When you think travel insurance, you definitely don’t think of Etiqa. For the uninitiated, Etiqa is Malaysian bank Maybank’s insurance arm, and it’s a relatively new player in this field. Which explains why Etiqa travel insurance is one of the cheapest travel insurance options in Singapore. It’s cheap because it’s unknown.
But as much as everyone loves cheap travel insurance, nobody wants to end up with a lao hong plan that doesn’t cover anything, right? So let’s find out if Etiqa travel insurance is any good.
Contents
-
- Etiqa Travel Insurance: Summary
- Etiqa Travel Infinite – Covid Travel Insurance
- Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance
- Etiqa Tiq Pre-Ex Travel Insurance
- Extreme Sports and Outdoor Adventure
- Etiqa Travel Insurance Terms and Conditions
- Etiqa Travel Insurance Claim Review
- Etiqa vs AXA Travel Insurance
- Etiqa Travel Insurance Promotion
- Etiqa Travel Insurance Review
1. Etiqa Travel Insurance Summary
There are two Etiqa travel insurance plans currently available, namely the Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance which covers Covid-19 and pre-existing medical conditions, and the Etiqa Travel Infinite Covid travel insurance which offers higher overseas medical coverage.
| Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance | Etiqa Travel Infinite | |
| Price | $39 – $106/week | Depends on tour agency |
| Pre-Existing Medical Conditions | Yes | No |
| Buy Online | Yes | No |
| Buy From Travel Agency | No | Yes |
| Covid-19 | Add-on | Add-on |
How to choose which Etiqa travel insurance suits you better? If you don’t have any life threatening pre-existing medical conditions, you should get the Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance (No Pre-Ex).
As with all travel insurance plans, Etiqa travel insurance plans’ premiums are based on the country you’re travelling to. They are split into three categories:
- Zone 1 (ASEAN): Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam
- Zone 2 (Asia, Australia): All of Zone 1, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, China (excluding Tibet), Cyprus, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Macau, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan
- Zone 3 (Worldwide): All of Zone 1 and 2, Nepal, Tibet and Worldwide/the rest of the world excluding Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen
2. Etiqa Travel Infinite – Covid Travel Insurance
For most of us regular holiday-goers without outstanding pre-existing medical conditions, the Etiqa Travel Infinite would usually seem like the travel insurance plan we’ll likely go for. (Pre-existing conditions travel insurance usually cost more.) However, you need to buy this plan from one of Etiqa’s 18 partner tour agencies such as Chan Brothers. Ah, it’s one of those tour group type of travel insurance plans.
Anyway, here’s a summary of Etiqa Travel Infinite travel insurance plan’s key coverage, and benefits:
| Etiqa Travel Infinite | Classic | Deluxe | Suite |
| Medical expenses (overseas) | $500,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,500,000 |
| Emergency medical evacuation | $500,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Personal accident (death & TPD) | $150,000 | $300,000 | $500,000 |
| Travel delay | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Baggage delay ($100/6 hours) | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Belongings loss/damage | $3,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Sports and Adventure | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Since these Etiqa travel insurance plans are offered to tour agencies, you can see that the medical treatment and hospitalisation, emergency medical evacuation coverage are quite high. Likewise, other miscellaneous trip itinerary and logistics-related coverage are extremely high too. Trip cancellation, for example, starts from $5,000 – a whole lot more than Direct Asia travel insurance‘s travel cancellation coverage of $3,000, and AIG travel insurance‘s travel cancellation coverage of $2,500.
Etiqa Travel Infinite does not automatically include Covid-19 coverage. Instead, it comes as an add-on Covid-19 rider at an additional price.
| Etiqa Travel Infinite: Covid Add-On | Classic | Deluxe | Suite |
| Trip cancellation | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Trip postponement | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Travel disruption | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Overseas medical expenses | $100,000 | $200,000 | $300,000 |
| Overseas quarantine allowance ($100/day) | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Hospitalisation/ Home recovery (SG) | $0 | $300 | $300 |
| Emergency medical evacuation | $300,000 | $400,000 | $600,000 |
Again, since this Etiqa Travel Infinite plan caters to tour groups, the Covid-19 rider’s coverage is pretty decent. You get a high $3,000 to $5,000 coverage for any Covid-19 related trip cancellations or disruptions, adequate $100,000 to $300,000 overseas Covid-19 medical expenses, and even a $100/day quarantine allowance. Etiqa Travel Infinite’s Covid-19 coverage is on par with reputable insurance providers such as Sompo travel insurance, but it’s considered pretty good compared to a budget travel insurance, e.g. Direct Asia.
3. Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance
The other Etiqa travel insurance plan that you can buy directly online is called Tiq Travel Insurance. It comes in two variants:
- Pre-Existing Plan
- Normal Plan (no pre-existing medical conditions)
Total Premium
S$25.20
- Med. Coverage (Overseas)
- S$200,000
- Travel Cancelation
- S$5,000
- Loss/Damage of Baggage
- S$2,000
- Total PremiumTotal Premium
S$4240% Off - S$25.20
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Here, we first review the normal (non pre-ex) Tiq travel insurance plan.
Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance (Normal)’s key coverage and benefits:
| Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance | Entry | Savvy | Luxury |
| Price (ASEAN) | $39/week | $54/week | $72/week |
| Price (Asia) | $43/week | $67/week | $85/week |
| Price (Worldwide) | $65/week | $85/week | $106/week |
| Medical expenses overseas | $200,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Emergency medical evacuation | $1,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,800,000 |
| Personal accident (death & TPD) | $150,000 | $300,000 | $500,000 |
| Travel delay ($50/3 hours) | $300 | $300 | $500 |
| Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Baggage delay ($100/6 hours) | $200 | $200 | $200 |
| Belongings loss/damage | $2,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Sports and Adventure | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Covid-19 | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
| Pet Hotel | Add-on | Add-on | Add-on |
Compared to its competitors, Etiqa’s travel insurance coverage is adequate and comparable to what other travel insurance companies are providing. Take MSIG travel insurance for example, overseas medical expenses range from $250,000 to $1,000,000 while Etiqa Tiq’s coverage is $200,000 to $1,000,000.
However, very much like budget travel insurance provider Direct Asia, Etiqa’s Tiq travel insurance separates the main travel insurance plan from its Covid-19 rider. When you add the main travel insurance plan’s premiums and Covid-19 rider’s prices together, it’s as good as paying for a reliable insurance brand such as Sompo.
| Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance: Covid Add-On | Entry | Savvy | Luxury |
| Price (ASEAN) | $18/week | $27/week | $40/week |
| Price (Asia) | $23/week | $36/week | $53/week |
| Price (Worldwide) | $33/week | $45/week | $63/week |
| Trip cancellation | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Trip postponement | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Travel disruption | $3,000 | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| Overseas medical expenses | $100,000 | $200,000 | $300,000 |
| Overseas quarantine allowance ($100/day) | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Hospitalisation (SG) | $100 | $200 | $300 |
| Emergency medical evacuation | $200,000 | $300,000 | $500,000 |
Again, Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance’s Covid-19 rider is pretty good compared to other budget travel insurance providers such as Direct Asia. When compared against established insurance companies such as MSIG travel insurance, Tiq travel insurance’s Covid-19 coverage is adequate and on par.
4. Etiqa Pre-Ex Travel Insurance
The other variant of the Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance is the pre-existing medical conditions plan.
There aren’t many travel insurance plans thats cover pre-existing medical conditions out there. Other than this Etiqa Tiq Pre-Ex Travel Insurance that you’re looking at, MSIG travel insurance and NTUC travel insurance offer pre-existing medical conditions and Covid travel insurance as well.
Total Premium
S$70.50
- Med. Coverage (Overseas)
- S$75,000
- Trip Cancellation
- S$5,000
- Loss/Damage of Baggage
- S$3,000
- Total Premium
- S$70.50
Etiqa Tiq Pre-Ex Travel Insurance’s key coverage and benefits:
| Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance | Pre-Ex Entry | Pre-Ex Savvy | Pre-Ex Luxury |
| Price (ASEAN) | $93/week | $123/week | $147/week |
| Price (Asia) | $115/week | $155/week | $186/week |
| Price (Worldwide) | $158/week | $211/week | $254/week |
| Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Trip postponement | $500 | $500 | $1,000 |
| Travel disruption | $3,000 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Overseas medical expenses | $200,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Overseas hospital allowance ($200/day) | $5,000 | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Emergency medical evacuation | $1,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $1,800,000 |
In terms of benefits and medical coverage, there really isn’t very much difference between the Tiq Travel Insurance non pre-ex and pre-ex versions. The only difference? Higher premiums and price. The pre-ex plans are twice more expensive than the non pre-ex plans for good reason – a price that I would honestly pay for if I were travelling with my mother, for example, who has a medical history.
Etiqa’s Tiq Pre-Ex Travel Insurance does not offer Covid-19 coverage.
5. Extreme Sports and Outdoor Adventure
Etiqa travel insurance is a good one for outdoorsy types and adventure junkies as quite a range of leisure outdoor activities are covered. (There’s nothing I hate more than seeing a long list of activity exclusions hidden in size 6 font in the policy wording.)
| Extreme Sports and Outdoor Activities | Covered by Etiqa? |
| Hot air balloon | Yes |
| Scuba diving | Yes (max 30m, guided, PADI cert) |
| Skiing and other ice/snow sports | Yes |
| Hiking or trekking | Yes (up to 3,000m) |
| Mountaineering or outdoor rock climbing | No |
| Marathons or other competitions | Yes (but not ultramarathons, biathlons, triathlons) |
| Jet skiing | Not stated |
| White water rafting | Not stated |
| Skydiving | Yes |
| Paragliding, hang gliding, parachuting | Yes |
| Bungee jumping | Yes |
Most leisure and recreational type of holiday outdoor activities such as hot air balloon, skiing are explicitly stated as not excluded – aka covered by Etiqa.
