Tin Leg Travel Insurance Review: Is it Worth the Cost?

Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, by car, plane, train or anything in between, Tin Leg travel insurance can protect your trip. The company offers coverage for trip cancellations, medical emergencies, lost luggage and more.

If you’re considering insurance options, here’s our Tin Leg travel insurance review of what types of plans and coverage are available, what’s not included and which plan to choose for your next trip.

Tin Leg offers nine different travel insurance coverage policies. Prices vary for each depending on your itinerary and trip costs, but as an example, we searched for plans using a sample itinerary for a $2,000, 1-week trip to Australia for a single, 35-year-old traveler from Arkansas.

1. The Basic plan ($61) is exactly what it sounds like: a policy for low-risk trips. It includes coverage for trip cancellation, delay and interruption, plus missed connections, emergency medical and evacuation, and lost and delayed luggage coverage.

2. The Economy plan ($80) is similar to the Basic plan, but it offers less emergency medical and evacuation coverage and no coverage for missed connections. It includes coverage for certain concierge services.

3. The Standard Plan ($96) offers a slight upgrade to Basic and Economy plans by offering coverage for domestic and international terrorism, plus it will cover trip costs if you have to cancel plans due to a layoff. Compared with the Basic plan, there’s less emergency medical coverage but the same amount of evacuation coverage.

4. The Luxury Plan ($105), unlike the other cheaper policies, offers primary, not secondary, medical coverage, plus you can be covered if unforeseen work situations require you to cancel a trip.

5. The Adventure Plan ($129) also features primary medical coverage and work-related cancellations, plus more lost luggage insurance than the Luxury plan, coverage for accidental death and dismemberment during the trip (excluding flights) and extra coverage for delayed sports equipment. It’s also the only plan that offers medical coverage for adventure activities like mountain biking.

6. The Silver Plan ($98) looks a lot like the Standard plan but with over eight times more emergency medical coverage (more than the Luxury and Adventure plans, too) and five times more medical evacuation coverage. It also has larger payouts for travel delays and lost luggage.

7. The Gold Plan ($113) offers more emergency medical coverage than the Silver plan, but less medical evacuation, travel delay, and baggage delay and loss coverage. It also offers accidental death and dismemberment benefits (excluding flights).

8. The Platinum Plan ($79) is similar to Gold, but with less emergency medical coverage than both Silver and Gold. It offers an allowance for work-related trip cancellations and flight-related accidental death and dismemberment.

9. The USA Only Plan, as the name implies, is for travel within the U.S. It offers fewer specialty coverage than other plans. For example, there’s no coverage for terrorism, fewer reasons you can cancel a trip and less emergency medical coverage.

When comparing Tin Leg travel insurance plans, there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason as to which plans offer the most benefits or the largest payouts. For example, just because a plan is more expensive or has a seemingly better name doesn’t mean it automatically offers you more protections across the board.

Instead, the only way to figure out the plan that’s right for you is to compare them all, look at the plan details, and decide which features and coverages suit you and your travel style best.

In general, you might consider more comprehensive plans for longer, more complex trips with higher likelihood of interruptions or cancellations. And you'll want to consider plans with better medical coverage — especially emergency health services — if you're planning anything adventurous.

Finally, if you have a premium credit card such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you may not need a plan that offers similar coverage as the card already in your wallet.

» Learn more: Airline travel insurance versus independent travel insurance

To choose a Tin Leg plan, go to tinleg.com, select “Get quotes,” enter your trip information, select “Search now” and compare the various plans available. Just make sure to read the policy details before you buy.

You can filter plans by coverage options, too, including weather coverage, travel delay insurance limits and primary medical coverage.

As for what isn’t covered, that depends largely on the plan. But you can assume that, unless you opt for the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade, you won’t be able to just change your plans because you feel like it. Likewise, for most policies, injuries that result from participation in extreme sports, like rock climbing, aren’t covered, nor are incidents that occur when you’re under the influence of alcohol or narcotics.

Routine or elective medical services, like eye exams or cosmetic surgeries, aren’t typically covered either. Treatment for pre-existing conditions is only covered in a few plans, so check the details of your policy if that’s something you require.

» Learn more: The best credit cards with built-in travel insurance

Tin Leg travel insurance offers many plans suited for most types of travelers. But since most of the plans cover a collection of different things with varying coverage limits and payouts, you’ll likely have to compare all of the details to choose one that fits your needs.