REI Adventures Travel Insurance - 2024 Review

Recreational Equipment, Inc., known by the acronym REI, is a Washington state-based retail and outdoor recreation services corporation. It is organized as a consumers' co-operative.

What is REI Adventures Travel Insurance?

REI Adventures, like many large travel agencies, created its own brand of travel insurance. They partnered with TripMate to sell REI customers and members travel insurance called ‘TripAssure’.

TripMate administers the insurance plan and processes claims made against the travel insurance. Generali Global provides the medical, legal and travel assistance services for the policy, and US Fire Insurance Company, a well-known underwriter, provides the underwriting for the policy.

Our Sample REI Adventure

For our sample REI Adventure, we booked the Bryce Canyon & Grand Canyon Hiking Adventure for two travelers from California aged 63 and 62 leaving May 22 and returning May 26.

REI Adventures provides a discount for its co-op members though even non-members can book a trip at the regular rate.

For our trip, a member will pay $3,299 while a non-member pays $330 more.

If we aren’t members and want to join REI for $30, we will receive $300 off per traveler:

Even if you never use REI for the rest of the year, it’s a great choice to get a membership for the discount given for the trip!

Our travelers are REI co-op members so the total trip cost will be $6598.

Let’s look at the trip specifics for our REI adventure:

Since there’s going to be hiking in canyons, having good medical coverage, and more importantly having excellent medical evacuation is critical so travel insurance with good coverage is a must.

How to Buy REI Adventures Travel Insurance

REI Adventures does not automatically offer their travel insurance at check out. Below the cancellation policy is an inconspicuous line: “To protect your investment, we recommend that you purchase travel insurance.”

When you click on the words ‘travel insurance’, the link takes you to the REI Travel Insurance page, which still doesn’t have a purchase option. You must click through to their 3rd party vendor, TripMate, to get a quote. It’s not difficult, just inconvenient.

Going to the TripMate site through the link, we are told we can purchase by calling TripAssure directly or clicking on the link for the TripAssure website (see below):

We visited the TripAssure website through the link available and input our REI trip details.

We don’t have a variety of policies to choose from. Only the ‘Adventure Plan’ is available to us for $574.

Although REI only offers the “take it or leave it” Adventure Plan policy, it’s a quality policy. In this case, it doesn’t bother us that there is only one travel insurance option. It’s a good one.

The policy provides $100,000 of medical coverage and $1 million of medical evacuation coverage along with other great benefits.

In addition, if the policy is purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment or deposit. receipt, then the exclusion for Pre-Existing Conditions will be waived, provided you are not disabled from travel at the time your plan payment is paid.

Also, if you purchased this plan within 21 days of the date of your initial trip payment or deposit receipt, there is coverage for bankruptcy or default of an airline, cruise line, tour operator or travel supplier (other than the travel supplier from whom you purchased your travel arrangements) which caused a complete cessation of travel services more than 14 days following your policy effective date.

Next, we look deeper into what the REI Adventures travel insurance offers, and how it stacks up against similar travel insurance available at TravelDefenders.

Compare REI Adventures Trip Insurance to Similar Travel Insurance

Can we find similar travel insurance in the open marketplace for less? We’ll run a quote at TravelDefenders and see.

Inputting our REI trip details into the TravelDefenders quote system we’re shown 27 plans. For domestic travel, TravelDefenders recommends having a minimum of $10,000 of medical coverage and a minimum of $150,000 of medical evacuation coverage.

The least expensive plan on our quote with similar coverage as the REI policy is the Trawick First Class for $384.84 - $186 LESS than the REI Adventure plan!

The policy provides $150,000 of medical coverage and $1 million of medical evacuation coverage and a waiver to cover any pre-existing medical condition if the policy is purchased within 14 days of the initial trip payment or deposit date.

If we cancel for a listed reason in the policy, such as illness or injury preventing us from traveling, we’ll receive a 100% refund of our trip costs.

However, if we prefer to have maximum cancellation flexibility to be able to use non-listed reasons, then we need to look at a Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) policy.

