American Express Travel Insurance Review

Our verdict: American Express Travel Insurance covers all the basics but excludes pre-existing medical conditions so if you have one, you might want to look elsewhere.

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Nicola Middlemiss

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AMEX Travel Insurance

Pros

  • American Express makes claiming easy, with an online portal, email and phone options.
  • The loss of income benefit is particularly strong, paying a monthly benefit of up to $2,000 for a maximum of 5 months if you're seriously injured while on holiday and subsequently unable to work.

Cons

  • Pre-existing medical conditions are excluded and there's no option to add them on for an additional fee. Even American Express warns that its policy might not be right for travellers with pre-existing medical conditions.
  • Even the most comprehensive American Express policy, Ultimate Plan, has a $20,000 limit on cancellation costs. There are many brands which offer unlimited cancellation cover.
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Summary of American Express International Comprehensive policy

Overseas Medical and Hospital ExpensesUnlimited
Cancellation and Amendment Fees$10,000
Luggage and Personal Effects$10,000
Maximum Age Limit79

Table updated August 2023

How does American Express Travel Insurance cover COVID-19?

American Express has you covered if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 before you head on holiday or while you're away. Here's what you can expect:

  • Any costs incurred from having to cancel, delay or change your trip because you or a travelling companion are diagnosed with COVID-19 - that includes additional accommodation and travel expenses.
  • Overseas emergency medical costs if you need treatment for COVID-19 while on your trip
  • Transport of your remains or burial costs if you die as a result of COVID-19 during your trip.

There are some scenarios that are not covered by American Express including costs incurred as a result of mandatory quarantine or isolation, border closures or government travel bans.

Also, if you were diagnosed with COVID-19 before heading on your trip but you went anyway, you won't be covered for any COVID-related overseas medical expenses.

What policies does American Express offer?

American Express offers four insurance policies to travellers. The Essential, Comprehensive and Ultimate plans are available to travellers heading overseas while the Domestic plan is for travellers staying in Australia.

Passport

Essential

Travel plane luggage passport

Comprehensive

Bags

Ultimate

Australian Map Icon

Domestic

The insurer of this product is Chubb Insurance Australia Limited. It comes with a cooling-off period of 14 days and choice of $200 standard excess for international plans.

Here's a breakdown of American Express Travel Insurance features

Standard features
Optional add-ons
Exclusions

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Standard features

These are some of the main insured events that American Express will cover. These benefits apply across all international policies.

  • Overseas medical treatment
  • Lost, damaged or stolen property
  • Trip cancellation or amendment
  • Additional accommodation and transport
  • Theft of money
  • Luggage and travel delay
  • Kidnap and hijack
  • Personal liability
  • Accidental death

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Optional add-ons

American Express also offers three add-ons that provide cover for a wider range of risks.

  • Rental vehicle excess cover. If your rental vehicle is damaged, this benefit will cover the cost of the insurance excess. Does not apply to campervans, motorbikes or scooters.
  • Snow Sports Cover.Cover for equipment and cancellation expenses if you're going skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing or snowmobiling. .
  • Cruise Cover Extends your insurance policy to cover cruises and any cruise-related claim.

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Exclusions

Unfortunately, travel insurance doesn't cover everything. Generally, American Express will not pay your claim if it relates to:

  • Unlawful, wreckless or unreasonably unsafe behaviour by you
  • Behaviour while you were drunk or under the influence of drugs
  • Expenses related to a pre-existing medical condition
  • An act of war, invasion or revolution
  • Insolvency of a travel agent, tour operator or accommodation provider
  • Mandatory quarantines or isolations
  • An act of war, invasion or revolution
  • You being unfit to travel or travelling against medical advice
  • Childbirth or pregnancy complications after the 24th week of gestation or if you have had previous pregnancy complications
  • A multiple pregnancy or one where the conception was medically assisted
  • An elective medical or dental treatment, cosmetic procedure or body modification (including tattoos or piercing)
  • Self-inflicted injury or illness, suicide or attempted suicide

Make sure you review the American Express PDS for a detailed breakdown of what won't be covered, found under its list of general exclusions.

How to make an American Express Travel Insurance claim

You can submit your claim online via the Chubb Claims Centre for American Express.

Alternatively, you can phone Chubb on 1800 139 149, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST.

Here's the bottom line about American Express Travel Insurance

Travellers with pre-existing medical conditions might want to look elsewhere as they won't be covered by policies and American Express won't consider adding them for an extra fee.

Further, there appears to be no cover available for travellers wishing to ride a motorbike or scooter, even if you have a valid licence.

If you're still not sure about American Express, you can compare other travel insurance companies here.

Frequently asked questions

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Nicola Middlemiss is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance and insurance. She has contributed to Domain, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Insurance Business Australia, offering in-depth insights into commercial insurance in the Australian market. Nicola holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Leeds and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

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Nicola has written 170 Finder guides across topics including:
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24 Responses

    Val's avatar
    ValDecember 6, 2013

    If I am overseas and require hospital or medical
    attention do I have to pay and then claim when I arrive home

      Marc Terrano's headshotFinder
      MarcDecember 9, 2013Finder

      Hello Val,
      thanks for the question.

      This will depend on the type of treatment, where you are and the cost of it. I’d suggest getting into contact with Chubb Insurance, the provider of this cover for American Express credit cards.

      Cheers,
      Marc.

      gwen's avatar
      gwenJune 21, 2015

      I am a Platinum card holder and have been for many years. I am travelling by myself to France for 2 weeks and want cover for cancellation, medical, luggage and theft. What is the best cover.?

      Richard's headshotFinder
      RichardJune 22, 2015Finder

      Hi Gwen,

      Thanks for your question.

      There is no best cover option. It’s all very specific to the person. If you would like to compare the free cover your card offers against the cover provided by the insurers in our panel, please enter your travel details into the quote form on the travel insurance.

      Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features, and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.

      I hope this was helpful,
      Richard

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