Travel insurance can be complicated. So what should you do when you have a question about your plan or a claim? Our customer service experts — based right here in Richmond, Virginia — are available to help you 24/7. However, during busy times you may have a better experience getting the information you need on our website,  allianztravelinsurance.com, or on our free Allyz® TravelSmart app.

Should you call or click? Here are five common scenarios.

1. You need to check and see if a specific situation is covered.

The night before you’re supposed to leave for a week-long beach retreat, a pipe in an upstairs bathroom bursts and floods your house. The ceiling collapses. The carpet’s soaked. As you assess the damage, you wonder, “Is my travel insurance going to cover my lost vacation?”

Click. The easiest way to get the answer is to look in your plan documents. You should have them in your email, or you can get them easily online. Just so you know, there are two ways to access your policy on allianztravelinsurance.com:

• Log into your account. When you create an account, you can access all your travel insurance plans, old and new, in one place.
• Click “Manage Your Policy.” You’ll need to provide a few details: your email address or policy number, as well as your policy’s purchase date or start date. (This info will be in the confirmation email you received when you bought your policy.)

You’ll see options to open a PDF of your policy documents or have them emailed to you. In this particular scenario, you’d scroll down to the Trip Cancellation Coverage section and see that if your primary residence is uninhabitable, that can be a covered reason for trip cancellation. That’s a big relief!

But wait — what does “uninhabitable” mean? Scroll up to the Definitions section, and you get the answer: “A natural disaster, fire, flood, burglary, or vandalism has  caused enough damage (including extended loss of power, gas, or water) to make a reasonable person find their home or destination inaccessible or unfit for use.” You’ve got your answer: You can cancel your vacation and file a claim.

If you can’t find the information you need in your plan documents, then please call us! Our experts can answer just about anything.

2. You need to file a claim.

So you canceled your beach vacation due to your flooded house, and now you need to file a trip cancellation claim for reimbursement. Can you do that online? What if you have questions?

Click. You have the option to file a claim online, by fax at (804) 673-1469, or by mail. However, filing online (through the site or the Allyz TravelSmart app) is the most efficient way. That’s because submitting your claim electronically will automatically link all submitted documents to your account, making it easy for our Claims team to review. Plus, we have lots of information online on how to submit a claim quickly and successfully:

• Required Documentation Checklist
• How to File a Travel Insurance Claim Online
• Four Insider Tips for Filing a Travel Insurance Claim
• 7 Receipts You May Need to File a Travel Insurance Claim

3. You want to check on the status of a claim.

You filed your claim for the canceled beach house vacation a week ago, and now you’re getting antsy. Has it been approved? When are you going to get your money?

Click. You’re probably tempted to call to check on your claim, but it’s much easier to do it online. Just click Check a Claim on our homepage or on the Allyz TravelSmart app, then enter your last name and policy or claim number. You can see right away where your claim stands: received, in review, needing more documentation, approved or denied. We’ll also email you when we receive your claim and when your claim status changes.

Please allow 10 business days for us to review your claim and your documentation. To speed up the process, select direct deposit or debit-card disbursement and you may receive your payment within a week. If you don’t receive any updates, or you want to contest a claim denial, contact our Customer Support team.

4. You need to make a change to your travel insurance plan.

You just purchased a travel insurance plan for an upcoming trip to Charleston, but you realize you forgot to include the cost of your hotel. Can you change your plan to include the missing trip costs?

Click or call. As long as you haven’t already left on your trip or filed a claim, you may be able to change certain details (such as adding trip costs, adding an additional traveler, or changing your trip dates). For the fastest service, use the online plan management tool. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Contact Customer Support.

5. You have an emergency while you’re traveling.

While on vacation in Hawaii, you see a column of smoke in the sky. Kilauea is erupting, and it’s a big one this time. Your hotel is evacuated, and you need to get home, fast — but the airline says no tickets are available. What should you do?

Call or use the app. If you’re experiencing a travel emergency, we want to know right away so we can help. Call our 24-Hour Assistance Hotline or use the free Allyz TravelSmart app to reach Customer Service. Our expert Assistance team will do their best to make sure you get safely home.

Have more questions about how to manage your policy and get help when you need it? Take a look at our FAQ.

Related Articles

• How We Can Help
• Understanding the Claims Process
• How to File a Claim [VIDEO]