Travel insurance or travel coverage is no longer just “nice-to-have.” It’s now a must-have, especially after our experience with the pandemic. The importance of having reliable protection in place has never been clearer. Whether it’s an unexpected medical emergency overseas or a sudden flight disruption, the right travel insurance plan will protect you from costly surprises and give you peace of mind, allowing you rest and relax or explore and adventure with few worries.

In this travel insurance series, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know to safeguard your trip. From choosing the right policy and exploring optional add-ons to demystifying the claims process so you can travel smarter and worry less.

What is Generally Included in a Travel Coverage Plan?

Most travel insurance plans are designed to protect you against unforeseen incidents such as overseas medical emergencies and common travel disruptions. The standard benefits of any travel coverage plan include:

• Personal Accident Coverage: Provides a lump sum payout in the event of accidental death or permanent disability sustained during travel.
• Medical Coverage:  Includes overseas medical expenses due to illness or injury. A daily hospital cash benefit is also provided for overseas hospitalisation, along with coverage for post-trip medical treatment in your home country.
• Emergency Travel Assistance: Covers medically necessary evacuation or repatriation. You would also have 24/7 access to an emergency hotline for medical and travel-related assistance while overseas.
• Travel Inconvenience Benefits: Offers compensation for issues such as flight delays, baggage delays, and loss of personal belongings.
• Trip Cancellation and/or Curtailment: Reimburses non-refundable expenses if the trip is cancelled or shortened due to medical or family emergencies, or other major unforeseen events. For trip disruptions caused by missed connections or delays, additional transport or accommodation expenses may be covered.

The Basics are Covered. What Else?

Based on your travel style and planned activities, you may choose to enhance your travel coverage plans with additional benefits for extra protection. Etiqa offers a range of optional add-ons, thoughtfully designed to give you greater flexibility and peace of mind on your journey:

Adventurous Activities: Whether you’re going skydiving or Rocky mountain climbing (to the tune of Tim McGraw), this add-on would ensure a payout for death, permanent disability, and medical expenses caused by participation in an adventurous activity. The full list of activities covered can be found on the Etiqa website.

COVID-19: While the worse is seemingly over, COVID-19 is still very much contagious and depending on the individual, may require medical treatment and/or hospitalization. In the event of a diagnosis, this add-on would ensure you’re financially protected to get the medical treatment you need.

How to Choose the Right Travel Coverage Plan?

When you’re picking a travel insurance plan, prioritize travel coverage that balances both medical protection and trip security, the foundation for a truly safe and worry-free journey.

Comprehensive medical travel coverage is essential for handling health emergencies abroad, including treatment, hospitalization, evacuation, and repatriation. It’s particularly crucial for trips to destinations with limited healthcare access or for travelers engaging in high-risk activities.

Some travel coverage plans even include accidental dental care, which can be a lifesaver in urgent situations. Keep in mind that countries like the USA, UK and certain countries in Europe have extremely high medical costs, where insufficient coverage can lead to painfully hefty bills.

A travel coverage plan also safeguards you against financial losses from flight cancellations, interruptions, or delays. It covers lost or stolen baggage, missed connections, and even travel agency bankruptcy.

This is especially valuable for non-refundable bookings or trips to regions prone to weather disruptions or natural disasters. For example, the recent volcano eruption in Bali grounded countless flights within just a few hours, causing travelers needing to get on new flights, cancel bookings and more. Having the right plan ensures your peace of mind in situations that cause sudden changes to your plans.

For thorough protection, pick a comprehensive plan that covers a wide range of scenarios then choose your add-ons tailored on your personal circumstance.

When Should I Buy my Travel Coverage Plan?

When lounging at the airport, you can often see a handful of travelers just getting their insurance in order. Since a travel protection plan isn’t always at the top of the checklist, it tends to be kept for the last minute run.

However, we’d suggest securing your travel insurance as soon as you’ve secured your flight tickets and planned out your trip. Getting it sorted from the get-go means you get to maximise cancellation benefits and that’s one less thing to worry about it when you’re packing and leaving for the airport.

What Are Some Specifics to Consider when Picking my Travel Coverage?

If you’re travelling just this one time, pick the single trip travel insurance plan but if you have multiple trips coming up, consider the annual plan instead.

Families should look for policies that address their specific requirements, such as coverage for lost luggage or extra accommodation. Adventurous travelers should seek plans that cover high-risk sports or look for the ‘adventurous activities’ add-on.

Those who have medical concerns or worries should look at plans with the highest medical coverage limit. At Etiqa, there are three plans to choose from, each increasing in coverage value. If you’re unsure which of the three is right for you or unsure of what you need, the recommended plan is the middle option; not too low, not too high.

Ultimately, the key is to find a balanced travel insurance plan tailored to both the risks of the destination and your personal needs, offering broad protection for a worry-free journey.

Keep an eye out for our next article, where we’ll demystify the travel claims process!