| Airline | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Singapore Airlines | 64 |
| SilkAir | 51 |
| TigerAir | 40 |
| JetStar Asia Airways | 28 |
| Scoot | 23 |
Travel Insurance’s Value
Travel insurance covers almost every facet of your travels. From the cost of cancelling the trip to medical costs overseas. This insurance even covers the cost of evacuation for you and your family during a natural disaster or worse.
Majority of these policies also cover terrorist related events which have unfortunately become more prevalent in the 21st century.
While these types of events are rare, the financial burden to travellers who experience them can be significant. A broken leg can cost thousands of dollars in hospital bills. An emergency helicopter trip to the hospital could double this amount.
For this reason, considering the purchase of travel insurance can be a prudent practice for those whose travel often. Be it for business or pleasure.
In past articles, we have explored this topic deeply, researching the costs and benefits of travel insurance products. As well as providing our recommendation for the best travel insurance programs available in Singapore.
We now compare these plans from insurance companies to travel insurances offered by the airlines in Singapore. With the recent partnership between Scoot and TigerAir, we have elected to only feature insurance provided by TigerAir.
Travel Insurance: Airline vs Insurer
Through our research, we found that most private travel insurance programs provide higher coverage amounts for lower prices than those offered by airlines.
Part of the reason is that when the insurance is offered directly by the insurance company, such as Allianz or Direct Asia, there is no middleman.
In contrast, when you purchase travel insurance through an airline, they tend to receive a portion of the price of insurance as a commission. Thereby, inflating the price that a consumer ends up paying. Therefore, you can eliminate the middleman and pay a lower price by going directly to the insurance company.
| Singapore Airlines | SilkAir | TigerAir | JetStar Asia Airways | Average of Insurance Companies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Accident & Death | S$200,000 | S$100,000 | S$25,000 | S$20,000 | $308,501 |
| Medical | S$200,000 | S$500,000 | S$10,000 | S$20,000 | S$563,704 |
| Evacuation & Repatriation | S$300,000 | S$300,000 | S$25,000 | S$50,000 | S$987,931 |
| Trip Inconvenience | S$5,000 | S$1,000 | S$1,500 | Original Flight Cost | $S$16,135 |
| Trip Cancellation | S$5,000 | S$5,000 | Original Flight Cost | Original Flight Cost | S$10,685 |
| Trip Delays | S$1,000 | S$1,000 | S$450 | S$1,040 | S$1,132 |
| Baggage Loss/Damage | S$3,000 | S$3,000 | S$1,500 | S$1,000 | S$5,449 |
| Baggage Delay | S$1,000 | S$1,000 | None | None | S$1,072 |
| Cost* | S$55 | S$45 | S$18.99 | $77.95 | S$48 |
*Cost shown assumes a 1-week trip within Asia. The majority of costs are maximum limits. Please consult the summary of benefits for each policy before making any traveler’s insurance decision.
As seen above, there are significant differences in the coverages provided by each Singapore-based airline. Therefore, it is important to understand the types of risks you are facing when travelling.
For a business traveller, a baggage delay could result in a missed meeting. For a personal traveller/ adrenaline junkie, the personal accident and medical coverage will be most critical.
It is also important to note that majority of these policies are priced for travellers aged between two and 70 years old. If you are over age 70 or travelling with an infant, there may be special pricing requirements to consider.
It is best to assess risks beforehand and identify which travel insurance suits you and your family the most.