Trip Mate Logo
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3.0

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: April 4th, 2024

Founded in 1988, travel insurance provider Trip Mate offers services including travel and medical assistance, concierge services, and legal assistance.

Each insurance policy is only available through a Trip Mate business partner. Partners include travel suppliers like travel agencies, cruise lines, and tour operators. Each offers a specialized plan and schedule of benefits. These can include emergency medical expense benefits, as well as travel assistance for things like lost or damaged baggage or delayed transportation.

Plans are underwritten by Arch Insurance Company (A+), Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (A+), and United States Fire Insurance Company (A).

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The Good

  • Specialized Plans
  • 24/7 Customer Service
  • Global XPI

Specialized Plans

Each Trip Mate protection plan is designed for the travel suppliers and clients to be covered. This is a professional company that works to specialize its plans for suppliers, rather than individuals making their own plans with online research.

24/7 Customer Service

Customers can contact Trip Mate 24 hours a day via phone for travel assistance services and submit claims online.

Global XPI

Trip Mate travel plans come with access to Global XPI. XPI stands for Express Patient Information. This is a web-based health info service that helps to share info with your health care provider, physician, or pharmacist. It meets or exceeds HIPAA regulations. Access starts 90 days before your departure date and helps you share personal health information with providers in case you need treatment, including an existing medical condition, any current medications, or allergies.

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The Bad

  • Third-Party Availability

Third-Party Availability

Individuals cannot buy a policy from Trip Mate directly. They are only offered through third-party suppliers like a travel agent, tour operator, or cruise line. Some other travel insurance companies offer both public plans and additional plans privately through third-party suppliers. This company simply does the latter.

Sample plans, if any, will be provided via your travel supplier, not Trip Mate. This makes it hard to compare cost, insurance coverage, or benefits for a pre-existing medical condition, or any exclusions and limitations.

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The Bottom Line

Trip Mate offers standard travel protection coverage for things like trip cancelation, trip interruption, medical evacuation and expenses, missed connections, travel delays, and baggage issues.

While this is a large U.S. provider, plans are only available through third-party suppliers like tour operators and travel agencies. Plans are specialized for different suppliers, customers, and trips.

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Star Rating

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1.3

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14 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

7%

4 grade

0%

3 grade

0%

2 grade

0%

1 grade

93%

Sentiment Criteria

Value

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Quality

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Service

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Trustworthiness

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Thomas Lewis Leland, NC

Better safe than sorry. We made our travel plans in November, 2022. Best option we took was the Travel insurance policy with TripMate. While we have purchased their policy for travel in the past, this time it was well worth it. The aggravation of having to cancel a long awaited trip only seemed more burdensome having to report the claim. Telephone communications with TripMate were very professional and polite. The representives I spoke to were patient and very informative. I called several times to make sure I had completed all the necessary steps before mailing. Followed the website portal for updates and progress of our claim. Received entire trip reimbursementwithin six weeks of filing. We will use their services in the future and highly recommend their travel protection policy.

10 months ago

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Debbie

In October 2023 we went on a Viking Cruise and purchased Trip Mate Ins. I fell on loose cobblestones in Germany and had to get 3 stitches in my head. The doctor ordered 3 days bedrest, so we missed three days of the cruise and excursions. We filled the extensive claim in November with all the required forms and receipts. Over the course of five months continually emailed asking us for for various forms and receipts that we sent in with the original claim. For trip interruption they owed us $3,100, they just sent us a e-check for $318.00. I would give them a zero rating if I could. Do not buy this insurance.

7 months ago

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Hranush mkrtchyan Frankfurt am Main, HE

Very bed insurance company, Never use, Never trust! They have very unprofessional and unserious behavior against customer. They are making decision to cover the case, issuing checks which cane be used in US and only 1-2 banks in Europe, then advising customer to request renaming of check if the person written in the check is unable to make cash out of check, and then sending letter that they are not covering case and are not going to pay. All agents in customer service talks very nice but no one is really helpful, i talked already 13 agents, stayed in line very long hours and no one was able to solve my case) i can accept that it could be lack of information between departments, maybe one department is not aware about already made decision of other department, but after my several emails and calls they can at least solve issue and send renamed checks per their first and communicated decision and not ignore customer by either not replying emails or saying supervisor will call you back and never call. After 2 month of calling them and writing emails, today i got rejection of check and even they didn't call me back and said sorry for unprofessional behavior or wrote email with explanation of the reason of rejection. Agent is advising write email and request rename of check, customer is doing like advised by agent, and then they are sending email that they will not pay. Really extremely unprofessional. They don't care about customers. Never trust them. And amount is 210 USD.

1 year ago

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Michele Bunting Stamford, CT

- Return Air line tickets due to Hurricane Ian to FL thru Tripmate See tripmate claim #7179786 - originated on 9/28/22. After 30 days was required to provide documentation re why flight was cancelled and that it was due to the hurricane so I sent the required documentation to Tripmate on 11/3/22 then they came back and needed the invoices from the airlines. I provided that in a lengthy email with all documentation outlined and broken out and attached as follows: - all necessary attachments were sent - everytime I call i have to wait another 30 days after they request addt'l info to get a response. It's absolutely ridiculous - how much time this takes - I rightly deserve my airline ticket money back - this trip was cancelled due to hurricane IAN out of my control on 9/30 - 10/9 - there was no return flight because there was no TRIP. PREVIOUS email resent as below to tripmate: Please see all emails and documentation in this thread and attached.. ALL information you requested has been provided. See Attachments as per below: • American Airlines attachment entitled – “Cancellation & Airline Credit “ American Airlines totaling $382.18.” • Frontier Airlines Total Bill $398.96 That was what was in the body of the email along with the reason from Frontier that they needed and all attached invoices they require. I received my hotel money back and my car rental money back - just need my airline ticket money back and also this trip did have travel insurance that was paid in the amount of $102.35. Please help! I am so mad - I have reached out to Channel 6 news, an agency to advocate on my behalf to go public, the US Dept of Transportation and numerous phone calls and emails back and forth.

