Yahoo Finance Top 3 Credit Cards That Give Free Travel Insurance
After months of working like a slave, rowing an oar in that galley you call a “workplace,” you’re finally ready to have your chains removed (temporarily) for a well-deserved holiday! You already know where you want to go – you just need to go online to buy your ticket.
Onward to freedom!
After choosing a flight and passing a few web pages including one asking if you need travel insurance (pfft… don’t need that!), you’re only a credit card payment away from paradise. But hold on – you DO need travel insurance. And better yet, there are cards that offer it for FREE! If you’re not sure why you need it, do yourself a favour and read Why You Need Travel Insurance for a minute.
Some of the main factors to consider when looking at free travel insurance provided by credit cards are:
Accidental death and permanent disablement coverage (for you and your family)
Lost Luggage
Flight-related coverage – trip cancellations, flight delays, trip interruptions, etc.
Any other medical benefits e.g. expenses incurred overseas, evacuation, etc.
Now that we’ve dispensed with the “heavy” stuff, let’s take a look at the top 3 cards that stand out from the rest in terms of offering free travel insurance:
Citibank PremierMiles Card
The Citibank PremierMiles Card is Citibank’s travel card that provides great travel benefits such as giving 10,000 bonus miles when you renew your annual membership, with miles that never expire. It offers protection for you, your spouse and your kids 25 and under as long as you pay for their tickets with your card as well.
If you have the Citibank PremierMiles Card, you get the following coverage:
Up to S$1,000,000 coverage in the event of death or permanent disablement for you and your spouse
$50,000 coverage for your child
Up to S$40,000 coverage for medical expenses incurred due to injury or sickness whilst on a covered trip. (Up to S$20,000 coverage for your child).
Up to S$100,000 coverage for emergency medical evacuation.
Up to S$50,000 coverage for repatriation.
Baggage Loss: Up to S$500 reimbursement per article, up to max S$1,000.
Baggage Delay: S$200 for every consecutive 8 hours of delay, up to max S$500
Flight Delay: S$100 for every consecutive 8 hours of delay, up to max S$500
Trip Cancellation: Up to S$500 reimbursement
Trip Interruption: Up to S$500 reimbursement
If you are interested in the Citibank PremierMiles Card, you can apply here.
American Express® Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card
The Krisflyer Ascend card is American Express’ unique travel card that allows you to accrue KrisFlyer miles twice as fast when you book your flights with Singapore Airlines. It also offers you a complimentary hotel night’s stay each year, and access 4 times a year to airport lounges around the world.
If you have the KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card, you get the following coverage:
Up to $1,000,000 for accidental death or permanent disablement for you and your spouse.
Up to $100,000 for accidental death or permanent disablement for your kids.
Up to $1,000 for lost luggage.
Up to $400 for delayed luggage. They also provide extended baggage delay coverage of up to $1,000 per family for the purchase of essential items if your baggage hasn’t arrived at the destination airport within 48 hours of arrival.
Up to $400 for flight delay (Must be a Singapore Airlines flight).
They have an ongoing promotion that waives the first year fee and allows you to accrue 2x KrisFlyer miles on all purchases made in the first 3 months (10,000 miles cap. Ends 31 Dec). If you are interested in the American Express Singapore Airlines Krisflyer Ascend Credit Card, you can apply here.
ANZ Travel Visa Signature Credit Card
If you head to Australia or New Zealand often, the ANZ Travel Visa Signature Credit Card is a good card to have. The card allows users to earn 2.8 air miles for every $1 when they spend in either of the two countries. They also provide 12,000 bonus miles upon annual renewal.
If you have ANZ’s Travel Visa Signature Credit Card, you get the following coverage:
Up to $1,000,000 for accidental death or permanent disablement for you and your spouse.
Up to $100,000 for accidental death or permanent disablement for your kids.
Up to $1,000 for lost luggage, flight delay, or trip cancellation.
Up to $25,000 in medical benefits – medical/ accidental dental expenses incurred overseas; up to $750 for TCM treatment
If you are interested in the ANZ Travel Visa Signature Credit Card, you can apply here.
Notable Mentions
DBS Altitude Card: $1,000,000 coverage (no coverage for travel delay, bag loss, etc.)
HSBC Platinum Card: $300,000 coverage
Important Notes: The information above is a broad overview of what’s in each travel insurance policy, but keep in mind that they can be picky with their Terms & Conditions so give them a glance too.
Also, for all of the credit cards above, make sure you print out/copy of the following and carry them with you while on holiday: your credit card statement showing your travel package/flight purchase, your flight ticket(s), and your confirmation email/letter from the airline in case you need to make a claim.
If you have one of these credit cards above, great! Take advantage of the free travel insurance by paying your for your air fare with them. If you don’t, you might want to apply for one of the ones above to save some money on travel insurance. You can check out sites like Smartcredit.sg to compare and find credit cards with other travel perks.
Will you be using any of these credit cards on your holiday trip? Share your thoughts with us on Facebook!
Image Credits:
Kustar & Wildhaber Photography
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