AXA Travel Insurance Review

By Damian Tysdal, licensed travel insurance agent since 2006 · Updated 25 September 2026

★★★★★3.5 out of 5

Two solid plans with $250,000 of primary medical and a 75 percent cancel for any reason add-on. The waiver window is short, so buy early.

Good for

Trips abroad where $250,000 of primary medical is the number you want: both plans carry it
Anyone who wants cancel for any reason at 75 percent as an add-on, on either plan
Adventure trips: Elite includes $100,000 of search and rescue and $1,000 of sports equipment delay

Not for

Anyone more than two weeks past their first deposit, since the waiver and cancel for any reason windows are 14 days
Bargain hunters: Select cost more than Tin Leg Gold on our test trips and carries half the medical
Anyone who wants a long free look, since AXA gives 10 days

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At a glance

Plan	Emergency medical	Evacuation	Cancel for any reason	Waiver window
Explorer Select	$250,000 primary	$500,000	Add-on, 75% back	14 days
Explorer Elite	$250,000 primary	$1,000,000	Add-on, 75% back	14 days

Elite is the better buy. For about $90 more on our couple's trip it doubles the evacuation, adds terrorism cover and search and rescue, and pays more for bags and delays.

Top reasons to buy

$250,000 of primary medical on both plans, which is more than IMG Choice, Travel Insured FlexiPAX or Tin Leg Luxury.
Cancel for any reason is a 75 percent add-on on both plans, capped at $50,000.
Elite carries $1,000,000 of evacuation, $100,000 of non-medical evacuation and $100,000 of search and rescue.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The pre-existing condition waiver window is 14 days from your first deposit, and cancel for any reason has the same window. Most companies give 20 or 21 days.
Select does not cover terrorism, and its travel delay waits 12 hours. Elite covers terrorism at home and abroad.
The free look is 10 days. The prices sat above Tin Leg Gold and Travel Insured FlexiPAX on all three test trips.

Bottom line

AXA is a big name with two honest plans on an A+ underwriter. Elite is a good plan for a trip abroad if you buy within two weeks of your deposit. If you are past that window or want the best price, Tin Leg Gold and Travel Insured FlexiPAX beat it.

What AXA sells on CoverTrip

AXA Assistance USA is the US travel insurance arm of AXA, the French insurance group, based in Chicago. Its plans are underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company (rated A+ by AM Best) and Starr Indemnity. The comparison sells two of its Explorer plans.

Explorer Select has $250,000 of primary medical, $500,000 of medical evacuation, $100,000 of non-medical evacuation, and the pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 14 days of your first deposit. Cancel for any reason is an add-on at 75 percent.
Explorer Elite keeps the $250,000 of medical and raises evacuation to $1,000,000. It adds terrorism cover, $100,000 of search and rescue, $1,000 of sports equipment delay, and bigger limits for bags and delays. Same 14-day waiver window, same 75 percent cancel for any reason add-on.

AXA also sells Explorer Standard and a North America plan on its own site. They are not on the comparison, and Standard's $100,000 medical with no cancel for any reason is not a plan I would send you to for a trip abroad anyway.

What the plans cover

Both plans pay 100 percent of the trip cost if you cancel for a covered reason and 150 percent if the trip is interrupted. Both cover cancelling for medical reasons and for work reasons.

Travel delay pays $1,500 per person on Select and $2,000 on Elite, both after a 12-hour delay, which is longer than the six hours most plans use. Baggage delay is $300 on Select and $1,000 on Elite after 12 hours. Lost bags are $1,500 on Select and $5,000 on Elite. Missed connection pays $1,500 on both after three hours.

Hurricanes: Select covers a common carrier delay of three hours, Elite six hours. Both cover a mandatory evacuation and your lodging being made uninhabitable. You have to buy before the storm is named.

Financial default of a travel supplier is covered on both after a 30-day wait if you buy within the waiver window. Employment layoff is covered after 15 days if you have had the job for a year. Terrorism is covered on Elite at home and abroad. Select does not cover it.

Cancel for any reason

Both plans offer cancel for any reason as an add-on. It pays 75 percent of your trip cost, up to $50,000, and you must buy it within 14 days of your first deposit and cancel at least two days before you leave. On our couple's trip to Italy it took Select from $565 to $835 and Elite from $656 to $950.

Pre-existing conditions

Both plans include the pre-existing condition waiver if you buy within 14 days of your first trip deposit and insure your full trip cost. On our test trip the comparison showed the last day as 13 days after the deposit, so do not wait for day 14. If you miss it, the look-back is 60 days. This short window is the main reason AXA does not rate higher here. Travel Insured gives 21 days, IMG 20, and Tin Leg 14.

What it costs

Real prices from the CoverTrip comparison on 25 September 2026, for three test trips. Your price depends on your ages, trip cost and dates.

Plan	Couple, 65 and 63, Italy, 10 days, $8,000	Solo, 40, Mexico, 7 days, $2,500	Family of four, Bahamas cruise, 7 days, $6,000
Explorer Select	$565.40	$115.88	$300.78
Explorer Elite	$656.46	$154.73	$429.46
Explorer Select with cancel for any reason	$835.40	not run	not run
Explorer Elite with cancel for any reason	$950.04	not run	not run

For the same couple, Tin Leg Gold was $538 with $500,000 of primary medical and Travel Insured FlexiPAX was $456 with $100,000. AXA sits in the middle on medical and above both on price.

Who AXA is

AXA is one of the largest insurance groups in the world. AXA Assistance USA, based in Chicago, is the arm that sells and services these plans, and it runs the 24-hour emergency line. On the comparison AXA has a 4.2 out of 5 customer rating from 1,076 reviews.

Questions people ask

Is AXA travel insurance good?

Yes, with one catch. Both Explorer plans carry $250,000 of primary medical on an A+ underwriter, and cancel for any reason pays 75 percent. The catch is a 14-day window from your first deposit for the pre-existing condition waiver and for cancel for any reason. Buy inside it or look elsewhere.

What is the difference between AXA Explorer Select and Explorer Elite?

Same $250,000 of medical. Elite doubles evacuation to $1,000,000, covers terrorism, adds $100,000 of search and rescue, and pays more for delays and bags. It was about $90 more on our couple's test trip.

Does AXA cover pre-existing conditions?

Yes, with the waiver, if you buy within 14 days of your first trip deposit and insure the full trip cost. After that the look-back is 60 days.

Who underwrites AXA travel insurance?

United States Fire Insurance Company, rated A+ (Superior) by AM Best, and Starr Indemnity and Liability Company, depending on the plan and state.

Before you buy

The pre-existing condition waiver applies only if you buy within 14 days of your first deposit and insure the full trip cost. The comparison shows the exact last day for your trip, and on our test trip it was day 13.
Cancel for any reason is an add-on on both plans, pays 75 percent up to $50,000, has the same 14-day window, and must be used at least two days before you leave.
Select does not cover terrorism. Elite does.
You have 10 days after purchase to cancel the policy for a full refund if you have not left or filed a claim.

See AXA priced for your trip, next to 20 other companies

Enter your trip once and every top plan comes back side by side, priced for your dates. Same price as buying direct.

See plans & pricesAbout 60 seconds. Nothing to sign up for.