American Express Travel Insurance Review

By Damian Tysdal, licensed travel insurance agent since 2006 · Updated 12 September 2026

★★★★★2.5 out of 5

A build-your-own policy from a name everyone knows. You choose the amount of each benefit, which makes it flexible and hard to compare. No cancel-for-any-reason on the policy itself, and it is not sold on any comparison site.

Good for

Experienced buyers who know exactly which benefits and limits they want
Anyone with a refundable trip who only wants medical and evacuation coverage
People who prefer a familiar brand and do not need to compare

Not for

Anyone who wants cancel for any reason on the whole trip (Trip Cancel Guard covers airfare only)
First-time buyers who need published limits to judge a plan
Anyone who wants to see it priced next to other companies

See what beats American Express for the same money

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At a glance

Format	Emergency medical	Evacuation	Cancel for any reason	Waiver window
Build your own	You choose	You choose	No (airfare-only Trip Cancel Guard sold separately)	14 days
Preset packages	Set by package	Set by package	No	14 days

The format hides the two numbers that matter. Check emergency medical and evacuation before you check the price.

Top reasons to buy

You pick the coverage amounts benefit by benefit, or start from a preset package, so you do not pay for benefits you do not want.
Backed by AMEX Assurance Company. You do not need an American Express card to buy.
The pre-existing condition waiver is available if you buy within 14 days of your first trip payment.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

There are no published plan limits. You only see what you are getting after you build a quote, which makes it hard to judge against other companies.
No cancel-for-any-reason upgrade on the policy. Trip Cancel Guard is a separate product that covers airfare only, at 75 percent.
American Express sells direct only. You cannot see it side by side with other plans, so you have to price it separately and compare by hand.

Bottom line

American Express travel insurance is a legitimate policy from a strong company, and the build-your-own format suits people who know exactly what they want. Most travelers do not, and the format hides the question that matters most: how much medical and evacuation coverage you are actually buying. Build a quote, write down the limits, then price the same trip on the comparison engine and see whether the same money buys more from a company you can compare.

Full American Express Travel Insurance Review

Summary: American Express sells travel insurance direct, underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Instead of good-better-best plans, you build your own policy by choosing the amount of each benefit, or start from a preset package. That flexibility is the selling point and also the catch: there are no published limits to compare, no cancel-for-any-reason upgrade on the policy, and no way to see it priced next to other companies.

Where I would look instead:

Who American Express Travel Insurance is

The policies are issued by AMEX Assurance Company, an American Express subsidiary. You do not need to be a card member to buy, and the policy is separate from any travel protections that come with an American Express card. Financial strength is not in question.

How the build-your-own format works

You enter your trip, then choose an amount for each benefit: trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical, evacuation, baggage, travel delay and so on. You can also start from a preset package and adjust it. The premium updates as you go. There is no fixed lineup to review, which is why this page does not have a plan-by-plan table like our other reviews.

The upside is real. If you have a refundable trip and only want medical and evacuation, you can buy just that. The downside is that most people do not know what limits are sensible, and the format does not tell you. For a trip abroad I look for at least $100,000 of emergency medical and $250,000 of evacuation. If you build an American Express policy, check those two numbers before you check the price.

Cancel for any reason

The travel insurance policy itself does not offer a cancel-for-any-reason upgrade. American Express sells a separate product called Trip Cancel Guard that reimburses 75 percent of the cost of a flight if you cancel at least two days before departure, for any reason. It covers airfare only, not hotels, tours or cruises. If you want cancel-for-any-reason coverage on the whole trip, buy elsewhere.

Pre-existing conditions and the free look

The pre-existing condition waiver is available if you buy the policy within 14 days of your first trip payment. You have 14 days after receiving the policy to cancel it for a full refund if you have not departed and have not filed a claim (the American Express FAQ states 15 days in places; the policy document governs).

How much does American Express travel insurance cost?

It depends entirely on the amounts you choose, which is the point of the format. In my experience the preset packages are priced in the normal range for their limits. The real question is whether the same premium buys higher limits from a company you can compare side by side, and the only way to answer that is to build the American Express quote, write down its limits, and price the same trip on the engine.

American Express Travel Insurance FAQs

Do I need an American Express card to buy American Express travel insurance?

No. The policies are sold to anyone by AMEX Assurance Company and are separate from the travel protections included with American Express cards.

Does American Express travel insurance have cancel for any reason?

Not on the travel insurance policy. American Express sells a separate product, Trip Cancel Guard, that refunds 75 percent of airfare if you cancel at least two days before departure. It does not cover hotels, tours or cruises.

Does American Express travel insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

The pre-existing condition waiver is available if you buy within 14 days of your first trip payment. Outside that window, pre-existing conditions are excluded.

Is American Express travel insurance worth it?

It is a real policy from a strong company, and the build-your-own format suits people who know the limits they want. If you are not sure what limits you need, a plan with published limits that you can compare side by side is easier to judge.

Summary

American Express offers a flexible policy from a financially strong company, sold direct with no published limits and no cancel-for-any-reason upgrade on the policy. It works best for experienced buyers who know exactly what they want. Everyone else should build the quote, note the medical and evacuation limits, and price the same trip against companies that can be compared.

Before you buy

The pre-existing condition waiver applies only if you buy within 14 days of your first trip payment.
Cancel for any reason is not available on the policy. Trip Cancel Guard is a separate airfare-only product that pays 75 percent if you cancel at least two days before departure.
There are no published plan limits, so write down the medical and evacuation amounts from your quote before comparing.
You have 14 days after receiving the policy to cancel it for a full refund if you have not departed or filed a claim.