Yahoo Finance Tokio Marine Travel Insurance – MoneySmart Review (2022)
As a product, the Tokio Marine travel insurance plans have very little brand awareness in Singapore’s market. Most people just know that Tokio Marine is from Japan, but unless you’re a sucker for all things “made in Japan”, that’s not quite enough, is it?
Tokio Marine’s travel insurance plans go by the brand TM Xplora Classic and Premier. The plans are comprehensive even covering as far as extra pet boarding costs and loss of frequent flyer points.
But how does Tokio Marine’s TM Xplora plans match up to its competition? Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the prices and coverage.
Tokio Marine travel insurance at a glance
Travel insurance plan | Tokio Marine TM Xplora Classic | Tokio Marine TM Xplora Premier |
Price for 1 week (Zone A) | $48 | $62.40 |
Price for 1 week (Zone B) | $68.80 | $88.80 |
Promotion | 20% off single trip & annual plans | |
Medical expenses (overseas) | $300,000 | $500,000 |
Emergency medical evacuation | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
Personal accident (death & TPD) | $200,000 | $300,000 |
Travel delay ($100 every 6 hours) | $1,200 | $1,200 |
Trip cancellation | $5,000 | $10,000 |
Baggage delay ($200 every 6 hours) | $1,200 | $1,200 |
Baggage loss/damage | $5,000 | $7,500 |
Adventure activities covered? | Yes | |
Tokio Marine travel insurance promotions
Currently, Tokio Marine is offering 20% off single trips and annual plans. No promo code is needed, just purchase the policy online via the Tokio Marine website. There’s no published date of when the discount ends, but if you super kiasu, you can book up to 6 months in advance.
After discount, the TM Xplora Classic and Premier plans are quite affordable. Price-wise, they are comparable to – actually, possibly even cheaper than – NTUC Income, which is generally regarded as the benchmark for reasonable prices.
What does Tokio Marine travel insurance cover?
As you can tell by its price, the TM Xplora plans are more similar to mid-priced competitors in the market ($30+ to $50+). Unlike the budget $20 to $25 ones, Tokio Marine travel insurance plans actually have decent coverage.
The TM Xplora plans have increased their limits for several claims over the years, as well as introduced 5 new cover categories:
Xplora cover categories | Enhanced coverage limits |
Accidental death & permanent disablement | $200,000 (Classic), $300,000 (Premier) |
Double indemnity for travelling in public transportation | $400,000 (Classic), $600,000 (Premier) |
Baggage delay | $1,200 |
Travel interruption (if hospitalised overseas for more than 5 days) | $3,000 (Classic), $7,000 (Premier) |
Repatriation expenses | $20,000 (Classic), $30,000 (Premier) |
Travel delay | $1,200 |
Golfer’s benefit | Up to $500 (Classic), $1,000 (Premier) |
New Xplora cover categories | New coverage limits |
Loss of use of entertainment ticket or frequent flyer points | $100 (Classic), $300 (Premier) |
Rental vehicle return | $200 |
Pet dog and/or cat care benefit | $300 (Classic), $500 (Premier) |
Alternative travel arrangement | $1,000 |
Replacement of traveller benefit | $150 (Classic), $300 (Premier) |
The coverage for overseas medical expenses, personal accident, travel delay and baggage delay are now slightly above average, which is great. Also, as a pet owner, I greatly appreciate them adding in the new category for pet boarding (although it is admittedly quite niche).
Interestingly, while most of Tokio Marine’s coverage is for travel misfortunes – duh – there is one celebration clause. Golfing experts, take note: Under golfer benefits, you can claim $100 (Classic) / $300 (Premier) for “hole in one celebration expenses”.
Yup, Tokio Marine understands that if you pull off such a feat, you’re literally obligated to pay for dinner and drinks. While not super typical of most insurers, this seems to be common for the Japanese.
In general, Tokio Marine’s coverage is really quite comprehensive. They even cover most tourist adventure sports done at a leisure level. This includes bungee jumping and skydiving, which some other insurers don’t cover.
