Berkshire Hathaway vs Allianz: Which Travel Insurance Wins?

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When you are staring at a checkout screen for a 4,000 dollar family trip to Italy or a 500 dollar last minute flight to Denver, the travel insurance pop up can feel like an afterthought. Yet the difference between the right and wrong policy can easily be worth thousands if a storm, strike or illness derails your plans. Two of the biggest names in this space for U.S. travelers are Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection and Allianz Travel Insurance. Both are financially strong, widely available and well reviewed, but they shine in different scenarios. This guide breaks down how they compare in real world situations so you can decide which one is the better winner for your style of travel.

Company background and financial strength

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection is part of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, ultimately backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway group. That matters because travel insurance is a promise to pay later, often months after a claim is filed. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance holds an A++ (Superior) rating from AM Best, the highest financial strength rating on that scale, which signals strong ability to pay covered claims even in years with widespread disruptions.

Allianz Travel Insurance is the consumer travel brand of Allianz Partners, itself part of the global Allianz Group headquartered in Germany. Allianz is one of the world’s largest insurers, with operations in more than 70 countries and long experience in travel, assistance and health coverage. It also carries high financial strength ratings from major agencies and is a common partner for airlines, cruise lines and online travel agencies selling embedded insurance when you book.

In practical terms, both providers are rock solid from a financial stability standpoint. The more meaningful differences show up not in whether they can pay, but how their plans are structured, which trips each one fits best and how easy they are to live with when something goes wrong.

For example, a 2025 NerdWallet review rated Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection highly for its flight focused AirCare and broader ExactCare plans, while recent reviews of Allianz in outlets like Forbes Advisor and NerdWallet highlight its breadth of plans and strong medical coverage options, especially for frequent travelers. These independent evaluations tend to confirm that both brands are established, mainstream choices rather than niche upstarts.

Plan types and core strengths

Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio is relatively streamlined. Its best known offerings include AirCare, a flight focused product that pays fixed benefits for issues like long tarmac delays, missed connections and lost baggage, and the ExactCare family of comprehensive plans. ExactCare Value is positioned as the budget option, while ExactCare and LuxuryCare step up coverage limits and features, such as higher trip cancellation caps and better medical benefits. For travelers, that simplicity can be a plus: you are generally choosing among a small, clearly tiered set of options.

Allianz, by contrast, takes a “something for everyone” approach. U.S. travelers will commonly see the OneTrip series for single journeys: OneTrip Emergency Medical for people who mostly need medical coverage, OneTrip Basic and Prime for more robust trip cancellation and interruption benefits, and OneTrip Premier at the top end. In addition, Allianz stands out for its AllTrips annual or multi trip plans, such as AllTrips Basic, AllTrips Executive and AllTrips Premier, which cover unlimited trips within a year up to certain maximums. This variety means more fine tuning but also a bit more homework.

In practice, Berkshire Hathaway’s sweet spot is often single trips where you want straightforward protection and especially journeys where airline disruptions are your main concern. A traveler flying from Chicago to Cancun with one connection who worries about missed connections and delays might gravitate toward Berkshire’s AirCare plus an ExactCare plan for broader coverage. Allianz, meanwhile, tends to shine for frequent flyers, digital nomads or business travelers who take multiple international trips each year and can make good use of an annual AllTrips policy.

That said, both companies sell classic single trip policies that cover the basics: trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical and evacuation, baggage issues and travel delay. The choice is less about whether they can cover those events and more about how each brand packages and prices them for your specific pattern of travel.

Coverage highlights: where each insurer stands out

On the trip cancellation and interruption front, Berkshire Hathaway’s ExactCare plans typically allow you to insure trip costs up to around 100,000 dollars per person, provided you declare and insure the full value of your nonrefundable arrangements. Policies cover standard reasons like illness, injury, death of a family member, severe weather, certain strikes and covered supplier bankruptcy. Some plans offer a pre existing medical condition exclusion waiver if you purchase within roughly 15 days of the initial trip deposit and insure the full trip cost, which is important for travelers with ongoing health issues.

