Understand the three key differences between family travel insurance and group travel insurance to help you make the most appropriate choice.
If you’re travelling with a group of friends for your upcoming vacation, then it’s time to find out what are the differences between family travel insurance plans and group travel insurance plans.
In this article, find out about the benefits of group travel insurance and whether group travel insurance is the best plan for you and your buddies.
3 key differences between family travel insurance and group travel insurance
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Family travel insurance
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Group travel insurance
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Covers only immediate family members (i.e., legal spouse and children)
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Covers all named individuals
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Separate limits for children and adults
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All insured individuals enjoy same level of benefits
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May offer free child cover
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Charged on per-individual basis, but group discount may be offered
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| Travel Insurance | Premium for Individual Cover | Covid-19 Coverage | Promotion |
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Etiqa (TIQ) Travel Insurance
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from S$39 (for 1 week in Asean)
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Yes
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Single Trip: Use the promo code TIQSINGSAVER to get 48% off. T&Cs apply. Valid till 24 Oct 2023. T&Cs apply.
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Enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, stand to win S$3,000 in TIQ Travel Insurance Monthly Lucky Draw Campaign 2023 (Fulfillment by TIQ). Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply. |
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Starr TraveLead Travel Insurance
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from S$11.05 (for 1 week in ASEAN)
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Yes
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Get up to $50 Grab Vouchers (min. Premium $30) and get 35% off when you use promo code SSVTL35. Valid till 31 Oct 2023. T&Cs apply.
Plus, till 31 October, every 2nd successful applicant will score an Apple AirTag worth S$45 on top of our weekly lucky draw.
Enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw. 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance to win your share your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions! T&Cs apply.
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Allianz Travel Insurance
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from S$34.10 (for 1 week in Asean)
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Yes
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Use promo code SSV45 to get 45% discount plus get up to $35 Grab Vouchers when you apply NOW! Valid till 31 October 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply. |
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MSIG Travel Easy
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from S$34.10 (for 1 week in ASEAN)
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Yes
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Enjoy 40% off when you apply for Single Trips and 20% off for Annual Plan plus get up to $38 Grab Vouchers when you purchase now!! Valid till 31 October 2023. T&Cs apply
Plus, till 31 October, every 2nd successful applicant will score an Apple AirTag worth S$45 on top of our weekly lucky draw.
Enjoy up to 3x chances to enter our Weekly Lucky Draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance to win your share your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions! T&Cs apply. |
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FWD Travel Insurance
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from S$22.50 (for 1 week in Asean)
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Yes
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Use the promo code OCT23 to get 35% off on Single Trip and 30% off on Annual Trip plans. Valid till 25 October 2023. T&Cs apply.
Receive 1x Airalo eSim with up to 3GB data (minimum premium $60). Valid till 31 October 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance to win your share your share of up to S$200,000 in prizes in our epic 101! Milestone Giveaway, including S$5,000 bonus cash each week on top of ongoing promotions! T&Cs apply. |
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Singlife Travel Insurance
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from S$46.20 (for 1 week in ASEAN)
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Yes
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Score an Airalo eSIM with up to 3GB data and receive it before you fly when you apply now! Valid till 31 October 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply.
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Allied World Travel Insurance
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from S$45 (for one week in Asean)
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Yes
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Enjoy a 45% discount for Single Trip and 15% discount for Annual Trip when you apply now! Valid till 30 Nov 2023. T&Cs apply.
Enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply |
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AIG Travel Guard® Direct
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from S$30 (for 1 week in Asean)
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Yes
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Single Trip: Apply promo code SS20OFF to receive 20% discount and receive up to S$50 Grab vouchers on AIG Single Trip Travel Insurance (minimum premium $100, fulfillment by AIG). Valid till 31 Oct 2023. T&Cs apply.
Annual Trip: Get up to 6 Plaza Premium Lounge Access Passes with the promo code SSTGD when you apply NOW! Fulfillment by AIG. Valid till 31 Oct 2023. T&Cs apply.
