Best Travel Insurance For Flight Cancellation – What Am I Covered For?
Gone are the days when lost baggage used to be your biggest worry. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic that is almost over, it has made us realise that there are much bigger downers when it comes to travel—major disruptions are likely to be related to a widespread virus infection, political unrest or a resource crunch that could lead to a trip cancellation. So no matter where you’ll be flying to, make sure that you have the right travel insurance policy to keep you sufficiently covered for any flight cancellations.
What Are Excluded In Travel Insurance With Flight Cancellation Coverage?
The general exclusions for most travel insurance plans are quite similar to one another and there are still certain situations that no insurance company is willing to cover. These include:
Travel against prohibitions/acts/travel alerts/bulletins by any government or public authority which include thermal, biological, and nuclear pollution contamination, civil disorder or unrest, closure of a border, declared or undeclared acts of war, etc.
Travel involving illegal activities like trafficking of drugs, manslaughter or other types of crimes which results in a conviction
Any type of sports played in a professional or competitive capacity such as big wave surfing, winter activities like luging, bobsleighing, skiing, snowboarding, cliff jumping, etc.
Travel when medically unfit and advised against travel by a medical professional
Travel with mental disorders
Injury of loss due to alcohol or drugs when travelling.
We asked Singaporeans about flight disruptions, and they answered.
Find out the worst airlines with delays and cancellations according to Singaporean travellers.
Don't let flight cancellations ruin your trip. Get travel insurance coverage today!
Common Situations Valid For Flight Cancellation Claims
While flight cancellation claim benefits differ from insurer to insurer, there are some widely accepted reasons that would be covered by most travel insurance companies. Death or serious illness/injury (happen to you, your spouse, child or travelling companion) is among the most widely accepted reasons for flight cancellation claims, which all insurers will cover.
Other commonly accepted reasons which you or your travel companion can claim for include:
- Unexpected “flare-up” of a pre-existing medical condition right before your trip or during your trip
- Flight cancellation by the airline due to adverse weather conditions
- Flight cancellation by the airline due to closure of airways, airports or runways
- Residential home damaged by a fire, storm, flood or other natural disasters
- Called to be a witness in court during your travel dates
Do note that for most travel insurance claims, whatever the reason is for cancelling your trip, the reason must occur within 30 days of your departure.
Best Travel Insurance With Flight Cancellation Coverage Benefits
Best For | Travel insurance plan | Estimated premium rate* |
|---|---|---|
| Highest trip cancellation coverage limit | Singlife Travel Lite, Singlife Travel Plus and Singlife Travel Prestige plans | $31 - $60 |
| Overall good value | $24 - $39 | |
| Affordability | Bubblegum Travel Insurance plan | $21 |
| Trip cancellation due to pre-existing conditions | MSIG TravelEasy® Standard Pre-Ex, Elite Pre-Ex, Premier Pre-Ex plans | $38 - $68 |
| Family | From $66 |
What Is The Average Cost Of A Travel Insurance With Coverage For Flight Cancellation?
| Travel insurance provider | Medical expenses | Personal accident | Overseas hospital allowance | Trip cancellation | Estimated total premium* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singlife | Unlimited | Up to $500,000 | $200 per day | Up to $20,000 | $31 |
| Starr | Up to $1,000,000 | Up to $500,000 | $200 per day | Up to $15,000 | $24 |
| Bubblegum | Up to $150,000 | Up to $150,000 | $100 per day | Up to $15,000 | $21 |
| MSIG | Up to $1,000,000 | Up to $150,000 | $300 per day | Up to $5,000 | $38 |
| FWD | Up to $1,000,000 | Up to $1,000,000 | $200 per day | Up to $5,000 | $17 |
Average Cost Of A Travel Insurance Plan With Flight Cancellation Coverage
*Estimated premium rates are based on a 5D4N single trip plan to a country in Asia.
Looking at the key features and price points of MoneySmart’s round-up of the best 5 travel insurance plans with flight cancellation coverage, we can do a quick comparison of the differences and similarities. The average cost of a travel insurance plan with flight cancellation coverage for a 5D4N trip to somewhere in Asia is about $27, assuming that we take the most basic plan offered by each travel insurance provider.
Estimated average cost of a travel insurance plan:
$31 + $24 + $21 + $38 + $17 = $131
$131 ÷ 5 = $26.20
Those offering lower premiums would be FWD, Bubblegum, followed by Starr. Despite offering lower premiums than Bubblegum, the medical expenses coverage by FWD is much more with a maximum limit of $1,000,000.
Singlife, Starr and FWD also provide higher coverage of up to $20,000 and $15,000 respectively, for trip cancellation in the situation you’re diagnosed with COVID-19.
For more extensive coverage for medical expenses in the event that you or your travel companion gets diagnosed with COVID-19 or meet with any medical-related mishaps during the trip, Singlife’s Prestige plan will be really useful with the highest coverage of an unlimited claim limit among the 5 plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have purchased travel insurance but my trip is cancelled. Will I be able to get a refund?
- Yes and no, this depends on when you submit your trip cancellation request and the departure date of your trip. Most travel insurance companies will accept your claim if your request and the valid reason for cancellation is submitted within 30 days of your departure.
If I need to cancel my trip due to the closure of a border (as announced by a particular overseas government) en route to your originally planned journey, can I make a claim?
- No. Most travel insurance companies do not cover travel against prohibitions/acts/travel alerts/bulletins by any government or public authority which include closure of a border.
Should I buy travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage?
Yes, given that the recent pandemic situation is not entirely over, it is still recommended for most places that you’re travelling to. Although most countries have removed their COVID-19 related entry restrictions tourists visiting, there are still countries with stricter restrictions put in place. It is mandatory to get travel and health insurance coverage before you enter some countries.
Note that each country has its own prevailing entry requirements and in the situation you require medical assistance during your vacation or business trip, healthcare expenses can get very costly, unlike those in your home country as overseas medical expenses are usually not subsidised by the government.
Do travel insurance plans cover COVID-19 tests?
Yes and no. Certain insurers like MSIG that offer free PCR test coverage for some of their plans i.e. Annual Trip plans, while those like NTUC Income travel insurance offer COVID-19 (PCR) swab tests at a certain price along with a series of other types of pre-departure tests.
However, there are also insurers like AXA and AIG who do not cover expenses incurred for mandatory COVID-19 diagnostic tests or any pre-departure or post-departure testing.
How can I compare and get COVID-19 coverage for my travel insurance?
- You may get COVID-19 coverage for your travel insurance either through your preferred travel insurance mobile app, website or insurance agent. As for the comparison process, you can choose to do it yourself via a comparison platform like Moneysmartor through the recommendations of your insurance agent.