Who's defined as a Family Member or Traveling Companion is important because all our plans let you cancel or interrupt your trip should something unexpectedly bad happen to them. |
Who is Defined As Your Family Member or Traveling Companion?
A Family Member usually means your spouse, child, spouse's child, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother, sister, mother, father, grandparents, grandchild, step-brother, step-sister, step-parents, parents-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, guardian, ward.
Important: if you have a family member who resides outside the United States, Canada or Mexico:
The Global Alert, Travelex Select, Travelex Max nor the TravelSafe plans will not cover you for a trip cancellation nor trip interruption due to a a family member who resides outside the United States, Canada or Mexico
Be sure to check each insurance provider's exact definition of a Family Member. A good rule of thumb is: "Family members are related by blood or marriage".
Note that Travelex is the only company that includes great-grandparent and great-grandchild in their Family Member definition.
On the other hand, Traveling Companions are "related" by their accomodations. In other words, they are people traveling together.
A common Traveling Companion definition is "a person or persons with whom you have coordinated travel arrangements, shares the same accommodations as You and intend to travel with during the Trip."
Here's some help figuring out who qualifies as a Traveling Companion. (note: Traveling Companions are people you are not related to - those people are usually Family Members). Some (not all) Travel Insurance plans cover you if you're forced to cancel or interrupt your trip because of unforeseen events like you, a family member or a Traveling Companions gets hurt or sick.
Are you sharing the same accommodations? This means the same cabin on a cruise or room in a hotel. A very few plans cover your if your companion is in another cabin / room, but most plans do not cover you;
Are you going to the same destination? You have to have the same itinerary;
Is the person the group leader? If so, they won't be a Traveling Companion.
Where do Business Partners fit in? Some companies (Global Alert, Travelex, Travel Guard, Travel Insured, TravelSafe Vacation Classic) consider a business partner to be equal a Family Member. However, their definitions are very specific: an individual who is involved in a legal partnership and shares in the management of the business. Note the wording "a legal partnership" - this means a General Partnership. Not an LLC, not an LLP, not a C-Corporation, not a S-Corporation, not a Sole Proprietorship.
Important: Just so it's as clear as I can make it, the only way you could possibly be covered for a trip cancellation or trip interruption involving a "Business Partner" is if you are all part of a Legal General Partnership. Trust me (Steve Dasseos) when I say there aren't very many Legal General Partnerships out there, so the likelihood of using this benefit is reduced.
Here's What The Plans Say:
Domestic Partner means a person who is at least eighteen years of age and can show evidence of financial interdependence, such as joint bank accounts or credit cards, jointly owned property, and mutual life insurance or pension beneficiary designations; plus one of the following: 1) evidence of continuous cohabitation throughout the 180 day period prior to the Insured's Effective Date of the Plan; or 2) an affidavit of domestic partnership if recognized by the jurisdiction within which they reside.
Family Member means any of the following: an Insured's or an Insured's Traveling Companion's legal spouse (or common-law spouse where legal), legal guardian, son or daughter (adopted, foster, step or in-law), brother or sister (includes step or in-law), parent (includes step or in-law), grandparent (includes in-law), grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew, Domestic Partner, an employed caregiver who lives with the Insured, or a person for whom the Insured is the primary caregiver with whom the Insured have lived for 12 continuous months prior to the effective date of the Insured's plan, whether or not they travel with the Insured.
Traveling Companion means a person or persons with whom the Insured has coordinated Travel Arrangements and intends to travel with during the Covered Trip. A group or tour leader is not considered a Traveling Companion unless the Insured is sharing room accommodations with the group or tour leader.
"Business Partner" means an individual who (a) is involved in a legal general partnership with You and/or (b) is actively involved in the day to day management of Your business.
"Domestic Partner" means a person who is at least eighteen years of age and can show: 1) evidence of financial interdependence, such as joint bank accounts or credit cards, jointly owned property, and mutual life insurance or pension beneficiary designations; 2) evidence of continuous cohabitation throughout the 180 day period prior to Your Effective Date of thePlan; and 3) an affidavit of domestic partnership if recognized by the jurisdiction within which they reside.
"Family Member" means any of the following who resides in the United States, Canada, or Mexico: Your or Your Traveling Companion’s: legal spouse (or common-law spouse where legal), legal guardian, son or daughter (adopted, foster, step or in-law), brother or sister (includes step or in-law), parent (includes step or in-law), grandparent (includes in-law), grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew, Domestic Partner, an employed caregiver who lives with You, or a person for whom You are the primary caregiver with whom You have lived for 12 continuous months prior to the effective date of Your Plan, whether or not they travel with You.