Additionally, enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply. |
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Great Eastern Travel Insurance
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from S$52 (for one week in Asean)
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Yes
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Single Trip: Get an 30% discount when you use the promo code TSP30S. Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply.
Annual Trip: Get an 10% discount when you use the promo code TSP10A. Valid till 31 Dec 2023. T&Cs apply. Discount is only valid for Elite and Classic plans.
Enjoy 1x chance (Single Trip) or 3x chances (Annual Trip) to enter our weekly lucky draw, where 1 lucky winner will stand to have their flight ticket reimbursed and 12 lucky winners will receive a Samsonite Volant Spinner 68/25 EXP worth S$480. T&Cs apply. Promotion ends on 31 December 2023. T&Cs apply. |
#1: Persons covered
The most important difference between family travel insurance and group travel insurance is the persons covered.
As per its name, a family travel insurance plan only covers, well, family members. In most cases, only immediate family – legal spouse, and own children – are included. Some insurers, however, may only require the children to be insured to be related to one adult only.
This also means that extended family members are excluded from family travel insurance plans. So, if you’re travelling with your grandparents, uncles and aunties, cousins, etc, they will require their own travel insurance policy.
What about domestic helpers? Well, some insurers may offer free coverage for domestic helpers accompanying the family during the trip. If your chosen insurer does not offer this, a separate plan will need to be acquired for your helper.
In contrast, a group insurance policy doesn't require any of the insured individuals to be related in any way whatsoever. They only need to be named, and fulfil the eligibility criteria – commonly, age and nationality.
#2: Claims limits
It is common for family travel insurance plans to have different claims limits for adults and children, with the latter covered only for a portion of the sums assured provided to insured adults.
Not only that, family travel insurance usually institutes an overall cap per family, which adds up to a lower sum than the individual benefits combined.
For instance, a policy may offer personal accident coverage of S$10,000 per adult, and S$5,000 per child, with an overall cap of S$25,000 per family. This means that the policy essentially only offers full cover to two adults and one child, putting larger families at a disadvantage.
Of course, travel insurance benefits aren’t meant to be split up like a chicken dinner. However, per-family limits can make it such that the benefits you do receive are insufficient for your needs.
In contrast, group insurance plans do not have this limitation. All insured persons will have their own individual benefits and limits.
This may be a more attractive option for some, so you should forego family plans and just sign everyone up for a group plan instead, right?
Afterall, some group plans require a minimum age of 16, while family plans cover children up to age 18 or 23, for full-time students. This means you should be able to enrol your 17-year-old under a group policy – and thus gain full cover – correct?
Well, maybe. It is up to your insurer to decide if they will insure you and your immediate family under a group travel plan, instead of a family plan.
Also, if your children do not meet the minimum qualifying age for a group plan, then you’ll have no choice but to go with a family plan instead.
#3: Premiums charged
A prominent selling point of a family plan is that children are included for a lower cost, or sometimes completely for free. The idea is to let parents feel like they are getting good value for money.
Group travel plans, in comparison, are charged on a per-individual basis, with the premium carefully calculated to cover the cost of insurance across all individuals in the policy. Another common practice is to offer a discount on single-traveller plans if multiple travellers sign up together.
While both of these marketing tactics may seem different, they don’t actually matter very much in the grand scheme of things.
What’s more important is getting sufficient coverage for every traveller, and benefits that are actually useful and necessary, at a reasonable premium.
Conclusion: Should you choose family travel insurance or group family insurance?
At the end of the day, choosing between a family travel plan or a group travel plan really boils down to who you’re travelling with.
For parents travelling with their children, they may invariably only be able to choose family plans, due to age constraints or the requirements of the insurer.
For those travelling with extended family members, there may be a choice between multiple family plans (one for each nuclear family), or an overall group policy that includes everyone.
Friends, co-workers and acquaintances will most likely only qualify for group travel policies. But that’s not a disadvantage at all. Sure, premiums may be slightly higher, but each individual will have full coverage.
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