Best travel insurance plans for your holidays (March 2019)

These days, a lot of Singaporeans book for their trips by themselves. With sites like Airbnb and Agoda, there’s just less need for a professional to hand-hold you on vacation.

But without a dedicated agent to help you take care of the nitty gritty details, one thing that many might neglect is travel insurance. Again, we have to stress how important a travel insurance is and the need for a good professional travel insurer.

Why? Because with the right travel insurance, you can be duly compensated for a luggage lost in transit or have your medical charges covered when you fall sick on your holiday.

Needless to say, you should aim for a quality insurance that gives you peace of mind while you travel. With so many travel insurance plans to choose from, we are here to help with our comprehensive comparison engine to suss out the best travel insurance plans for you.

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To give you a headstart, here’s a snapshot of some travel insurance plans that offer the best bang for your buck.

This quick comparison is done based on a one week trip to Hong Kong for a single traveller. Prices will vary based on destination, number of people and the various discounts offered by insurer. As such, do take this comparison as a point of reference.

Allianz Global Assistance Gold

While it doesn’t have the highest coverage for everything, Allianz Global Assistance Gold is the most cost-effective overall.

You get coverage for lost items up to $15,000 – this is the highest amount for lost belongings on the list. Likewise, you get unlimited coverage for overseas medical expenses as an adult; this is only one of two policies on the list to offer this.

Do note that the unlimited coverage doesn’t apply to the elderly though it still has a decent amount at $150,000.

Compared to the rest, it has the highest coverage for cancelled trips at $25,000. However, always check the fine print to see what constitutes as a valid trip cancellation.

The extra $100 for emergency phone calls is also a nice touch, as you’ll often need it if you get injured, robbed, or fall ill. Never use the hotel phone, as the charges are insane (some can be over $12 a minute).

Get this policy if you’re going for a cost-effective plan.

American Express Superior

At $500,000, this policy has the best medical expense pay outs for elderly travellers, second only to Aviva Prestige. Even then, this policy beats the Aviva policy for Personal Accident pay-outs for elderly travellers which is capped at $250,000

Another point worth noting for this selection is the perks. To be precise, you’ll need to purchase the annual plan and in exchange you’ll get a free Samsonite luggage that’s worth around the same price as the annual plan. In short, you are getting a free luggage.

And hey, if your luggage is ever delayed in transit, you’re looking at getting $200 per every 6 hours with a cap of $2,400 in total.

In other words, if you’re travelling with elderly folks, this travel insurance fits them to a tee.

Aviva Prestige

With the Aviva Prestige plan, you are looking at unlimited pay-outs for medical situations, plus the second highest coverage for lost items (up to $8,000, tying with American Express).

Just the medical coverage alone is going to get your attention, because when you’re in a foreign country, there’s no telling how much your medical bill could cost. After all, the first thing that should be on your mind should be getting well soon to continue with your trip. And the last thing you’ll want is to worry about your bills.

Above all, the policy has a claims process that accepts trip cancellations for any reason. Again, nobody wants to cancel their trips but some things are beyond your control. Last-minute cancellations due to health issues or home emergencies are more common than you think, so this coverage feature is more of a must-have than a good-to-have.

Admittedly, this might not be the cheapest policy in town but this is the most complete package that’s worth your money.

FWD First

This policy provides solid protection, coupled with the most practical perks. How practical, you ask? If the haze hits your destination country, you are covered.

Yes, haze. Imagine that because if you are traveling to Indonesia or countries near it, there’s no telling when the haze will disrupt your hoiday.

On top of that, you can get extra protection for your sports equipment up to $2,000. Travelers who are taking up extreme sports will find this coverage to be essential.

For example, if you’re checking in your skiing equipment, you will need to ensure they are well-covered in the literal and figurative sense. A damaged equipment can cost you a lot but with this sports equipment coverage, you can be compensated for the damage and purchase a new one.

Or perhaps it’s a golfing trip and you’re bringing your precious golf clubs along. Heaven forbid that it gets damaged during transit and you end up with a few bent clubs. Again, that $2,000 coverage could save you a lot in repair and replacement cost.

Consider this policy if you are into sports.

HL Assurance Superior

This plan is the most affordable one you can get and still get premium travel insurance. If you’re on a budget, but still want to be well protected, this is an ideal choice.

The pay-outs are almost certain to be sufficient, even if they’re not the highest on the list. Most people, for example, won’t end up needing more than $500,000 for overseas medical expenses; nor would most of us be carrying more than $7,000 worth of luggage.

As an icing on the cake, this plan also gives you a voucher to redeem a Wi-Fi plan for your holiday destination. Think of it as free money if you will, because you’ll definitely need to spend some on a Wi-Fi plan to stay connected while you’re travelling.

Pick this affordable policy if your finances are lean and you want more to spend on your trip.

Comparing with GoBear

Remember, travel insurance policies change all the time, so it’s prudent to keep yourself updated with the latest details of the various travel insurance plans out there.

We’ve got you covered if you ever need to compare and find the best travel insurance plans that suits your needs.

Compare travel insurance
with GoBear