Starr Travel Insurance Review 2024

Starr Insurance offers single trip and annual travel insurance policies, with several options to choose from in each category. It also sells a few non-traditional travel insurance plans that cover airline tickets only and rental cars only.

Single Trip Plans

Starr sells two single trip travel insurance plans. A single trip travel insurance plan provides coverage for one trip. Once the trip ends, your coverage ends. If you take another trip during the same year, you’ll need to buy another travel insurance policy.

Classic Plus

The Classic Plus plan provides basic coverage for your trip. It covers trip cancellation, trip interruption, $50,000 in emergency medical expenses, travel delays, baggage and personal effects, and more. You have the option to add “cancel for any reason” coverage that will reimburse up to 75% of your prepaid and non-refundable expenses if you need to cancel your trip for any reason not listed in your policy.

Premier

The Premier travel insurance policy provides more robust coverage than the Classic Plus plan. It also includes significantly higher coverage limits for emergency medical expenses ($250,000), as well as $5,000 in coverage for rental car collisions. The only add-on available with the Premier plan is “cancel for any reason” travel insurance.

Travel insurance benefit	Starr Classic Plus policy	Starr Premier policy
Trip cancellation	100% of insured trip cost	100% of insured trip cost
Trip interruption	150% of insured trip cost	150% of insured trip cost
Emergency medical expense	$50,000; $750 in dental expenses coverage	$250,000; $750 in dental expenses coverage
Medical evacuation	$500,000	$500,000
Accidental death and dismemberment	$10,000	$50,000; $200,000 for air only
Travel delay	Maximum of $750/$250 per day with a 6-hour delay	Maximum of $1,500/$250 per day, with 6-hour delay
Baggage and personal effects	Maximum of $1,000/$250 per item	Maximum of $2,500/$250 per item
Baggage delay	Maximum of $300/$100 per day after 12-hour delay	Maximum of of $500/$200 per day after 12-hour delay
Single occupancy settlement	Yes	Yes
Missed connection	$750, with 3-hour delay	$750, with 3-hour delay
Airline change fee	$200	$200
“Cancel for any reason” upgrade	75% of insured trip cost	75% of insured trip cost
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver available	Yes	Yes
Rental car collision	No	$5,000
Children included in pricing	No	No

See MoreSee Less

Annual Plans

There are three annual travel insurance plans available from Starr. An annual travel insurance policy covers all the trips you take during the year, so it can be a good option for frequent travelers. Because annual plans provide longer-lasting protection, they are usually more expensive than single trip plans.

Basic Annual

The Basic Annual plan provides the least amount of coverage. It includes benefits for emergency medical expenses and transportation and lost, stolen, damaged or delayed baggage. However, it doesn’t cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delays or missed connections.

Premier Annual

The Premier Annual plan is a step up from the Basic Annual plan. Unlike the Basic plan, this policy provides coverage for trip interruption ($5,000), and higher coverage limits for emergency medical expenses, medical evacuation and lost, damaged, stolen or delayed baggage.

Medical Annual

If you want travel insurance that primarily covers emergency medical care, you can consider the Medical Only Annual plan. This plan provides high coverage limits for emergency medical expenses and medical evacuation, as well as accidental death and dismemberment coverage. The Medical Only Annual plan doesn’t provide any benefits for trip cancellation or travel delays. However, it does provide a small amount of coverage for lost, stolen, damaged or delayed baggage.

Benefit	Starr Basic Annual policy	Starr Premier Annual policy	Starr Medical Only Annual policy
Trip cancellation	No	No	No
Trip interruption	No	$5,000	No
Emergency medical expense	$50,000; $500 in dental expenses coverage	$100,000; $500 in dental expenses coverage	$50,000; $750 in dental expenses coverage
Medical evacuation	$50,000	$250,000	$100,000
Accidental death and dismemberment	$25,000	$50,000; $100,000 for air online	$50,000; $100,000 for air online
Travel delay	No	No	No
Baggage and personal effects	Maximum of $2,000/$250 per item	Maximum of $2,500/$250 per item	Maximum of $1,000/$250 per item
Baggage delay; with 12-hour wait	Maximum of $500/$100 per day	Maximum of $750/$100 per day	Maximum of $300/$100 per day
Single occupancy settlement	No	Yes	No
Missed connection	No	No	No
Airline ticket change fee	$200	$200	No
“Cancel for any reason”	No	No	No
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver available	No	No	No
Rental car collision	No	No	No
Children included in pricing	No	No	No

See MoreSee Less

Air Ticket Protector Plan

Starr’s Air Ticket Protector Plan insures domestic and international airline tickets. It covers the cost of your prepaid, non-refundable flights if you can’t go on your trip due to unforeseen events listed in your policy. The Air Ticket Protector plan also covers airline change fees, missed connections, travel delays and baggage delays.