Outdoor activity | Covered by Tokio Marine TM Xplora plans? |
Hot air balloon | Yes |
Scuba diving | Yes (up to 30m) |
Skiing and other ice/snow sports | Yes (within approved areas) |
Hiking or trekking | Yes (up to 4,500m) |
Mountaineering or outdoor rock climbing | Yes (doesn’t require the use of specific climbing equipment and ropes) |
Marathons | Yes (non-competitive, leisure basis) |
Jet skiing | Yes |
White water rafting | Yes (up to grade 3) |
Skydiving | Yes |
Paragliding, hang gliding or parachuting | Yes |
Bungee jumping | Yes |
If you want the specifics, read the policy wording here.
Looking to buy Tokio Marine travel insurance? Compare all Singapore travel insurance policies by price and coverage first.
Disclaimer: Tokio Marine travel insurance does not provide any COVID-19 coverage.
Tokio Marine Travel Insurance claim procedure
General hotline: +65 6221 6111 (Mon to Fri, 8.45am to 5.45pm)
Online claims: You may submit your travel claims via Tokio Marine’s online claim form – simply head to the website and click into the portal. You must fill everything up online, and prepare your supporting documents.
Hard copy claims: If you like, you can also download the PDF claim forms and fill up a hard copy. Bundle that with your supporting documents and mail it to Tokio Marine Insurance Singapore Ltd. 20 McCallum Street, #09-01, Tokio Marine Centre, Singapore 069046.
Things to note: Should you need help during the claims process, you can reach out to Tokio Marine’s team at tmisclaims@tokiomarine.com.sg or call the general hotline.
Refer to Tokio Marine’s claims centre for all the relevant forms and procedures. For documents required, refer to the claims form provided.
Conclusion: should you buy Tokio Marine Travel Insurance?
Tokio Marine’s travel insurance is quite value for money – they cover all the main bases, with a little extra for good measure.
Also, the zones are only split into Zone A and Zone B. The former includes Asia, Australia and New Zealand, while the latter encompasses the rest of the world with a few exceptions. Many competitors split the regions into 3 tiers – ASEAN, Asia and worldwide – which means it’s going to cost you more to get coverage for destinations in Asia that are further away.
For Tokio Marine, the Asia package prices are comparable to competitors’ cheapest ASEAN plans, which means it’s extra worth it if you’re going to places like Japan and Korea, which are typically in the second tier price range.
The Xplora plans are also great for those planning to do adventure sports. As mentioned above, the coverage is comprehensive and includes most aerial activity. So go ahead and hurl yourself off an aircraft – as long as you’re doing it for fun (i.e. recreational, non-competitive purposes), you should be covered.
The claims process is also reasonably simple – you can do it all online, or the good ol’ traditional way, via mail. I can do, my grandmother also can do.
However, if you’re the kind who does more than your due diligence when researching for the best travel insurance, you probably would’ve noticed that there’s not much written online about Tokio Marine’s TM Xplora plans.
I have never bought it, but a quick few rounds in the online forums told me that quite a number of previous customers have had trouble with their claims. It either took very long to process, or was rejected.
That said, we all know that most “feedback” happens when customers are angry, so take it with a pinch of salt. There could’ve been twice the number of happy customers, but how many take their 10/10 experiences to the forum?
Another major drawback of Tokio Marine is that it offers no coverage in the event that you catch Miss Rona. Travelling in the time of a pandemic, getting yourself covered for COVID-19 is a definitely a thing of priority.
I say – if the price and coverage suit your budget and needs and you’re a walking COVID-19 repellent, go for it. Tokio Marine is, after all, the pioneer and largest insurance group in Japan.
Looking to buy Tokio Marine travel insurance? See details and compare all Singapore travel insurance policies by price and coverage first.
If you have bought Tokio Marine TM Xplora travel insurance before, share your experience with us in the comments below!
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Original article: Tokio Marine Travel Insurance – MoneySmart Review (2022).
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