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John Hancock travel insurance is a long-standing and well-regarded insurer. The company has been around for more than a century since it was founded in 1862.
We'll cover the travel insurance policies John Hancock offers, coverage options and limits, and the premiums you can expect to pay. We'll also compare John Hancock with other leading travel insurance providers to help you better understand the similarities and differences between them.
Regardless of your timeline, destination, or itinerary, it's essential to consider the effects that an unexpected event could bring during your planned trip. Insurance could be a wise investment if you're faced with travel-related expenses like medical costs, emergency evacuation, trip delays, and more.
Travel insurance plans from John Hancock
John Hancock travel insurance keeps it simple by offering just three primary plans: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each provides different coverage limits, and your premiums depend on your personal details and trip specifics.
Here's a look at the coverage limits you'll get with each plan:
Coverage | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
Trip cancellation | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost | 100% of trip cost |
Trip interruption | 125% of trip cost | 150% of trip cost | |
Emergency medical | $50K (primary coverage) | $100K (primary coverage) | $250K (primary coverage) |
Medical evacuation & repatriation | $250K | $500K | $1M |
Travel delay | $500 ($150 daily, 6+ hour delays) | $750 ($150 daily, 3+ hour delays) | $1,000 ($200 daily, 3+ hour delays) |
Baggage delay | $250 ($250 daily, 12+ hour delays) | $500 ($500 daily, 12+ hour delays) | $500 ($500 limit, 12 hour delays) |
Baggage & personal items loss | $750/ person $250/ item $750 specific items limit | $1,000/ person $250/ item $1,000 specific items limit | $2,500/ person $250/ item $2,500 specific items limit |
Missed connection | $200 (3+ hour delays) | $750 (3+ hour delays) | $1K (3+ hour delays) |
24-hour accidental death & dismemberment | $25K | $100K | $100K |
Additional coverage options from John Hancock
Like many other travel insurance providers, John Hancock travel insurance offers a few add-ons. These include:
- Rental-car collision coverage
- Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage
- Accidental death & dismemberment (for air travel only)
These add-ons can be purchased at the same time as your policy for an additional cost. And the coverage amounts may vary depending on the policy purchased.
How much does John Hancock travel insurance cost?
The most important thing to remember is that the cost of your policy will depend primarily on your age and the cost of your trip. So premiums can vary widely.
That said, the industry averages for travel insurance range from 4% to 8% of overall trip costs, which is a good benchmark to have in mind.
And luckily, getting a quote from John Hancock travel insurance is simple. Go to its website and enter the required information about the traveler and trip. You'll be required to provide information including:
- Your state of residence
- Age
- Destination
- Travel dates
- The cost of your trip
We pulled a few different quotes as examples to provide a sampling of how much a policy from John Hancock might cost.
We'll first look at the coverage options for a 30-year-old Kansas resident taking a two-week trip to Thailand and spending $3,000.
With premiums ranging from $111 to $160, this traveler will be paying around 4% to 5% of their trip cost for coverage. This is on the lower end of the industry averages due mostly to the traveler's age.
The next example is of the premiums for a 55-year-old Maryland resident traveling to the UK for two weeks. The trip cost is set at $6,000.
The premiums range from $305 to $451, depending on your coverage level, representing 5% to 7.5% of the total trip cost. Again, in line with industry averages.
Finally, we compared the costs for the three different John Hancock plans for a 40-year-old resident of Oregon spending $8,000 on a trip to South Africa.
In this example, the premiums range from $422 to $545. These may seem high, but they are still within 5% to 7% of the total cost of the trip.
As you can see, the coverage cost depends mainly on the traveler's age and the total cost of the trip. That said, all of these quotes align with industry averages by being somewhere between 4% and 8% of total trip costs.
How do I file a claim with John Hancock?
If you need to file a claim, you can start by visiting the company's claims website. The claims department can also be reached by phone at 855-422-6462 or by email at Affinityclaims@us.crawco.com.
Any documentation you might need to include with your claim can be emailed to the email address above, or mailed to:
Claim Benefit Services
P.O. Box 459084
Sunrise, Florida 33345
For general information and questions, John Hancock's customer service line is 866-511-9104.
John Hancock vs. Nationwide travel insurance
Both Nationwide travel insurance and John Hancock travel insurance are well-recognized names in the insurance industry. And each makes it easy to find coverage by offering just two or three single-trip policies.
With Nationwide, you can choose between the Essential and Prime plans.