Benefit	Starr’s Air Ticket Protector policy
Trip cancellation	100% of insured airline ticket cost
Trip interruption	125% of insured trip cost
Emergency medical expense	No
Medical evacuation	No
Accidental death and dismemberment (air only)	$25,000
Travel delay, with 6-hour wait	Maximum $500/$100 per day
Baggage and personal effects	Maximum $500/$250 per item
Baggage delay; with 12-hour wait	$100
Missed connection fee	$500, with 3-hour delay
Airline ticket change fee	$200
“Cancel for any reason”	No
Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver available	Yes

See MoreSee Less

Car Rental Plan

The Car Rental Plan from Starr provides $35,000 in rental car collision insurance if your rental is damaged during your trip due to a reason listed in your policy. You also get access to the company’s global travel assistance services if something happens to the rental vehicle during your trip. This plan isn’t available in New York, Texas, Washington or Kansas.

Starr travel insurance doesn’t offer many add-ons. However, you can add “cancel for any reason” travel insurance to either of Starr’s single trip plans. If you purchase this upgrade, it will reimburse 75% of prepaid, non-refundable expenses if you cancel your trip for any reason, as long as you cancel no less than 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

Travel benefits vary among Starr travel insurance plans and so does pricing for each policy. Travel insurance costs generally vary by your age and the trip cost being insured.

Travelers and trip	Cost per trip for Starr Premier plan
Two travelers age 30, $3,000 trip cost, traveling to Mexico for 8 days	$198
Two travelers age 40, $6,000 trip cost, traveling to Italy for 17 days	$420
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to Italy for 17 days	$1,000
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to France for 17 days	$1,000
Family with two parents age 40 and two children, $15,000 trip cost, traveling to U.K. for 17 days	$1,000
Two travelers age 65, $6,000 trip cost, traveling to the Italy for 17 days	$552
Two travelers age 70, $3,000 trip cost, traveling to the Mexico for 8 days	$408
Average cost	$654

See MoreSee Less

Yes, all of Starr’s travel insurance plans include access to 24/7 global assistance. The team can provide assistance with visas, currency exchange rates, medical evacuation, lost luggage, hotel and restaurant recommendations, translation services and more.

Starr travel insurance provides comprehensive coverage for domestic and international trips. The company offers a good variety of plans, including single trip and annual plans. Here are the coverage types that are included with most Starr Travel Insurance policies:

• Trip cancellation coverage: Trip cancellation insurance reimburses you for prepaid and non-refundable expenses, such as a hotel or flight, if you cancel your trip for a reason outlined in your policy.
• Travel medical insurance: Travel medical insurance pays for emergency medical expenses if you get sick or injured while traveling, up to your policy. It compensates you for costs like hospital bills, emergency dental work and prescriptions.
• Emergency medical evacuation: If you get sick or injured during your trip and need immediate medical care beyond the services locally available, medical evacuation travel insurance will cover the cost of transportation to the nearest adequate treatment center that can treat your condition.
• Travel delay insurance: The travel delay coverage pays for temporary accommodations and expenses for necessities if your trip gets delayed beyond a specified amount of time because of an issue that is listed in the policy. For instance, if your flight gets delayed 24 hours because of bad weather, your travel delay insurance can compensate you for the cost of a hotel room and meals, up to the policy’s coverage limit.
• Travel interruption insurance: If an unforeseen event listed in your policy crops up during your trip and you need to go home early, trip interruption coverage can pay for a last-minute flight home. It can also reimburse you for money lost on prepaid, non-refundable expenses for the part of the trip you miss.
• Baggage and personal effects: This policy applies when your luggage gets damaged, lost, or stolen during travel. Baggage insurance will pay you the depreciated value of your luggage and possessions, up to your policy limits. If your baggage is delayed for the amount of time listed in your policy, baggage delay insurance will pay for essentials, such as toiletries and clothing.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: This optional add-on typically reimburses 75% of your prepaid, non-refundable trip costs as long as you cancel no less than 48 hours prior to your departure. “Cancel for any reason” travel insurance generally adds 50% to your travel insurance cost. You usually must purchase it within 14 days of your first trip deposit.

Starr’s policies have exclusions, like all travel insurance plans. Here are examples of situations that are not covered under a standard single trip or annual trip plan:

• Criminal acts.
• Wars and political unrest.
• Routine medical or dental treatment.
• Traveling for medical tourism.
• Injuries resulting from the use of drugs or alcohol.
• Injuries resulting from extreme sports or activities.

Starr sells travel insurance plans in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. However, some plan types or coverage options may not be available in all locations.

• Website. Starr’s website is easy to navigate and includes detailed plan information. You can get an instant quote online for all the plans available, and download a sample policy to see the fine print before purchasing a plan. After getting a quote, you can buy a plan online or call an agent if you have questions.
• Mobile app. Starr does not have a mobile app, but the website is optimized for mobile use. You can get a quote, purchase a plan and file a claim from your smartphone if you don’t have access to a computer.
• Customer service. You can get in touch with the company by calling (866) 477-6741 during business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. You can also send an email to info@starrtravelinsurance.com or contact Starr via mail.

