Travel Life Insurance: Accidental Death & Dismemberment Coverage
When many travelers buy travel insurance, they are looking for a specific benefit. The most commonly sought after benefits are Trip Cancellation and Emergency Medical, however there are additional benefits included within many policies that travelers are interested in. Travel life insurance is one of those additional benefits that travelers look for when comparing policies.
Travel insurance policies refer to this coverage as Accidental Death & Dismember (AD&D). There are three different types of AD&D coverage: 24 Hour AD&D, Common Carrier AD&D, and Flight Only AD&D.
24 Hour Accidental Death & Dismemberment
24 Hour AD&D is the lowest level of travel life insurance. This benefit provides a predetermined, lump sum payout in the event of a loss of life or limb anytime during a traveler’s trip. This includes the flight, the ride to their hotel, or any activities during their trip. Most travel insurance policies include this coverage.
Common Carrier Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Common Carrier AD&D is the middle level of travel life insurance, providing higher payment amounts than 24 Hour AD&D, however less than Flight Only AD&D. This benefit provides a cash payment in the event of a loss of life or limb while traveling on a common carrier during a covered trip. A Common Carrier is typically defined as any public and ticketed transportation, such as a flight, bus, or train.
Flight Only Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Flight Only AD&D provides the highest lump sum payment of the three travel life insurance benefits. This benefit provides a cash payment in the event of a loss of life or limb while flying during a covered trip. This coverage applies to travelers who are passengers of a licensed air conveyance, however excludes travelers who are piloting their own plane or acting as crew.
Flight Only AD&D is included by some policies, however this is often available as an optional upgrade that can be added to a policy.