- AA travel insurance is arranged by Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited (FCA register number 310562) and underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance SA, part of the AXA Group, firm reference number 202664.
- RAC travel insurance is sold and administered by Hood Travel Ltd (FCA register number 597211), with core cover underwritten by AWP P&C S.A. (FRN 534384) and gadget cover by AmTrust Specialty Limited (FRN 202189).
- The AA quotes emergency medical cover up to 15 million pounds on its top tier; RAC quotes up to 20 million pounds on its Black tier.
- AA single trip cover runs up to 186 days; RAC single trip cover is capped at 90 days.
- Neither figure here is a price: both providers quote individually, so cover limits and trip caps are the structural points of difference.
The AA and RAC at a glance
Both the AA and the RAC are long-established UK motoring organisations that sell travel insurance under their own brand using third-party insurance partners. Neither company underwrites its own travel policies. The arrangement differs in two ways that matter to a buyer: who arranges and administers the policy, and who carries the insurance risk.
AA travel insurance is arranged by Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited, which the AA states is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Financial Services Register number 310562. The policies are underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance SA, described by the AA as part of the AXA Group, holding firm reference number 202664.
RAC travel insurance is sold and administered by Hood Travel Ltd, registered at Companies House under number 08318836 and on the FCA register under number 597211. The core elements of the cover are underwritten by AWP P&C S.A. (FRN 534384). Gadget cover is underwritten separately by AmTrust Specialty Limited (FRN 202189). So a single RAC policy can involve more than one underwriter depending on which sections of cover are claimed against.
Cover limits compared
The two ranges use different tier names but follow a comparable structure of rising limits. The AA offers Bronze, Silver and Gold levels across single trip, annual multi-trip and backpacker products. The RAC uses Orange, Silver and Black tiers.
| Cover section | AA (top tier, Gold) | RAC (top tier, Black) |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency medical | Up to 15 million pounds | Up to 20 million pounds |
| Cancellation | Up to 5,000 pounds per person | Up to 7,500 pounds |
| Personal possessions | Quoted per policy | Up to 3,000 pounds |
| Gadget cover | Not stated as standard | 500 pounds included as standard |
| Excess (top tier) | Quoted per policy | 0 pounds |
On the headline medical and cancellation figures, the RAC Black tier publishes higher ceilings than the AA Gold tier: 20 million pounds against 15 million pounds for emergency medical, and 7,500 pounds against 5,000 pounds per person for cancellation. The RAC also lists 500 pounds of gadget cover as standard across all three of its tiers and a zero excess on the Black tier. Headline limits are not the whole picture: the per-claim excess, single-article limits within possessions cover, and the list of exclusions decide how much of a claim is actually paid. Those details sit in each provider's policy wording and Insurance Product Information Document rather than on the marketing page.
Age limits and eligibility
The two providers set different rules on age and trip length, which tends to matter more to buyers than the top-line cover figures.
For RAC cover, single trip policies carry no upper age limit, while annual multi-trip policies are available up to a maximum age of 80 at the policy start date. RAC single trips are capped at 90 days, with annual multi-trip per-trip limits of 31 days on Orange and Silver and 45 days on the Black tier.
The AA publishes longer single trip durations: up to 186 days on a single trip policy, up to 62 days per trip on annual multi-trip cover, and up to 365 days on its backpacker product. That backpacker option, with a 365-day window, is a structural feature the RAC range does not advertise in the same form. A traveller planning a single trip longer than 90 days would find the AA's published single trip cap relevant, since the RAC single trip product stops at 90 days.
Anyone with a pre-existing medical condition should note that both insurers require those conditions to be declared at the point of sale. Failing to declare existing conditions or pending treatment can invalidate a policy, according to the FCDO's foreign travel insurance guidance. The acceptance terms and any extra premium are decided by the respective underwriters during the quote.
Pricing structure
Neither provider publishes a flat price for travel cover, because premiums are calculated per traveller. The variables that drive the quote are broadly the same across both: the ages of the travellers, the destination region (with North America and the Caribbean typically priced higher), trip length, the cover tier selected, and any declared medical conditions or added activities such as winter sports or cruising.
Because the AA and the RAC each price individually, a like-for-like comparison only holds when the same travellers, dates, destination and tier are entered into both quote engines on the same day. The published cover limits in the table above are fixed by tier; the premium attached to each tier is not.
Claims handling
The administrative chain differs between the two brands. With RAC cover, Hood Travel Ltd sells and administers the policy, while claims are assessed against the relevant underwriter: AWP P&C S.A. for the core cover, or AmTrust Specialty Limited for a gadget claim. A claimant deals with the administrator first, which routes the claim to the correct insurer.
With AA cover, Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited arranges the policy and Inter Partner Assistance SA underwrites it. The AA lists a claims line of 0330 1235 751 for policies bought from 3 April 2023 onwards. As with any insurer, emergency medical assistance abroad is handled through a 24-hour assistance line rather than the standard claims number, and the policy documents carry the specific contact details to use while travelling.
If a complaint about either provider cannot be resolved, eligible customers can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Both Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited and Hood Travel Ltd are FCA-authorised firms, which is the basis for that route.
Which traveller each suits
The published structures point to different use cases rather than an overall winner. The RAC Black tier carries the higher headline limits on emergency medical (20 million pounds) and cancellation (7,500 pounds), includes gadget cover as standard, and applies a zero excess at the top tier, which suits a buyer focused on the largest published ceilings and a simple all-in tier.
The AA range publishes longer single trip durations, up to 186 days, plus a dedicated backpacker product running to 365 days, which is relevant to anyone whose single trip exceeds the RAC's 90-day single trip cap. A traveller comparing the two should match the tier, the trip length and the declared medical position in both quote engines, then read each Insurance Product Information Document for the excess and single-article limits before deciding. The figures that decide a claim sit in the policy wording, not on the brand homepage.