"Traveling Companion" means a person or persons with whom You have coordinated Travel Arrangements and intend to travel with during the Trip.
Note this important policy wording under Travelex's Trip Cancellation / Trip Interruption coverage for Any serious Injury or any unforeseen serious Sickness:
"3) occurring to Your Family Member requiring Your immediate care".
The important phrase is "requiring Your immediate care". This means that if you're taking a trip and your grandmother gets sick or injured, you'll only have a valid claim if you are the person responsible to take care of her.
"Business Partner" means an individual who: a) is involved in a legal general partnership with You; and b) is actively involved in the day-to-day management of Your business.
"Family Member" means Your or Your Traveling Companion’s legal or common law spouse, ex-spouse, Domestic Partner, parent, legal guardian, step-parent, grandparent, parents-in-law, grandchild, natural or adopted child, step-child, children-in-law, brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew, or Business Partner who reside in the United States, Canada or Mexico.
"Key Person" means a) an employed caregiver of a legal dependent of You or b) a person to whom You are not married and with whom You have cohabited for 12 continuous months.
"Traveling Companion" means a person or persons with whom You have coordinated Travel Arrangements and intend to travel with during the Covered Trip (to a maximum of four persons including You). Note: a group or tour leader is not considered a Traveling Companion, unless You are sharing room accommodations with the group or tour leader.
Note: To qualify for the "Children under 16 are covered at no additional cost (except for optional plan add-ons) when accompanied by a covered adult", the children must be a Family Member to the primary insured.
Here's what Travel Guard Gold and Platinum says:
"Business Partner" means an individual who: (1) is involved with the Insured or the Insured's Traveling Companion in a legal partnership; and (2) is actively involved in the daily management of the business.
"Domestic Partner" means an opposite or a same-sex partner who is at least 18 years of age and has met all of the following requirements for at least 6 months: (1) resides with the Insured; (2) shares financial assets and obligations with the Insured; the Insurer may require proof of the Domestic Partner relationship in the form of a signed and completed Affidavit of Domestic Partnership.
"Immediate Family Member" means the Insured's or Traveling Companion's spouse, Domestic Partner, Child, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother, sister, mother, father, grandparents, grandchild, step-child, step-brother, step-sister, step-parents, parents-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, legal guardian, Caregiver, foster child, ward, or legal ward, or spouse or Domestic Partner of any of the above.
"Key Employee" means an employee of an employer who is responsible for policy and decision making.
"Traveling Companion" means a person or persons with whom the Insured has coordinated travel arrangements and intends to travel with during the Trip. A group or tour leader is not considered a Traveling Companion, unless the Insured is sharing room accommodations with the group or tour leader.
"Business Partner" means an individual who: (a) is involved in a legal partnership; and (b) is actively involved in the day-to-day management of the business.
"Domestic Partner" means a person, at least 18 years of age, with whom You have been living in a spousal relationship with evidence of cohabitation for at least 10 continuous months prior to the Effective Date of coverage.
"Family Member" means You or Your Traveling Companion's legal or common law spouse, Domestic Partner, parent, legal guardian, step-parent, grandparent, parents-in-law, grandchild, natural or adopted child, foster child, ward, step-child, children-in-law, brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.
"Traveling Companion" means a person who is sharing travel arrangements with you. Note: a group or tour leader is not considered a Traveling Companion unless You are sharing room accommodations with the group or tour leader.
"Business Partner" means an individual who (a) is involved in a legal general partnership with You and/or (b) is actively involved in the day to day management of Your business.
"Domestic Partner" means a person who is at least eighteen years of age and can show: 1) evidence of financial interdependence, such as joint bank accounts or credit cards, jointly owned property, and mutual life insurance or pension beneficiary designations; 2) evidence of continuous cohabitation throughout the 180 day period prior to Your Effective Date of the Plan; and 3) an affidavit of domestic partnership if recognized by the jurisdiction within which they reside.
"Family Member" means any of the following who resides in the United States, Canada, or Mexico: Your or Your Traveling Companion’s: legal spouse (or common-law spouse where legal), legal guardian, son or daughter (adopted, foster, step or in-law), brother or sister (includes step or in-law), parent (includes step or in-law), grandparent (includes in-law), grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew, Domestic Partner, an employed caregiver who lives with You, or a person for whom You are the primary caregiver with whom You have lived for 12 continuous months prior to the effective date of Your Plan, whether or not they travel with You.
"Traveling Companion" means a person or persons with whom You have coordinated Travel Arrangements and intend to travel with during the Trip.
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