Allianz’s OneTrip Prime and Premier plans also allow you to insure substantial trip costs, with coverage amounts selected at purchase. Like Berkshire, they include the usual named reasons for cancellation and interruption, and many U.S. travelers can add an optional “Cancel Anytime” upgrade on certain OneTrip plans that can reimburse a significant percentage of trip costs, often around 80 percent, for reasons not otherwise covered. That kind of flexibility is something Berkshire Hathaway does not typically match, so if you are planning a 15,000 dollar African safari and want the widest cancellation leeway, Allianz with a Cancel Anytime upgrade may have the edge.

Medical and evacuation coverage is another crucial category. Some Berkshire Hathaway ExactCare plans offer medical expense limits that are reasonable for typical leisure travel, often in the tens of thousands of dollars for medical treatment and higher limits for evacuation. Allianz’s stronger OneTrip and AllTrips plans frequently provide higher medical coverage, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more, particularly on products tailored for international travel. For example, an annual multi trip plan marketed for overseas travelers may advertise 20 million dollars or similar in combined emergency medical and evacuation benefits, which is attractive if you are worried about worst case scenarios in destinations with costly care.

Finally, flight disruption benefits are an area where Berkshire Hathaway’s AirCare product is unusually consumer friendly. Instead of reimbursing only for documented expenses, AirCare pays fixed cash amounts when qualifying events occur, such as a significant tarmac delay, misdirected baggage or a missed connection. A traveler stuck for four hours on the tarmac at New York JFK might receive a preset cash payment, which can be used for anything, no receipts required. Allianz, while it does cover travel delays and missed connections under many plans, generally reimburses up to per day limits once you provide documentation of hotel, meal or transportation costs, which is the more traditional model.

Real world pricing examples

Headline prices fluctuate with sales, your age, destination, and trip cost, but recent online quotes illustrate how the two providers often compare. In a 2025 sample cited by a major personal finance publication, a 45 year old Illinois traveler insuring a 2,000 dollar, seven day vacation to Mexico found Berkshire Hathaway’s ExactCare Value plan priced around 52 dollars. For similar single trip itineraries with trip cancellation, interruption, medical and baggage benefits, Allianz’s OneTrip Basic or Prime plans often price somewhat higher, with reviews noting that costs rose markedly when robust cancellation and interruption benefits were added.

For frequent travelers, the equation shifts. Consumers posting about Allianz’s AllTrips annual policies have reported sample premiums in the low hundreds of dollars per year for coverage that applies to unlimited trips of up to a set duration, such as 45 or 60 days per trip, within the policy year. One traveler comparing single trip and annual quotes noted that an Allianz annual plan cost less than four separate single trip policies they would otherwise have bought for the same year, even though each journey was only a week long.

By contrast, Berkshire Hathaway focuses primarily on single trip products. If you take only one or two big vacations per year, a 50 to 150 dollar Berkshire policy per trip may be competitive with Allianz’s single trip offerings. But if you are a consultant flying from New York to London four times a year plus a couple of leisure trips, an Allianz AllTrips Executive or AllTrips Premier plan can spread that protection across every departure and potentially undercut the cumulative cost of multiple Berkshire policies.

As always, these examples are illustrative rather than predictive. Actual quotes will depend heavily on your age, state of residence, trip cost and specific plan, but they highlight a consistent pattern: Berkshire Hathaway tends to be price efficient for individual trips, while Allianz becomes more compelling as your annual trip count rises or your need for richer medical benefits and cancellation flexibility grows.

Claims experience and ease of use

When something goes wrong, the best policy is the one that lets you file a claim quickly and get a clear answer. Both Berkshire Hathaway and Allianz provide online claims portals and mobile apps. Berkshire emphasizes faster, more automated processing for certain claims, especially on its AirCare benefits where fixed payouts can be triggered once a delay or baggage issue is verified by flight data rather than stacks of receipts. That can make a noticeable difference if, for instance, your checked suitcase disappears on a Friday afternoon flight to Las Vegas and you need cash immediately to buy clothes for a Saturday conference.

