Which clients should I offer travel insurance to?  

We recommend that you offer travel insurance to every client, on every single reservation. Every client should have the choice to purchase insurance – this also protects you as the agent. 

Questions to Ask Your Clients: When counseling your clients about investing in travel insurance, consider asking them some or all of the following questions. A “no” answer should indicate that your client would be wise to invest in travel insurance.


  1. Can you afford to miss your trip and lose your vacation investment if something goes wrong due to illness, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances?
  2. Can you afford to cover the cost of returning home if you are forced to end your trip abruptly?
  3. Does your medical insurance cover you whenever and wherever you travel?
  4. Would you know what to do in an emergency situation overseas?
  5. Even if your medical insurance provides coverage while you are on your trip, can you afford to pay high deductibles or copayments imposed when you are outside the standard service area?
  6. If your bags are lost or if you must spend an extra night because of weather-related problems, can you afford to buy replacement necessities and pay for extra lodging?
When you ask your clients pointed questions about their liability to risk, you help them understand the need for protection. By doing this, you also are providing added value and building stronger advisor-client relationships. (Guida Botelho, The Travel Institute)

Why is travel insurance important?  

Travel Insurance is important for your clients to have because you never know what may happen during or even before their vacation, and you want to make sure they’re covered!  

Does Xstream have travel insurance partners?  


Yes! We recommend you use Travel Insured or Allianz for your client’s insurance needs. For information about these suppliers, please review your Vendor List on your Xstream Agent Hub.   

What does travel insurance cover?  

Each policy is different, offers different levels of coverage, applies to different situations, and has different restrictions. In some cases, destinations or countries may require a certain level of insurance coverage for your client to travel to that destination. Check the country's entry requirements to determine if any specific policy is required. 

For example, in 2020 Costa Rica updated their entry requirements due to COVID-19 and required travelers to purchase a supplemental health insurance policy that covers COVID to enter the country. Policy suggestions are even offered on their entry requirements website to inform travel advisors and travelers. If your clients destination requires a certain policy or level of protection to travel, ask the vendor what company or policy they suggest. Many suppliers already have insurance partners they can refer you to.

Please also keep in mind that these requirements can and may change without notice. It's important to check back frequently before and during your client's trip to ensure you will be able to assist them in case of a change in travel requirements. 
You don’t need to be an insurance expert! The vendor or insurance provider will provide the policy coverage details, and you just need to give that information to your clients. If you or your clients have questions, reach out to the supplier for clarification.

What if my client doesn't want travel insurance or trip protection?

One of the main reasons for chargebacks are due to clients claiming the agent did not provide the cancellation policy to the client or provide the client the opportunity to purchase travel insurance. If your client rejects travel insurance or trip protection, it is very important that you get this in writing signed by your client that they have been offered the opportunity to purchase travel insurance but have declined.

We've provided you a Credit Card Authorization Form on your Xstream Agent Hub that has the required wording for your client to indicate that they have been offered travel insurance/trip protection and either accept or decline to purchase the policy. The CCauth form is located from the Forms & Documents tab on your Xstream Agent Hub under the Resource Center. 

What are current travel requirements?

This are ever changing! Some countries may require vaccination, visas, or supplemental insurance to enter. A great site to view current travel requirements is here.