The Travel Fee Settlement — the nearly $24 million class action resolving claims that Travel Guard bundled hidden “Assistance Fees” into its travel insurance prices — received final court approval on December 9, 2024, but no payments have gone out. An objector appealed, and distribution of every claim check is stayed until that appeal is resolved.1Travel Fee Settlement. Important Documents2Travel Fee Settlement. Travel Fee Settlement Home
Why Payments Are On Hold
Judge Trina L. Thompson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval to the settlement in Miller et al. v. Travel Guard Group, Inc. et al. after a hearing continued from October 1 to December 10, 2024.1Travel Fee Settlement. Important Documents Shortly after approval, an objector filed a notice of appeal. Under the terms of the settlement, that filing freezes the entire distribution.
As of mid-2026, no cash payments have been issued, and the official settlement website states that none will be issued until the appellate process concludes. The administrator has not published an estimated payment date, because none exists while the appeal is pending. The site will be updated once there is a resolution.2Travel Fee Settlement. Travel Fee Settlement Home
If you filed a timely claim, there is nothing more to do. Your claim remains on file with the administrator and will be processed if and when the appeal is resolved in favor of the settlement.
What the Settlement Pays
Travel Guard agreed to pay $23,997,500 into a common fund without admitting liability.3CaseMine. Miller v. Travel Guard Grp., No. 21-cv-09751-TLT Several items come off the top before claimants are paid:
- Attorneys’ fees of up to 30% of the fund (roughly $7.2 million) requested by class counsel, plus litigation costs
- Incentive awards of up to $5,000 for each named plaintiff
- Settlement administration expenses and taxes4Travel Fee Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
What remains, called the Net Settlement Fund, is divided among class members who filed valid claims. Each person’s share is proportional to the total Assistance Fees that person paid on qualifying plans, as reflected in Travel Guard’s records.4Travel Fee Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions Individual payment amounts have not been published and will depend on how many valid claims were filed.
Travel Guard also agreed to tell future policyholders that plan prices include a separate fee for non-insurance travel assistance services.5Insurance Business Magazine. AIG Class Action Settlement Gets Preliminary Green Light
Who Was Eligible to File a Claim
The settlement class covers people who purchased at least one qualifying Travel Guard plan between December 17, 2017, and January 18, 2024, where the total price included both an Assistance Fee and an insurance premium. To qualify, the purchaser needed a billing address in California or Washington, or had to be identified as a California or Washington resident in Travel Guard’s records.4Travel Fee Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
Plans purchased through sites like Expedia and United Airlines were among those covered.2Travel Fee Settlement. Travel Fee Settlement Home Court personnel, employees of the defendants, and anyone who received a complete refund for their plan were excluded.4Travel Fee Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
The deadline to file a claim, opt out, or object was August 13, 2024.2Travel Fee Settlement. Travel Fee Settlement Home That date has passed. If you did not file by then, you are not eligible for a payment from this settlement.
What the Case Was About
Plaintiffs alleged that when consumers bought a Travel Guard plan, the single quoted price secretly included a mandatory charge for “non-insurance assistance services” — things like a telephone helpline for directions, weather updates, or restaurant recommendations — on top of the actual insurance premium.6Angeion Group. Class Action Complaint, Miller v. Travel Guard Group
They argued these services were either already covered by the insurance contract or so minimal they were a pretext for collecting unauthorized fees. Under California law, insurance agents generally cannot collect separate fees connected to an insurance transaction without a broker’s license and strict disclosure. Plaintiffs said Travel Guard never obtained California Department of Insurance approval for the charges.6Angeion Group. Class Action Complaint, Miller v. Travel Guard Group
The court certified the California class on two theories: that the practice was “unlawful” because it violated state insurance regulations, and that it was “unfair” as a business practice. Fraud and deception theories were not certified. Travel Guard denied all allegations and maintained the fees were legal and properly disclosed.4Travel Fee Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions
If You Bought Allianz Travel Insurance Instead
This settlement covers only Travel Guard plans. A separate case, Elgindy et al. v. AGA Service Co. et al., resolved similar claims against Allianz Global Assistance for $19.75 million, covering California and Washington purchasers of Allianz plans between September 4, 2016, and September 30, 2023. Final approval was granted on October 29, 2024, and payments in that case are also on hold pending an objector’s appeal.7Assistance Fee Settlement. Assistance Fee Settlement Home If your plan was from Allianz, your claim belongs to that separate settlement, not this one.
Contacting the Administrator
Class members who filed claims before the August 2024 deadline can reach the settlement administrator at info@travelfeesettlement.com or 1-888-255-2501. Status updates on the appeal and any eventual payment date will be posted at travelfeesettlement.com.4Travel Fee Settlement. Frequently Asked Questions