Allianz also offers a widely used app where you can submit documents, track claim status and receive reimbursements electronically. Given its large customer base, you will find a mix of reviews, from travelers who received prompt payment within a few weeks to those frustrated by requests for additional paperwork or denials when their situation did not match a named covered reason. The same is true for Berkshire: public anecdotes include both satisfied customers praising quick payouts and others complaining about misunderstandings around exclusions.

One practical observation from real travelers is that Allianz’s sheer scale and its position as a partner to airlines, cruise lines and booking platforms can sometimes lead to confusion. For example, a traveler who buys Allianz coverage through an airline during checkout may later discover that specific issues related to trains or separate tickets are not covered because the embedded policy was narrowly written. The lesson is not that Allianz is worse, but that carrier branded policies may differ from robust standalone plans you buy directly, and this is true across the industry.

Berkshire Hathaway, operating more through independent travel insurance marketplaces and its own channels, often presents clearer comprehensive plan descriptions upfront. However, its pre existing condition waivers and trip cost requirements can still trip up buyers who do not read carefully. In both cases, claims satisfaction tends to be high when travelers select a plan that genuinely matches their trip and risk profile, and lower when expectations and contract language are misaligned.

Best fit by traveler type and itinerary

For occasional U.S. leisure travelers, particularly those focused on air disruptions and moderate trip budgets, Berkshire Hathaway often looks like the stronger fit. Consider a couple from Dallas booking a single 3,500 dollar Caribbean cruise with flights each spring. They may value Berkshire’s combination of ExactCare trip protection with AirCare’s simplified, fixed benefits for flight hiccups. Their main concerns are a sudden illness forcing cancellation, lost luggage between Dallas and Miami, or a missed connection that strands them overnight. Berkshire’s straightforward policies can cover those scenarios well without locking them into an annual commitment.

For frequent travelers or those planning an especially expensive or complex trip, Allianz frequently edges ahead. Picture a remote worker who spends three or four months each year bouncing between Europe and Asia on separate one way tickets, with side trips by train and low cost carriers. An Allianz AllTrips Premier policy can wrap most of that activity into a single premium, offering strong emergency medical coverage and a pool of annual cancellation and interruption benefits. Similarly, a family organizing a 15,000 dollar, three week safari plus city stays in southern Africa might prefer Allianz’s OneTrip Premier with a Cancel Anytime upgrade, trading a higher upfront premium for the ability to change plans for broader reasons.

Travelers with significant pre existing medical conditions should look hard at the details from both insurers. Berkshire Hathaway’s ExactCare plans and Allianz’s major products both generally offer pre existing condition exclusion waivers when you buy within a specified window, often around two weeks from the initial trip deposit, insure the full nonrefundable cost and are medically able to travel at purchase. In practice, this means if you book a 5,000 dollar Galapagos cruise on June 1 and put 1,000 dollars down, you would want to purchase your policy from either provider by mid June and eventually insure the entire cost, not just the deposit, to keep that waiver valid.

Finally, destination matters. If you are traveling primarily within the United States and your main concern is recovering prepaid trip expenses rather than covering potentially massive overseas medical bills, Berkshire Hathaway’s mid tier ExactCare plan may give you all the protection you reasonably need. If you are heading to countries with very expensive private medical care or limited public systems, such as remote parts of Australia, New Zealand or parts of Asia, the higher emergency medical and evacuation caps common on Allianz’s international plans can provide extra peace of mind.

Key limitations and fine print to watch

Neither Berkshire Hathaway nor Allianz is inherently “better” at paying claims than the other; more often, disputes stem from travelers overlooking exclusions and limitations. One frequent pitfall is assuming that any reason for canceling will be covered. Standard Berkshire Hathaway and Allianz policies both restrict trip cancellation and interruption to named reasons in the contract, such as serious illness, injury, death, weather events, and certain job loss scenarios. Choosing not to travel because of generalized fear, changing government advisories, or a work schedule change that is not specifically mentioned is typically not covered unless you purchase an optional Cancel Anytime or Cancel For Any Reason style upgrade where available.