2 years ago

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Robert Riggins Agen, 47

Before the pandemic TripMates was super slow but would eventually pay many claims. Since the pandemic they are to be avoided. I've obtained and uploaded 30+ documents in filing my claim. The claim was received several weeks ago and I was told that I'd receive a claim number shortly (haven't received) and that a decision on my claim would be made within 10 days (nothing there either). The people you reach on the phone (after hours on hold) are pleasant and tell you positive things but they are not the claims people. The claims people will string you along for month after month wanting more and more documentation. Don't waste your time and energy with this company that will find a reason to deny every claim.

2 years ago

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DTBW Wagner Arvada, CO

To all the consumers who are having to deal with Trip Mate, I feel your frustration and absolute disgust with this alleged travel insurance company. It is a crime that Trip Mate will not refund for canceled trips due to COVID19. Listed under the General Exclusions as reasons why "benefits are not payable for any loss due to, arising or resulting from" is a list of 21 items not covered. PANDEMIC is not one of them. With the pandemic warnings and actions taken by the World Health Organization, Homeland Security, United Airlines, AAA (who canceled the tour), and a 14-day quarantine when arriving in Hawaii how am I expected to take this trip? In addition, I am over 60 years of age and am immunosuppressed. So, I am supposed to risk my life to go on a trip to Hawaii which officials are advising me not to take. I guess it is unreasonable to expect to receive the services that I paid or a refund when I do not receive those services based on the travel insurance policy I purchased from Trip Mate. TRIP MATE - Have you been hiding under a rock? Has your CEO been watching or reading the news? Have you looked outside your corporate offices and seen the results of quarantining from this disease? Do you realize that you are taking advantage of people during a pandemic for your bottom line in profits? Do you expect that people will use your company in the future and/or lie down and take this crap from Trip Mate? TRIP MATE - I am not interested in your canned messages. I have already asked to speak with a supervisor on two occasions. The last so-called customer service representative I spoke to on 4/17/2020 hung up on me after I requested to speak to a supervisor. I will find every forum to express my outrage for Trip Mate in order to warn the public about the corruption taking place at Trip Mate.

4 years ago

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Donald Miller Liberty, KY

American Airlines cancelled all flights out of Bolivia because of social unrest over the presidential election; one of those flights I planned to be on; Santa Cruz to Miami. Was supposed to spend the night in Miami before continuing on so I booked a room in Miami. Of course I lost the reservation as I was now routed through Buenos Aires and on to Miami on an all night flight. When I contacted Trip Mate they told me there was only one reason they would allow a claim and that is if there had been a terrorist event and the airlines cancelled for that reason. THE ONLY REASON? Surely they can be more creative than that. How about adding: 1. Airstrip covered with molten lava 2. Earthquake swallowed airport 3. Bubonic plague pandemic eliminated all passengers 4. Nuclear bomb obliterated whole area around the airport Just having one reason to allow a claim seems quite narrow. Last time I will use anyone connected with Travel Mate, in this case it was Cheapo Air.

4 years ago

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Dawn M

SCAM SCAM SCAM!!! Do not pay them your money! This company has got to be a joke and no matter who you speak with on the phone, they all sound like they really don't care about your situation. This company is getting paid off keeping money that's due to customers who need to cancel for legitimate reasons. If zero stars were allowed I would've chosen that!

1 year ago

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Julia Prokopenko Lutherville, MD

Avoid at any costs!!! Scam and fraud all I can say. Don’t waste your money. They will find any excuse not to give you a refund. My trip was insured, my baggage was insured. I arrived to the destination. My baggage was delayed as it wasn’t transferred from overseas by the airline. Did not have my bags for 2 days. Insurance refused to give refund explaining that my trip was over when I lended...well... Don’t waste your money. They won’t refund you anything!

4 years ago

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Josephine Banda La Porte, TX

The Attending Physician's Statement in Trip Mate's company claim forms violate HIPPA laws. The questions on this particular form are too personal and should not be a concern on why a customer must cancel a trip. The only information Trip Mate should require is dates, basic description of the medical reason and a doctor's signature. What business is it to anyone, what surgical procedures someone had or what medications he or she take?

5 years ago

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Elisabeth Grassl Rhinelander, WI

I have been trying for MONTHS to get my refund from Trip Mate. They are terrible. I would never use this company again. Hate it. They are awful about getting me answers and I keep getting the same cookie-cutter response when I email them. Very bad company.

1 year ago

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travelmom Sacramento, CA

This is basically a scam. They say they will cover things, and don't. They take as long as possible to do things. The customer support is horrible and rude. I feel like I have wasted so much time and money trying to get what they said they would cover. I will not seek coverage from them again.

2 years ago

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Suzanne Wisenbaker Rowlett, TX

Trip Mate is THE WORST. My husband went into the hospital and I had to delay my trip by a week. Trip Mate would not reimburse me for the $170 the airline charged me for the change. NO STARS!! Will never use again.

1 year ago

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Tom M Atlanta, GA

Please read this before you buy travel insurance from Tripmate. Tripmate is a total scam. No matter how legit your claim is or what documentation you have they won't pay you one penny!

3 years ago