Travel Insurance Companies

Summer has arrived and, thanks to the good weather, phone lines and email inboxes become hot and clogged with requests. This can cause some confusion and delays in response times. However, are we sure that these shortcomings are due to service saturation? I tested all the travel insurance companies by contacting their call centers, and here are my impressions:

· Some time ago, I called Allianz Global Assistance for information and, after hanging up, I decided to send an email for safety, as I am a precise type of person. The result? Two completely different answers! Now you will understand why I always recommend sending a written request after a phone call to travel insurance companies: spoken words fly away, but written words remain!

· I have never had any problems with Viaggi Sicuri. With them, I can even communicate by email due to their rapid response time. They are fast and efficient. The same goes for Europ Assistance and Filo Diretto. The call center of these travel insurance companies is well-prepared and attentive to the information that the customer requests.

· The sore point is Insurance-bookers and Travel guards. The staff of these two travel insurance companies speaks somewhat makeshift Italian, and unfortunately, I never understood the essence of the conversation! The call center of Travel Guard is a little better than Insurance Bookers. I wonder how a customer can trust someone who cannot speak Italian!

· To contact Columbus Direct’s call center, you need to leave a message in their voicemail. This solution seemed incredible to me, but it is still better than the telephone service provided by Insurance Bookers. Columbus Assicurazioni calls you back shortly, with a person who speaks Italian.

· Finally, World Nomads does not have a call center in Italy or even in Europe. Being a company based in Australia, if you need information on their travel insurance, you should contact their office in Sydney. Given the significant time difference, the only solution is to send an email in English. I have sent several requests, and I am still waiting for a response to one of them after months.

If you have also had an experience with the call center of one of the mentioned travel insurance companies, I would be very curious to know your opinion on the efficiency and availability of their staff. I firmly believe that the competence of those who are on the other end of the phone is a decisive factor in choosing one product over another. What do you think?

This is an article discussing the author’s experiences with different travel insurance companies and their call centers. The author shares their impressions of each company, including their communication methods, response times, and staff competence. They recommend sending a written request after a phone call to ensure accuracy and encourage readers to share their own experiences.

“However, considering that going into detail would be a long and almost useless task, since every insurance company has its portal, for a more accurate analysis, I invite you to visit the official websites of each insured group.

EUROP ASSISTANCE
WWW.EUROPASSISTANCE.IT

Europ Assistance was established as a group in 1968, but only became an insurance company in 1993 and now operates in various sectors (excluding RC Auto and Life). It is an insurance company of the Generali Group.

It has offices in 34 countries and offers services to both individuals and companies, distinguishing itself by offering services that keep up with the times without neglecting traditional insurance guarantees.

Travel policies are designed mainly for “do-it-yourself” travelers, but also for groups, students, families, and workers, offering considerable flexibility in terms of services offered to the consumer.

ALLIANZ GLOBAL ASSISTANCE
WWW.ALLIANZ-ASSISTANCE.IT

An insurance company born in 2000 from the merger of the Swiss travel insurance company Elvia Assicurazioni and the French SACNAS. In Italy, the group was established on January 1, 2002.

Today it is a world leader in the insurance field, with over 250 million customers.

VIAGGI SICURI
WWW.VIAGGISICURI.COM

The insurance company Viaggi Sicuri is the “child” of the German company Europäische Reiseversicherung AG (Europäische), founded in 1907 in Germany and is now a leader in travel insurance.

This company offers high-level service to customers worldwide, with the exclusive benefit of offering economic insurance premiums without sacrificing guarantees and safety. In 2006, it won the Deutsche Tourismuswirtschaft innovation award. It is an ISVAP-authorized company.

FILODIRETTO AMIEASY
WWW.FILODIRETTO.IT

The Italian company Filodiretto was established in 1987 and offers services in 4 different sectors: tourism and travel, auto, health, and home.

It caters to both B2B and B2C customers and has nearly 600 partners nationwide.

To meet the needs of customers who travel frequently, “Amieasy” was created, a particular travel policy that is very flexible and well-suited to the needs of all customers.

Amieasy is available in the Vacation, Business, Study, and Resident versions for those who want to stay abroad for a long period.

GENERTEL
WWW.GENERTEL.IT

The online insurance company Genertel is part of the Generali Group. The reference operational center for many of their services is Europ Assistance, with whom they have an agreement.

General Viaggi covers trips lasting from one day to three months. There are four types of coverage: Medical Expenses, Travel Assistance, Legal Expenses, and Liability.

If you already have one or more policies with Genertel, you can take advantage of a 5% discount on the product you are going to purchase.

Note: the data reported was extracted from brochures or online information published by the owners of the respective websites.