There are several ways to file claims with Starr. You can submit a claim online, over the phone, or through mail or fax. The phone number for Starr claims support is (800) 567-3512 and you can file claims Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. You can also email aci247@acitpa.com to start the claim process.

Before purchasing travel insurance, it’s a good idea to compare a few different companies. Every insurer offers different benefits and coverage limits, which can impact cost.

When compared to several competitors, Starr has a few advantages. First, it provides higher coverage limits for emergency medical expenses than some companies. It also offers generous coverage for baggage and belongings. One drawback: The average cost of Starr’s Premier policy is at least a few hundred dollars more than other companies we evaluated.

Starr vs. Travel Insured International

Starr’s Premier plan and Travel Insured International’s Worldwide Trip Protector plan offer similar coverage, but there are some notable differences. Starr’s Premier plan provides $250,000 in emergency medical expenses coverage, whereas Travel Insured’s policy provides $100,000. But Travel Insured’s policy has higher medical evacuation benefits of $1 million and shorter waiting periods for trip and baggage delays. Another major difference: The average price for the Premier policy is about $285 more than the Worldwide Trip Protector plan.

Benefit	Starr Premier policy	Travel Insured International Worldwide Trip Protector policy
Trip cancellation	100% of insured trip cost	100% of insured trip cost
Trip delay	Maximum of $1,500/$250 per day, after a 6-hour delay	Maximum of $1,500/$200 per day, after 3-hour delay
Emergency travel medical/evacuation	$250,000/$500,000	$100,000/$1 million
Trip interruption	150% of insured trip cost	150% of insured trip cost
Baggage and belongings	Maximum of $2,500	Maximum of $1,000
Baggage delay	$500 after 12-hour delay	$500 after 3-hour delay
“Cancel for any reason” reimbursement	75% of insured trip cost	75% of insured trip cost
Average cost (based on seven sample trips)	$654	$370

See MoreSee Less

Starr vs. TravelSafe

Starr’s Premier plan and TravelSafe’s Classic plan both provide the same benefits for trip cancellation, trip interruption and optional “cancel for any reason” travel insurance. The main difference between these two policies is that the Classic plan from TravelSafe provides up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage, whereas Starr’s plan only provides $500,000 in coverage. And, the Classic plan’s average cost is nearly $225 cheaper than the Premier plan. But the Premier policy has higher travel medical benefits.

Benefit	Starr Premier policy	TravelSafe Classic policy
Trip cancellation	100% of insured trip cost	100% of insured trip cost
Trip delay	Maximum of $1,500/$250 per day, after 6-hour delay	Maximum of $2,000/$150 per day, after 6-hour delay
Emergency travel medical/evacuation	$250,000/ $500,000	$100,000/$1 million
Trip interruption	150% of insured trip cost	150% of insured trip cost
Baggage and belongings	Maximum of $2,500	Maximum of $2,500
Baggage delay	$500 after 12-hour delay	$250 after 12-hour delay
“Cancel for any reason” reimbursement	75% of insured trip cost	75% of insured trip cost
Average cost (based on seven sample trips)	$654	$431

See MoreSee Less

Starr vs. Travelex

Overall, Starr’s Premier plan offers much more robust coverage than the Travel Select plan from Travelex. For example, you get five times the medical expense limits with the Premier plan than with the Travel Select plan. Additionally, Travelex will only cover a maximum of $1,000 in lost and damaged baggage, whereas Starr will cover up to $2,500. The Travel Select policy also has a much lower average cost—about $265 cheaper than the Premier plan.

Benefit	Starr Premier policy	Travelex Travel Select policy
Trip cancellation	100% of insured trip cost	100% of insured trip cost
Trip delay	Maximum of $1,500/$250 per day, after 6-hour delay	Maximum of $2,000/$200 per day, after 5-hour delay
Emergency travel medical/evacuation	$250,000/$500,000	$50,000/$500,000
Trip interruption	150% of insured trip cost	150% of insured trip cost
Baggage and belongings	Maximum of $2,500	Maximum of $1,000
Baggage delay	$500 after 12-hour delay	$200 after 12-hour delay
“Cancel for any reason” reimbursement	75% of insured trip cost	75% of insured trip cost
Average cost (based on seven sample trips)	$654	$391

See MoreSee Less

Starr Insurance was founded in 1919 in Shanghai and was the first American-owned insurance company in the region. Today, the company maintains a global headquarters in New York City. It underwrites policies in 124 countries.

We analyzed the average cost for Starr travel insurance policies for trips to popular destinations for various traveler profiles:

• Couple, age 30, for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.
• Couple, age 40, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
• Family of four for an Italy trip costing $15,000.
• Family of four for a France trip costing $15,000.
• Family of four for a U.K. trip costing $15,000.
• Couple, age 65, for an Italy trip costing $6,000.
• Couple, age 70, for a Mexico trip costing $3,000.