Cancel For Any Reason

Have you ever planned a beach vacation and then hear the weatherman predict rain the entire time? Did you ever know someone who cancelled a trip because their dog was sick or their child’s soccer game got rescheduled?

Bet you have!

If you choose to cancel your trip for a reason that’s not covered by the policy, a Cancel For Any Reason policy is your best friend. You’ll get either 50% or 75% of your trip cost back (depending on the policy chosen).

The least expensive CFAR policy on our TravelDefenders quote is the AIG Travel Guard Plus (CFAR 50%) for $478.90.

The policy provides $100,000 of medical coverage and $1 million of medical evacuation coverage and a waiver to cover any pre-existing medical condition if the policy is purchased within 21 days of the initial trip payment or deposit date.

If we cancel for a listed reason in the policy we’ll receive a 100% refund of our trip costs. If we use a non-listed reason and cancel up to 48 hours prior to departure, we’ll receive a 50% refund of our trip costs.

However, if we prefer the highest refund available for a non-listed reason, then we’re interested in a CFAR policy that provides a 75% refund of our trip costs.

The least expensive CFAR policy on our quote that provides a 75% refund is the Trawick First Class (CFAR 75% for $654.23.

This policy provides similar benefits as the standard Trawick First Class policy discussed previously, but adds the Cancel For Any Reason benefit if the policy is purchased within 10 days of the initial trip payment or deposit.

Like other CFAR policies, if you cancel for a listed reason in the policy, you’ll receive a 100% refund of your non-refundable trip costs but if you cancel for a non-listed reason you’ll receive a 75% refund of your trip costs.

There are a few ‘rules’ with Cancel For Any Reason policies:

1. You must insure 100% of the non-refundable trip costs
2. If you are using a non-listed reason to cancel, you must cancel 48 hours or more before your scheduled departure.

CFAR policies are great choices for travelers that are concerned about resurgences of COVID or another pandemic at their destination or maybe fearful of traveling to that area due to political disturbances.

Let’s compare the REI Adventure Plan with the TravelDefenders policies mentioned:

Benefit	REI Adventure Plan	Trawick First Class	AIG Travel Guard Plus (CFAR 50%)	Trawick First Class (CFAR 75%)
Trip Cancellation	100% of trip cost	100% of trip cost	100% of trip cost	100% of trip cost
Trip Interruption	150% of trip cost	150% of trip cost	150% of trip cost	150% of trip cost
Medical Insurance	$100,000	150,000	100,000	$150.000
Medical Evacuation	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Baggage Loss/Damage	$300/article up to $1,000 per person	$500/article up to $2,000 per person	$500/article up to $2,500 per person	$500/article up to $2,000 per person
Baggage Delay	$500	$400	$400	$400
Travel Delay (Incl quarantine)	$2,000 ($200 /day per traveler)	$1000 per person	$1000 per person ($200/day per traveler)	$1000 per person
Missed Connection	$1,000 per person	$1,000 per person	$1,000 per person	$1000 per person
Cover Pre-existing Medical Conditions	Yes if purchased within 21 days of deposit	Yes if purchased within 14 days of deposit	Yes if purchased within 21 days of deposit	Yes if purchased within 14 days of deposit
Cancel For Work Reason	No	No	Yes	No
Interrupt For Any Reason	No	No	No	No
Cancel For Any Reason	Yes Varying scale of refund	No	50% of trip cost if purchased within 21 days of trip deposit	75% of trip cost If purchased within 10 days of trip deposit
Accidental Death & Dismemberment	$25,000	$10,000	$50,000	$10,000
Cost of Policy	$574 (8.7% of trip cost)	$384.84 (5.8% of trip cost)	$478.90 (7.25 % of trip cost)	$654.23 (9.9% of trip cost)

 

Pre-existing Medical Condition Waiver

One of the most misunderstood phrases in travel insurance policies is pre-existing condition. Health insurance companies made us believe it’s any medical history you’ve ever had.

That’s not the case for travel insurance.

