Best Travel Insurance for Trip & Flight Cancellation

Check out the best travel insurance with coverage for trip and flight cancellations. 

Best Travel Insurance: TIQ Travel Insurance | MSIG TravelEasy | Allianz Travel Insurance | Ergo TravelProtect | Singlife Travel Insurance | Sompo Travel Insurance | Tokio Marine Travel Insurance | Allied World Travel Insurance | Starr Travel Insurance | FWD Travel Insurance | AIG Travel Guard

One popular misconception is that travel insurance is only useful during your trip. If you happen to fall ill (be it COVID-19 or not), suffer an injury, or lose your luggage, only then can you submit a claim to cover your financial losses. 

However, did you know that your travel insurance policy can also protect you before your trip? If you have to cancel or postpone your trip, you can claim for unused tickets, accommodations and bookings that are non-refundable. This can help you recover a significant portion of sums paid upfront. 

Let’s take a closer look at travel insurance trip and flight cancellation benefits, and how you can make the best use of them in a bind.

Table of contents:

• Understanding travel insurance trip and flight cancellation benefits
  • How do travel insurance trip cancellation benefits and flight cancellation benefits work?
  • What are some common reasons for which I can claim travel insurance trip or flight cancellation benefits?
• Best travel insurance for trip and flight cancellations
  • Singlife Travel – Plus
  • MSIG TravelEasy — Elite
  • FWD – Premium
  • Tiq Travel — Entry
  • TM Explora Plus – Classic
• FAQs

Understanding travel insurance trip and flight cancellation benefits 

The terms “travel insurance trip cancellation” and “travel insurance flight cancellation” are often used interchangeably, as they cover the same events. 

If you are unable to proceed with your trip as planned, there’s a chance your plane tickets, hotel accommodations and entertainment bookings may go to waste. You would then make a claim under your trip and flight cancellations benefits to recover their costs. 

Generally, there are three scenarios that qualify under trip and flight cancellation, as follows: 

• Having to cancel or postpone your trip before it starts (trip cancellation)
• Cutting your trip short and going home early (trip curtailment)
• Having to make changes to your itinerary halfway through your trip (trip disruption)

Note that your policy may offer different claims limits for these scenarios. 

Also, be aware that your benefits will only apply from the point you purchase your travel insurance onwards, and not before. 

This means that if an airport closure has been announced affecting your flight, you won’t be able to claim your benefits unless you had purchased your travel insurance policy prior to the announcement. 

How do travel insurance trip cancellation benefits and flight cancellation benefits work?

We previously covered this in detail, so do have a look at the linked article if you want more information. 

In essence, your travel insurance policy acts as a last resort. Your insurer may ask you to approach your travel operators for compensation first, but you can save a step by doing it on your own initiative first.  

Before making your claim, gather the necessary documents from your travel operator. These could be a statement from your airline stating the cause of your flight delay or cancellation, original receipts for tickets, and accommodation bookings specifying your dates of stay.

While you’re doing so, ask for a refund or compensation from your airline, attraction venue, hotel or tour operator, and obtain a written copy of their decision. Include this when submitting your claims to your insurer.

Because you’ve provided evidence that you have already tried to claim compensation from your tour operators, your insurer won’t bounce you back to them, saving you some time in the claims process.

What are some common reasons for which I can claim travel insurance trip or flight cancellation benefits?

Different insurers will have their own scope of covered reason, but generally, you can claim for reasons such as:

• Death, serious injury or serious illness of the insured, a family member, or a travel companion
• Being called up for civic duties, such as to attend court as a witness 
• Having to stay in Singapore due to fires, floods, break-ins or other serious incidents involving one’s home or business premises
• Unexpected incidents whether man-made (strikes, riots, etc) or natural (natural disasters) that prevent travel to the destination or make the trip impossible or unsafe.
• Airport closures that prevent or affect travel at the intended destination 
• Being denied boarding or travel due to infectious disease symptoms 

The above should be taken for information purposes only. Be sure to check your policy for the specific conditions and wordings. 

Best travel insurance for trip and flight cancellations

Product	Key highlights	Apply
Singlife Travel Plus Apply Now	Trip coverage: - S$15,000 for cancellation (S$1,500 for COVID-19) - S$8,000 for curtailment - S$2,000 for disruption  - S$2,000 for postponement  Others: - S$5,000 for cancellation for any reason - Frequent flyer points	Apply Now
MSIG Elite Plan Apply Now	Trip coverage: - S$10,000 for cancellation (S$4,000 for COVID-19) - S$10,000 for curtailment - S$2,000 for disruption  - S$1,500 for postponement  Others: - S$500 for unused green fees - S$300 for unused entertainment tickets	Apply Now
FWD Premium Apply Now	Trip coverage: - S$7,500 for cancellation  - S$5,000 for curtailment - S$1,000 for disruption  - S$500 for postponement  Others: - S$6,000 for cancellation for any reason (as add-on)	Apply Now
Tiq Travel Entry Apply Now	Trip coverage: - S$5,000 for cancellation (S$3,000 for COVID)  - S$3,000 for curtailment - S$3,000 for disruption (COVID-19 only) - S$500 for postponement	Apply Now
TM Xplora Plus Classic Apply Now	Trip coverage: - S$5,000 for cancellation - S$7,500 for curtailment - S$3,000 for disruption  - S$5,000 for postponement  Others: - S$100 for unused entertainment tickets - S$100 for loss of frequent flyer points	Apply Now

Singlife Travel – Plus

Singlife Travel – Plus is a mid-tier plan that offers up to S$15,000 coverage if you need to cancel your travel plans. The plan also provides up to S$8,000 in benefits if you need to cut your trip short, while itinerary changes and delaying the start of your trip is covered at up to S$2,000.

