2-5 business days)
• Check (5-10 days)

NOTE:

If your covered expenses during a baggage delay exceed $100, you can submit a claim with receipts for the remaining expenses, up to the maximum benefit limit specified in their plan.

4. Direct Deposit Payments

As mentioned above, when you file a Allianz Global Insurance travel  insurance claim, you can select your preferred payment method: direct deposit, receiving a check by mail, or a debit-card deposit.

When you choose direct deposit, you can get your payment in just 1-2 days following approval of your claim.

As a frequent traveler and nomad, I find this smart benefit so helpful and such a relief. I don’t want to have to chase down checks and delay my payment.

Get it to me as fast as you can.

5. File a claim from anywhere at any time

I’ll share more with you below about the Allianz TravelSmart app, but a quick feature, you can file a claim from your mobile phone by clicking the claims button inside the TravelSmart app.

No need to wait until you return home from your vacation. The app will also keep you updated with your claims progress.

Allianz Concierge Benefits

Think back to all the unexpected blips and bumps in the road you’ve experienced in your past travels — and how much time you spent seeking remedies and solutions.

That’s not what you want on your dream vacation. Better to have someone else take care of the headaches for you.

Like an on-call travel expert waiting to fix your problems and keep your itinerary on schedule.

When it comes to travel insurance a concierge benefit can provide you information, assistance and troubleshooting whether you’re in the planning stage of your trip or mid-trek.

Allianz Global Assistance’s concierge benefit offers 24/7 telephone assistance for topics ranging from getting dinner reservations to finding an English-speaking pharmacy.

In order to take advantage of this benefit, you simply need to be a valid Allianz Global Assistance policyholder.

I only recently discovered these benefits to being an Allianz policy holder, and they are incredible. Be sure to take advantage of this amazing service and save yourself some time and stress.

Here are the Allianz Concierge benefits available to you:

Emergency Travel Assistance

Access to the 24-Hour Assistance Hotline is one of the most powerful benefits included in your travel insurance plan.

Allianz’s team of experts are trained to help you deal with common travel mishaps, such as medical emergencies, cancelled flights, crime, lost documents and more.

Yep. Would much rather have phoned them to help when Kalyra injured herself than try and figure it out myself in a panicked state. That’s usually where more mistakes (often costly) are made.

24-Hour Assistance focuses on emergency travel needs and can include:

• Flight Assistance
• Accommodation Assistance
• Destination Information
• Lost Travel Documents Assistance
• Emergency Language Translation
• Emergency Message Delivery
• Personal Effects Collection and Return

What does this assistance look like? (a real-life example)

A customer called the Assistance team about a purse she left at a rest stop while on a road trip, but she couldn’t remember which one.  The associate asked some probing questions, and her current location then backtracked her route.

The Assistance associate called several rests stops to ask about the purse and finally found it. Allianz Global Assistance then connected the customer to the rest stop to coordinate its return.

The customer was very happy!

The Emergency Travel Assistant Checklist

To help things run smoothly in the event of a travel mishap, Allianz has created an emergency travel assistant checklist that includes things you can do before you leave on your trip, during a travel emergency and after you return home.

Travel smart and be prepared.

See the list here.

Here is a handy infographic to help you in a travel emergency. Pin it so you can easily access it when needed.

Allianz Travel Concierge Services include:

• Activity and Entertainment Planning
  • Sports Events, Shows and Festivals (recently secured Taylor Swift Tickets)
  • Health Clubs
  • Golf courses and tee times
  • Tours
  • Museums

I could have used this assistance in helping to secure Billie Eilish tickets when we were in San Francisco. Kalyra was devastated we missed out.

• Hobby or special interest classes (I.e., Customer was interested in knitting and was traveling to England, special knitting shops offering classes in several cities she was visiting were found)
• Destination Information
• Business Services
• Computer and mobile device rental
• Translation services
• Messenger services
• Locate banquet and private meeting venues
• Arranging catering, banquet and event services

What does this look like? (real life example)

A customer was traveling with his boss to Australia and offered to be his chauffeur. He leads him to believe he had experience driving on the wrong side of the road.

The Assistance team found him a driving school in the US so he could practice before he left.

NOTE – Concierge benefits are “benefit” services, not financial benefits, so associated costs are the responsibility of the customer.

The TravelSmart App

Typically, you purchase your travel insurance, write down the policy number somewhere and hide it away in the hopes you’ll never have to see it again.

But what if the travel insurance company has put time and community care into developing something that can help you during your travels?

It doesn’t necessarily have to be an insurance policy purchase and that’s it. It can be a relationship where one has your back in keeping you safe and your trip on track.

The free TravelSmart™ App is a simple-to-use tool that makes it easier to take advantage of everything your travel insurance has to offer.  (Download on Android, or Apple)

From giving you the freedom to view your policy on the go, to making it more convenient to file a claim through the app, TravelSmart offers plenty of helpful features to keep you protected on any trip.

For Allianz Travel policyholders, it’s the easiest way to access a travel insurance plan, file and manage a claim, track flights, receive live updates for flight delays and easily contact 24-hour assistance and concierge services.

It’s just a simple download and open to find the following benefits:

Policy Information

How many times have you scrounged around for that documentation you know you put somewhere or the email you filed but can’t remember in what folder?

In your app you can easily access important information about your policy and what is covered and when.

This can be super important when you decided to do a more adventurous activity and can’t remember if it’s covered by your policy.

Open, check, make an informed decision and then go enjoy.

Claims

File a claim, upload documents, and track its progress with ease.

As mentioned above, now you can have your claim payment immediately sent through your bank account effortlessly through this app!

No more waiting for emails to check how the claim is progressing; it’s all updated from within the app.

TravelSmart Hotline

Get award-winning assistance with the touch of a button. The app makes it easier to quickly get in touch with the experts ready to help you solve a challenge.

Flight Status

For those of you who use the premium version of TripIt, you’ll understand the value of real-time flight and boarding gate updates.

There is nothing worse than not knowing your gate was changed and you end up missing your flight!

With the TravelSmart app, you can track your flights and boarding gate updates in real-time.

Alert Center

The latest feature of the TravelSmart app, is the Alert Center, especially welcome in this pandemic world we’ve been trust into.

The Alert Center helps you stay a step ahead of changes in travel conditions with timely advisories about events that could potentially impact your travels,including location-specific updates about security, weather, health, transportation, culture and more.

International Hospital Search

Locating nearby, pre-screened medical facilities is super super important for anyone requiring medical assistance.

Allianz Travel can help you find reputable medical assistance. You certainly don’t want to end up in a place that will leave you feeling worse than when you entered.

For US domestic travelers, it can take away a LOT of the hassle in trying to figure out if your health insurance is covered in the state you are traveling to, with your in-market or out, and if you are going to have to pay a fee in deductibles or co-pay.

My head spins just writing this.

Country Information

Have emergency numbers for police, fire, and ambulance at your fingertips.

No, you do not want to call 911 when you are in Australia. How do you know that it is 000?

Thankfully the Travel Smart App will tell you that with on click.

RX and First Aid Terms

I have been to foreign hospitals before (pre-app days) where I had to do a unique game of charades to describe my medical issues.

Hours later we got there. Not what you want in a dire emergency!

The TravelSmart app helps you translate medical terms for first aid and medication into 18 languages.

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How do you use travel insurance to travel smart? Any horror (or good) stories to share?