In fact, travel insurance policies consider a Pre-existing Medical Condition as an illness, disease, or other condition for which a traveler or immediate family member received or received a recommendation for a test, examination, medical treatment or medication change in the 60 – 180 days (depending on policy) prior to purchasing travel insurance. Most policies have a 60 day look back period.

If you take prescriptions for controlled conditions like blood pressure or diabetes, don’t worry. Conditions older than 60 days and controlled with medication are covered.

Both REI Travel Insurance and the AIG Travel Guard Plus policies cover pre-existing conditions if the policy is purchased within 21 days of initial trip deposit. The Trawick First Class policies require the policy be purchased within 14 days of the initial trip payment or deposit. Make sure you also cover 100% of your trip costs that are subject to cancellation penalties and are fit to travel the day you purchase insurance.

TravelDefenders advocates seniors get a policy with a Pre-existing Medical Condition Waiver whenever possible. That way, the policy covers you for pre-existing conditions, and reduces the risk an insurance company denies a claim.

Medical Insurance

Adventure travel, as with all travel, exposes you to risks often in remote areas. This can be especially worrisome if traveling internationally. One night in a foreign hospital could cost you $3,000 to $4,000 per night for inpatient care.

Seniors have additional worries:

• Medicare doesn’t cover you outside the country
• Medicare supplements might cover up to $50,000, but it’s a lifetime limit
• You end up paying all out-of-pocket medical expenses
• Foreign countries don’t give free health care to visitors
• US State Department does not cover any health care costs of Americans abroad

Maybe you thought universal health care programs overseas would give you free treatment. Nope! Health care is for the citizens of that country, not visitors. They pay for it with their taxes.

When traveling overseas, we recommend Americans have at least $100,000 travel medical insurance to cover the unexpected. Less than that, and you risk your retirement savings to kayak in Baja.

For US destinations, we recommend having at least $10,000 of additional medical insurance and a minimum of $150,000 of medical evacuation insurance.

Instead of paying a hospital yourself, travel insurance medical benefits pay the provider directly. Travel insurance takes a huge burden off you.

REI travel insurance and the AIG and Trawick policies meet our $100,000 Medical Insurance guideline for foreign travel and well exceed our recommendation for domestic travel.

Worth noting, the AIG Travel Guard Plus policy is a primary medical insurance, while the Trawick policies are secondary. That means it will pay before any other health insurance you have that will cover you.

If you do not have any other health insurance coverage that will cover you, then a secondary medical insurance policy will act as primary.

Emergency Medical Evacuation

If you ever need it, you will find one of the most valuable travel benefits is Emergency Medical Evacuation. Even more so when traveling outside urban areas.

Imagine you’re hiking in Bryce Canyon and your left arm goes numb. There’s no hospital in sight. The closest town is an hour away. What happens if you get there, and they don’t have a cardiologist?

Emergency Medical Evacuation benefits make sure you get to the right medical center as soon as possible. Sometimes the closest hospital isn’t suitable for your situation.

That’s when medical evacuation takes over. It covers moving you to a hospital with a cardiac ICU so you can get treatment as soon as possible. Once you’re stable and the doctor gives the all clear to go home, evacuation will put you on a flight home.

Or, if medically necessary, put you on an air ambulance private jet with a medical team and equipment to monitor you while going home.

Either way, Emergency Medical Evacuation gets you to the best place to treat you, then brings you back home.

TravelDefenders recommends at least $150,000 medical evacuation benefit, when traveling domestically and a minimum of $250,000 for international travel.

REI travel insurance and the Trawick and AIG policies offer stellar protection at $1,000,000 for Emergency Medical Evacuation.

Baggage

Has an airline or cruise line ever lost your luggage? Or maybe it showed up delayed or damaged?

Chances are you’ve experienced some sort of baggage problem from broken zippers or wheels to just plain disappeared. If you haven’t, count yourself lucky!

If the airline or tour company lost your bags, you could get reimbursed for the cost of replacing your clothing, toiletries, luggage, and miscellaneous items.

REI Adventures travel insurance pays a maximum of $1,000 for lost baggage. That’s less than the Trawick policy at $2,000 and AIG at $2,500.