This plan also comes with a Cancel for Any Reason benefit that is capped at S$5,000. Under this clause, you can claim up to 50% of the cost of unused travel fares, accommodations and other non-refundable expenses if you elect to cancel your trip for reasons other than those listed in your policy. 

This plan also covers loss of frequent flyer points, allowing you to prevent your hard-earned air miles from going to waste – a benefit rarely seen in other travel insurance policies.

MSIG TravelEasy – Elite 

Another mid-tier plan, MSIG TravelEasy Elite offers coverage for flights, accommodations and travel deposits up to S$10,000 per adult traveller in the event of travel cancellation and also for trip curtailment, should you need to cut your trip short. 

For trip disruptions, you are covered for up to S$2,000, and if you need to postpone your trip, you can claim up to S$1,500 for wasted tickets.

Additionally, you are also covered for up to S$300 per adult in unused entertainment tickets such as concerts and exhibitions. If you were planning to take a golf holiday, know that you can claim up to S$500 in unused green fees. 

FWD – Premium

For an entry-level plan, FWD – Premium offers higher benefits than most of its peers for travel cancellation, providing you with greater value for money. 

You are protected for up to S$7,500 for unused flight tickets, hotel bookings and other non-refundable expenses if you are unable to proceed with your trip. Meanwhile, having to cut your trip short will entitle you to up to S$5,000 in benefits.

If your itinerary was disrupted during your trip, you can claim up to S$1,000. And if you need to postpone your trip, you can claim up to S$500 in benefits to pay for flight change fees and the like. 

FWD also recently included a special add-on where you can claim up to S$6,000 for trip cancellations for any reason, making it ideal for travellers who may foresee any disruptions in their travel plans.

Tiq Travel – Entry 

Sometimes, you just want to get away for the weekend, and don’t actually need that much trip or flight cancellation coverage. If so, Tiq Travel –Entry might just fit the bill for a budget-friendly policy that still does the job. 

This plan covers you for up to S$5,000 against travel cancellations, which should be more than enough for a short holiday in Malaysia or Thailand. You’ll also receive up to S$3,000 cover for trip curtailment, and S$500 if you have to delay your trip.

As for trip disruption resulting in itinerary changes, you are provided with up to S$3,000 in benefits. However, this is only applicable if the underlying reason is due to COVID-19 or a related cause. 

TM Explora Plus – Classic

Another plan with high coverage for travel cancellation is TM Explora Plus – Classic, which provides up to S$5,000 for trip cancellation and/or travel postponement. This is the highest coverage we’ve seen for the latter. 

Trip curtailment is covered at an even higher limit of S$7,500, which is good if you’ve booked expensive accommodations. Itinerary changes and trip disruptions are also covered, for up to S$3,000. 

This plan also comes with minor benefits for unused entertainment and loss of frequent flyer points; there’s a S$100 benefit included for these losses. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Does travel insurance cover cancelled trips?

Yes, travel insurance policies cover cancelled trips. You can claim reimbursement for unused plane tickets, hotels and accommodation, entertainment tickets and attraction bookings that have been paid up and are non-refundable. 

The reason for cancellation must be a named cause or event that is specified in the policy wording. Some policies also offer Cancel for Any Reason benefits that allow you to claim your benefits when cancelling your trip for reasons not named in the policy. 

As conditions, limits, definitions and exclusions vary across plans and providers, it is crucial to consult your policy wording or insurer to obtain a clear and complete picture of your trip cancellation benefits.

2. What is the difference between travel insurance and trip cancellation insurance?

The vast majority of travel insurance plans include trip cancellation benefits by default, although limits and scope of cover varies. Travel insurance plans also include an array of other important and helpful benefits for travellers, including overseas medical expenses, emergency evacuation, loss of luggage and personal items, and flight delays and diversions. 

In contrast, travel cancellation insurance may only cover you when you need to cancel your trip. It may not offer any coverage for any other events or occurrences. 

Travellers should choose a full-featured travel insurance plan for more well-rounded protection and coverage before and during their trip. 

3. Which company’s travel insurance is best?

Travel insurance plans are available in a wide range of configurations, coverage levels and premiums, to cater to the varied needs of different travellers, who travel to different destinations and for different durations. 

Hence, there is no “overall best travel insurance plan”. Rather, it is important to pick a travel insurance plan that most closely suits your needs, destination and budget, as that will likely be the best travel insurance plan for your trip.