Marriott International announced on Wednesday that guests residing in the U.S. can now insure their domestic and international travels with Allianz Partners—but only when booked directly on Marriott.com or the iOS Marriott Bonvoy mobile app (it will be available on Android later this year). According to Marriott, the Allianz Global Assistance plans can cover everyone staying in the room(s), including friends or family, and may provide reimbursement for pre-paid, non-refundable expenses like airfare, expenses incurred during covered travel delays and medical emergencies and more—not just the cost of the hotel stay.
Marriott says the plans may include protection for eligible trip cancellation costs due to a covered illness, injury and more, up to a maximum amount. They may also include benefits for unexpected expenses caused by covered travel delays and trip interruptions such as the cost of rebooking flights, booking an airport hotel room for the night, or paying for a taxi. Depending on the plan purchased, costs for covered emergency medical care during a trip and delayed or lost baggage or personal belongings may also be covered. In addition, the plans can cover other pre-paid, non-refundable trip expenses, such as tours, activities and entertainment and sports tickets.
Other plan benefits include a 24/7 team of multilingual, trained experts to help guests with medical and other travel-related emergencies. Services can include providing destination information, arranging roadside assistance, and making transportation arrangements. Policyholders can also enjoy the benefit of concierge services and take advantage of personal assistance from a team of experts to help get the most out of their travels, like securing tickets to shows, making restaurant reservations and booking spa treatments or a round of golf.
Like when Marriott announced in 2014 that it would be offering free Wi-Fi to frequent customers, it begs the question: Does this move cut out travel advisors, who would otherwise be booking travel insurance for their clients, with commissions reaching 20 percent based on the policy?
“With the launch of this collaboration with Allianz Partners, Marriott guests don’t have to spend valuable time researching and selecting travel insurance,” Marriott said in an announcement.
When a guest chooses to purchase travel insurance, Marriott says, the cost is added to the total cost of their stay and is charged in a single transaction. Guests have the flexibility to cancel their insurance plan within 15 days of purchase (or more, depending on state and plan) if their travels have not begun. Plans from Allianz Partners on Marriott.com can be purchased upon booking or prior to departure and even include plans that accommodate reservations for a same day check-in.
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