In addition, the lost baggage benefit also covers damaged items. If your brand-new spinner arrived cracked and missing a wheel, the policy covers repair or replacement.

Suppose you got to the hotel, but the airline delivered your bags 12 hours later. Travel insurance baggage delay benefits reimburse you for the change of clothes and personal articles for that night. REI travel insurance plan pays up to $500 and Trawick and AIG pay up to $400 for delayed baggage.

Travel Delay

Exciting trips turn miserable when airlines delay us. You’re so excited to start the vacation, or tired and ready to go home, and then you’re stuck somewhere for hours.

REI travel insurance covers that. It pays up to $200 per day to cover meals, taxis and accommodations if you are delayed for 8 hours or more due to:

• any delay of a common carrier
• a traffic accident in which you or your traveling companion is not directly involved
• lost or stolen passports, travel documents or money
• quarantine, hijacking, strike, natural disaster, terrorism or riot
• a documented weather condition preventing you from getting to the point of departure

That way, if your flight is delayed overnight, you can get a comforting meal and a good night’s rest at a hotel.

Both versions of Trawick pay $1,000 max per traveler while AIG pays $200 per day up to a max of $1,000 per traveler for travel delay.

Missed Connection

Delays make you feel terrible. Even worse, you’re delayed so long your tour group or cruise leaves without you!

If you miss your trip departure because your arrival at your trip destination is delayed for 3 or more hours due to:

1. any delay of a common carrier
2. weather preventing you from getting to the point of departure
3. quarantine, hijacking, strike, natural disaster, terrorism or riot

REI Adventures travel insurance will reimburse you up to $1,000 for:

1. your additional transportation cost to join your trip, and
2. your prepaid expenses for the unused land or water travel arrangements.

Trawick and AIG also provide the same $1,000 reimbursement benefit for missed connection as the REI Adventures plan so you can rest assured that even if the hiking adventure tour leaves without you, you’ll be compensated and transported to join the group.

Single Supplement

When you’re on a cruise or tour that charges based on double occupancy, single supplement is very helpful.

If your traveling companion cancels their trip due to a covered reason, but you still want to go kayaking, Single Supplement covers the added cost of traveling alone. From the REI policy:

Benefits will be paid, up to the maximum benefit amount, for the additional cost incurred as a result of a change in the per person occupancy rate for prepaid travel arrangements if a traveling companion’s or family member’s trip is canceled for a covered reason and you do not cancel your trip.

Because REI insurance rates are based on double occupancy rooms, we were pleased to see Single Supplement benefits in the policy.

As you might guess, Trawick First Class and AIG Travel Guard Plus also cover single supplement benefits also known as single occupancy benefits.

Accidental Death and Dismemberment

Nobody wants to think about accidental death on a vacation, but it happens.

REI and the AIG Travel Guard Plus plans pay a $50,000 death benefit, while the Trawick plans pay only $10,000. We do not consider life insurance necessary for travel insurance, so TravelDefenders does not recommend a minimum benefit.

However, it’s a nice added benefit that can help cover burial costs.

But don’t forget. The Emergency Medical Evacuation benefit, not accidental death, pays to return remains.

Conclusion

The REI Adventure Plan is an excellent travel insurance policy, though somewhat expensive as compared to other policies found in the open marketplace. It is similar to the Trawick First Class and AIG Travel Guard Plus policies we found through TravelDefenders. We applaud REI for offering a quality travel insurance policy.

We would recommend the REI Adventure policy IF the price were more competitive with the marketplace version. REI charges a premium for insurance with their name on it but is much more expensive than its marketplace cousins.

If you’re considering the REI travel insurance policy and would like to do a quote comparison, use the quick quote tool at TravelDefenders to find the best value.

We know you will find a nearly identical policy at lower cost than through REI.

Can I save more by buying directly from the insurance carrier?

The short answer is ‘’No’.

Aardy prices are the same as on the insurance company website. We guarantee you will never find a lower price anywhere for any product found on TravelDefenders.

Have questions? We would love to hear from you. Send us a chat, an email or call us at +1(786) 321 3723.