Nationwide's Essential Plan comes with the following:
- Trip cancellation coverage of up to $10,000
- Up to $250,000 in emergency medical evacuation
- Up to $150 per day ($600 maximum) reimbursement for travel delays of 6+ hours
- Coverage for delayed or lost baggage
In comparison, John Hancock's Silver plan comes with 100% of the trip cost in trip cancellation coverage, $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation coverage, up to $150 per day ($750 maximum) reimbursement for travel delays of 3+ hours, and baggage insurance.
As you can see, the policy from John Hancock offers superior coverage. But let's also compare their top-tier plans.
Nationwide's Prime Plan, which provides even more coverage, including:
- Trip cancellation up to $30,000
- Trip interruption coverage up to 200% of the trip cost (maximum of $60,000)
- $250 per day for trip delays of 6+ hours
- Up to $1 million for emergency medical evacuation
John Hancock's top-tier Gold plan offers 100% of the trip cost in trip cancellation coverage, 150% of the trip cost in trip interruption coverage, $1 million in emergency medical evacuation coverage, up to $200 per day ($1,000 maximum) reimbursement for travel delays of 3+ hours.
When comparing these two policies, it's a little more difficult to declare one the clear winner as many of the coverage limits are similar.
The best thing to do when looking for coverage is to compare premiums to determine which policy and provider is right for you.
John Hancock vs. AIG Travel Guard
John Hancock travel insurance and AIG Travel Guard both offer three primary travel insurance plans. And with each plan, you'll find different coverage limits and various types of protection.
To compare these two providers, we'll look at the mid-tier options from each company.
With AIG's Travel Guard Preferred plan, you'll get the following:
- Trip cancellation coverage of up to $150,000
- Trip interruption coverage up to $225,000
- Emergency medical coverage of up to $50,000
- Coverage for baggage loss, theft, or damage up to $1,000
- Travel delay coverage of up to $800
Now we can compare that to John Hancock's Silver Plan, which offers reimbursement of 100% of the trip cost in trip cancellation coverage, trip interruption coverage of 150% of the trip cost, $100,000 in emergency medical coverage, baggage coverage for up to $1,000, and travel delay coverage of up to $750.
You can see that the policies are pretty similar in their coverage limits. But remember that several factors will determine the actual premiums for any of these travel insurance policies. So we recommend getting a personalized quote before deciding which provider and policy is best for you.
John Hancock vs. credit card travel insurance benefits
If you hold a travel rewards credit card, consider what coverages it might offer. Some insurance, like rental-car collision coverage, may be available through a card you have. That may be sufficient, depending on the trip you're taking.
For example, if you're renting a car to take a road trip and don't have a lot of pre-paid, non-refundable expenses associated with your trip, the coverage offered through your travel rewards credit card may suffice. But if you're also looking for medical coverage and don't already have a policy that covers you while traveling, purchasing travel insurance is the way to go.
In addition, credit card coverage is usually secondary. That means you'll have to file a claim with any other applicable insurance (like the airline travel provider) before filing one with your credit card company.
Methodology
To deliver a comprehensive review of John Hancock travel insurance's insurance offerings, we compared their travel plans to those of other reliable companies. We took multiple things into account when coming to our decision, such as coverage options, claim limits, what policy includes, available add-ons, and typical insurance policy costs. The policy that would work best for you is the one providing the right amount and type of coverage needed while also being affordable and easy to use if any issues occur.
FAQs
What are the disadvantages of travel insurance?
One of the commonly named disadvantages of travel insurance is the expense. And it can be expensive, especially for older travelers. That said, it can also protect you financially if something goes wrong during your trip.
Other potential disadvantages of travel insurance include the potential for claims to be rejected and the exclusion of coverage for pre-existing conditions. However, these can often be mitigated by paying for additional coverages and fully understanding your plan.
How much does average travel insurance cost?
According to Insider's analysis of travel insurance rates, the average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your trip costs. Of course, the premium will always depend primarily on the traveler's age, the cost of the trip, and the travel destination. For example, a basic policy for a $5,000 trip should cost around $200, and a policy with higher coverage limits should cost about $400.
Does travel insurance cost increase closer to departure date?
No, the cost of travel insurance does not rise as you approach your departure date, unlike the price of airfare or hotel room rates often do. There isn't any financial penalty if you wait to buy travel insurance – regardless of when you do it. That said, some add-on coverages are only available within a specific period after purchasing the primary policy.
Is John Hancock the same as Manulife?
Manulife, a Canadian insurance company, bought John Hancock in 2004. So yes, they are one and the same.