Another area to scrutinize is maximum benefit limits on annual policies. For instance, an Allianz AllTrips Premier plan may cover unlimited trips for a year but cap annual trip cancellation benefits at a defined dollar amount per policy year. If you book several high end cruises or luxury tours in a single year, the sum of your nonrefundable costs could exceed that cap. Travelers on discussion forums have learned this the hard way when they expected an annual plan to protect all of a 10,000 dollar or larger cruise fare, only to realize that the cancellation maximum was lower.

With Berkshire Hathaway, it is important to insure the full value of your nonrefundable trip costs if you want to maintain eligibility for pre existing condition waivers and certain coverages. Their documents specify that if you only insure part of your nonrefundable expenses, those waiver benefits can be voided. That means if your total nonrefundable costs are 6,000 dollars and you list only 3,000 dollars when you buy the plan to save on premium, you may jeopardize coverage tied to those conditions, even though you technically saved on upfront cost.

Finally, be aware of carrier sold versions of Allianz policies attached to flights, cruises or train tickets. These often differ from standalone Allianz plans purchased directly or through an insurance marketplace. For example, an insurance add on offered during a train booking may quietly cover only certain legs or dates, leaving parts of a multi day rail journey unprotected. Regardless of which brand you choose, always read the plan’s full description of coverage and verify that every segment of your trip, from outbound flights to post cruise hotel nights, is clearly within the covered travel dates and definitions.

Who is the overall winner?

When you line up Berkshire Hathaway and Allianz on coverage breadth, financial strength and customer experience, both emerge as strong, mainstream choices. The better “winner” depends less on star ratings and more on what, exactly, you are buying travel insurance to do. For a U.S. based traveler taking one or two trips a year, especially if those trips are under 10,000 dollars per person and involve standard flights and hotels, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection often wins on simplicity and value. Its ExactCare Value and ExactCare plans deliver solid cancellation, interruption, medical and baggage coverage at competitive prices, and pairing them with AirCare can produce fast, hassle light payouts for common flight disruptions.

For road warriors, long haul adventurers and families organizing marquee, once in a decade trips, Allianz often pulls ahead. Its range of OneTrip plans, optional Cancel Anytime coverage on selected products and robust AllTrips annual policies give it more tools to tailor protection to unusual itineraries and frequent flyer realities. If you fly internationally several times a year, juggle one way tickets across multiple carriers, or want very high emergency medical and evacuation limits, Allianz becomes hard to beat.

In other words, Berkshire Hathaway is often the best in class sprinter for individual trips, while Allianz is the seasoned marathoner built for multiple journeys and complex, expensive adventures. The real winner is the company whose policy language cleanly matches your risks and expectations, which is why reading sample policies and comparing side by side quotes before purchase is time well spent.

If you are in doubt, consider your next 12 months of travel. Map out your likely trips, rough budgets and key worries. If it all fits into one or two modest vacations with standard flights, Berkshire Hathaway is likely your most efficient choice. If your calendar is packed with conferences, back to back vacations and international hops, an Allianz annual or high end single trip plan will usually justify its higher complexity with broader, long running protection.

The Takeaway

Travel insurance is not about betting against disaster; it is about smoothing out the financial shock of events you cannot fully control. Between Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection and Allianz Travel Insurance, you are choosing between two well capitalized, widely used providers with distinct strengths. Berkshire Hathaway tends to offer leaner, clearer options that work especially well for single trips, with flight disruption benefits that put cash in your pocket quickly when planes, bags or connections misbehave.

Allianz, with its deep bench of single trip and annual products, excels when your travel life is more complicated or more frequent. Its strong international medical benefits and ability to bundle many trips into one AllTrips policy make it a natural fit for serial travelers, remote workers and families planning very expensive vacations where cancellation flexibility is crucial.