If you’re in for rock climbing with ropes and equipment, you will need a more niche and specialised Extreme Sports travel insurance rider offered by Direct Asia travel insurance instead.
Total Premium
S$23.10
- Med. Coverage (Overseas)
- S$150,000
- Trip Cancellation
- S$3,000
- Loss/Damage of Baggage
- S$1,000
- Total PremiumTotal Premium
S$38.5040% Off - S$23.10
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4. Etiqa Travel Insurance Terms and Conditions
Some terms and conditions found in Etiqa travel insurance’s policy wording that you should take note of:
- Air Miles and Hotel Reward Points: Tickets and bookings made with airline miles programmes, hotel membership reward points, and credit card points etc. will not be covered or claimable.
- Loss of Personal Belongings: If you’ve lost your personal baggage or belongings, you need to report the loss or theft to the local police, hotel, airlines, airport etc. wherever you were within 24 hours, and get printed reports for claims.
- Travel Postponement benefit: Will only be claimable if you bought your travel insurance more than 3 days before departure date (except for death reasons).
- Pre-Existing Medical Conditions: You must prove that you’ve been diligently following your doctor’s treatments, medications, and routine tests etc. You are not eligible if you were admitted to the hospital or A&E in the past year due to your pre-existing medical condition.
- Pet Hotel Add-On: Only covers dogs and cats.
5. Etiqa Travel Insurance Claim Review
Although Etiqa has been around in Singapore for reportedly over 55 years (says their website), you’ll be hard pressed to find reviews from actual customers who have successfully claimed from Etiqa travel insurance before. Instead, there are mixed reviews of Etiqa’s customer service team – some great, mostly negative.
Here are some emergency hotlines you should keep in handy if you’re buying Etiqa’s travel insurance plans:
Etiqa Overseas emergency hotline: Call Allianz Global Assistance emergency assistance hotline at +65 6327 2215 (Allianz is Etiqa’s emergency support provider)
Etiqa Travel insurance claims: WhatsApp Etiqa Customer Service at +65 6887 8777
Online claims: Sign in to your Etiqa Tiq Connect self-service portal to submit claims online
Mailed claims: Download claim forms from Etiqa website, mail with supporting documents to Etiqa’s office in Singapore
Etiqa Insurance Pte Ltd
One Raffles Quay
#22-01 North Tower
Singapore 048583
Claims settlement time: According to Etiqa, their travel claims can be processed and paid as quickly as one day through this instant payment service, as opposed to a cheque which takes 2 to 4 weeks.
6. Etiqa vs AXA Travel Insurance
| Etiqa Tiq Travel Insurance | AXA Travel Insurance | |
| Price (Regional) | $39 – $72/week | $60 – $85/week |
| Price (Worldwide) | $65 – $106/week | $94 – $112/week |
| Medical Expenses (Overseas) | $200,000 – $1,000,000 | $300,000 – $600,000 |
| Emergency Medical Evacuation | $1,000,000 – $1,800,000 | Unlimited |
| Personal Accident (Death & TPD) | $150,000 – $500,000 | $400,000 – $700,000 |
| Trip cancellation | $5,000 – $10,000 | $6,000 – $12,000 |
| Baggage loss | $2,000 – $3,000 | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| Sports and Adventure | Yes | Yes |
| Covid-19 | Add-on | Yes |
| Claims Reviews Online | Few | Negative |
7. Etiqa Travel Insurance Promotion
Etiqa has an ongoing promotions which gives you 40% off premiums with promo code TRAVEL40.
Of course, Etiqa loses that competitive pricing edge once you take away the generous promotions… so let’s hope the promo code is here to stay.
8. Etiqa Travel Insurance Review
If you’re like me – a budget traveller who love the outdoors – Etiqa travel insurance is a great fit. It’s cheap, covers pretty much every adventure activity, and the emergency assistance and medical coverage benefits are solid.
As a bonus, you can skip the hotline and get in touch with the customer service via Whatsapp (although there are many bad reviews about that).
By the way, big families travelling together will appreciate the fact that Etiqa’s family plans cover up to 8(!) children. “Children” even encompasses young adults up to 25 years old as long as they are full-time tertiary students in Singapore. The Tiq Pre-Ex travel insurance also gives your elderly parents pretty comprehensive coverage – and peace of mind – while travelling.
Etiqa travel insurance is NOT for you if you’re more of a princess who just. cannot. deal. with flight delays and disappearing luggage. The benefits in this aspect are very poor. Maybe try fly carry-on only with this one.
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