In the end, the “winner” is the insurer whose actual contract language fits the exact trip you are taking, at a price you are comfortable paying. Before you click purchase, compare Berkshire Hathaway and Allianz quotes for your itinerary, read the list of covered reasons for cancellation, verify medical and evacuation limits and confirm how pre existing condition waivers work. A half hour of homework today can turn a stressful disruption into a manageable inconvenience tomorrow.

Whichever brand you choose, treat travel insurance as seriously as choosing your flights or hotel. When the unexpected happens far from home, having the right name on that policy can make the difference between scrambling alone and having a billion dollar company standing quietly in your corner.

FAQ

Q1. Is Berkshire Hathaway or Allianz better for a single international vacation?
For a one off international trip with a moderate budget, Berkshire Hathaway is often slightly better on price and simplicity, while Allianz may offer higher medical limits and more optional add ons. Comparing quotes for your exact dates and trip cost is the best way to decide.

Q2. Which company is better if I travel several times a year?
If you take three or more trips a year, Allianz usually comes out ahead because of its AllTrips annual plans, which can cover unlimited journeys within a year up to specific benefit caps. Berkshire Hathaway focuses primarily on single trip policies.

Q3. Do both Berkshire Hathaway and Allianz cover pre existing medical conditions?
Both providers typically offer a pre existing condition exclusion waiver on certain plans if you buy within a set time after your first trip payment, insure 100 percent of your nonrefundable costs and are medically able to travel when you purchase. You must meet all requirements spelled out in the policy documents.

Q4. Which is better for flight delays and missed connections?
Berkshire Hathaway’s AirCare product is particularly strong for flight issues because it pays fixed cash amounts when covered events like long delays or lost baggage occur, often without requiring receipts. Allianz covers delays and missed connections too but usually reimburses documented expenses up to set limits.

Q5. Can I get Cancel For Any Reason coverage from Berkshire Hathaway or Allianz?
Allianz offers a Cancel Anytime style upgrade on certain OneTrip plans in the U.S., which can reimburse a large portion of prepaid costs for many non standard reasons. Berkshire Hathaway’s standard plans focus on named covered reasons, so if broad cancellation flexibility is a priority, Allianz often has the advantage.

Q6. Are airline or cruise checkout insurance offers the same as buying direct?
Not necessarily. Allianz policies sold through airlines, cruise lines or train operators can have different benefits and limits compared with standalone plans you buy directly or through an insurance marketplace. Always read the specific plan details attached to your booking rather than assuming they match Allianz’s full retail offerings.

Q7. Which company is better for very expensive trips like safaris or luxury cruises?
For high cost itineraries, Allianz’s top OneTrip plans with optional Cancel Anytime coverage can provide more flexible cancellation terms and very high medical and evacuation limits, making them attractive for 10,000 dollar plus vacations. Berkshire Hathaway can still work well if you mainly want standard covered reasons and are comfortable with its specified limits.

Q8. How do I decide how much trip cost to insure?
With both Berkshire Hathaway and Allianz, you generally should insure the full value of your nonrefundable, prepaid trip expenses. Underinsuring to save premium can jeopardize eligibility for certain benefits, especially pre existing condition waivers, and can leave part of your investment unprotected.

Q9. How quickly do Berkshire Hathaway and Allianz pay claims?
Processing times vary, but simple claims with complete documentation can often be resolved in a few weeks. Berkshire Hathaway’s fixed benefit AirCare payouts may be particularly fast, while more complex medical or cancellation claims with either insurer can take longer as adjusters review records and receipts.

Q10. Is it safe to rely only on the travel insurance that comes with my credit card?
Premium travel cards often include some trip cancellation, interruption or delay benefits, but limits and covered reasons can be narrower than standalone Berkshire Hathaway or Allianz policies. Many frequent travelers use card benefits as a first layer and add a dedicated policy when trip costs or medical risks are substantial.