Citibank Travel Insurance: Should You Buy It?

Citibank's travel insurance plans can be characterized as having generally well-rounded coverage with great protection for your baggage for a fairly affordable price.
Citibank
Citibank

Citibank Travel Insurance: Should You Buy It?

Citibank's travel insurance plans can be characterized as having generally well-rounded coverage with great protection for your baggage for a fairly affordable price.

3.7/5.0

ValueChampion Rating ValueChampion Icon

Personal Accident Coverage
Trip Delay Coverage
Baggage Delay Coverage

Pros

  • Classic and Deluxe plans offer above average baggage-related coverage

Cons

  • Annual policies not available for Deluxe & Platinum plans
  • Poor trip delay coverage
  • Classic plan's annual policy costs above average
Citibank
Citibank

Citibank's plans tend to place an emphasis on coverage for your baggage, making this insurer a great choice if you don't want to have to worry about your suitcase and its contents at any point during your trip. But are these travel insurance plans worth your money, and how do they stack up against the competition? Below, we break down each of Citibank's travel insurance plans to help you arrive at the right decision for your needs.

Summary of Citibank Travel Insurance
Classic & Deluxe plans are cheap choices for travellers on a budget and offer high coverage for baggage loss/damage and baggage delays
Platinum Plan tends to be mid-priced but has below-average coverage for baggage loss/damage
Poor coverage for trip delays
Annual policies are not available for Delux & Platinum

Citibank Travel Insurance: What You Need to Know

Citibank's travel insurance plans are characterized by generally well-rounded coverage with great protection for your baggage, whether it gets damaged or lost on the way to your destination, as a particular strength. Citibank's plans also tend to be fairly affordable, especially its budget-tier and mid-tier Classic and Deluxe plans and for trips within Asia. On the other hand, shoppers should be aware that Citibank tends to provide quite poor coverage for trip delays. Frequent flyers should also take note that two of Citibank's plans, the Deluxe and the Platinum, do not offer annual policies, making them a less economical choice if you plan to fly out of Singapore more than a couple of times a year. Thus, if you are looking for a good annual plan, we recommend checking out some alternatives in our annual travel insurance guide.

A graph comparing value of travel insurance in Singapore from all major insurers in the country, assuming a single-trip policy for destinations in Asia

Notable Exclusions

Citibank has the standard exclusions including pre-existing conditions, suicide and mental disorders, willful exposure to danger, travelling for medical treatment, participation in competitive or professional sports and travelling to countries against the advice of the Singapore Government. Below is an abridged list of the some of the main exclusions, but you should always make sure to read the policy wording to know the exact exclusions.

Medical ExclusionsTrip Inconvenience Exclusions
Medical Expenses for pre-existing conditionsEngaging in sport for compensation
Pregnancy-related eventsItems taken by customs officials
Suicide and mental illnessBaggage sent separately or items left unattended
Cosmetic or elective surgery (unless necessitated by injury)loss or damage of hired equipment
Travelling when you are medically unfitInability to travel due to business or contractual obligations

Citibank Classic Plan

The Citibank Classic Plan is an affordable plan with generally well-rounded coverage that especially shines for its great protection of your baggage. With its high cover for baggage loss/damage and baggage delay, the Citibank Classic plan could be a great choice for people travelling with a lot of luggage or valuable items. Deal-hunters should also note that this plan is a particularly high-value pick if you're travelling within Asia, as it tends to be priced very competitively for these kinds of trips.

In terms of price and coverage, the fairly cheap Citibank Classic Plan tends to occupy a middle ground between Etiqa's budget plan, which is one of the cheapest on the market, and the Allianz Global Assistance Bronze Plan, which is similarly priced yet tends to have better coverage for medical expenses and travel inconveniences like flight delays or cancellations. However, the Citibank Classic Plan offers substantially better coverage for personal accident/death than the Allianz Global Assistance plan.

The Citibank Classic Plan does offer an annual travel insurance policy, unlike Citibank's other two plans, the Deluxe and the Platinum. However, these annual policies are among the most expensive within the budget tier. Given the Classic plan's typically average level of coverage in most areas aside from baggage cover, we think you would likely be better served by a more generous and more reasonably priced plan such as the AXA Essential Plan.

Premiums & BenefitsClassic PlanBasic Plan Average
1-Week ASEANS$31.50S$34.00
1-Week GlobalS$36.40S$59.00
Annual ASEANS$239.20S$196.90
Annual GlobalS$396.80S$282.49
1-Week ASEAN Value Ratio0.640.62
1-Week Asia Value Ratio0.670.67
1-Week Global Value Ratio0.550.65
Total Medical & Personal AccidentS$450,000S$553,750
Trip InconvenienceS$11,200S$12,100

Citibank Deluxe Plan

The Citibank Deluxe Plan offers generally well-rounded coverage that meets the industry standard for mid-tier travel insurance plans while maintaining affordable prices. Like the Citibank Classic Plan, the Deluxe Plan boasts high coverage for baggage loss/damage and baggage delay as a particular strength, again making this plan a good option to consider if you're bringing valuable or fragile items on your trip, or if you're travelling somewhere like a third-world country where lost baggage may be more of a risk or a greater inconvenience to you. Like the Classic Plan, this plan is a particularly good deal for people planning trips within Asia, as it is one of the cheapest on the market for this kind of trip.

However, this does not mean that the Citibank Deluxe Plan is necessarily the best fit for your next trip out of Singapore. Except in the area of personal accident, where the Citibank plan has the clear edge, Citibank's Deluxe plan tends to compare unfavorably to mid-tier heavy hitters like the Allianz Global Assistance Silver Plan. This is because the Allianz Plan tends to offer much higher coverage in areas such as medical, trip delays and trip cancellations while offering quite similar coverage for baggage (Citibank's main strength) despite being priced similarly to—or even in some cases cheaper than—Citibank's plan.

It should also be noted that annual policies are not available for the Citibank Deluxe Plan, making Citibank an uneconomical choice for people who travel out of Singapore more than 4 times a year.

Premiums & BenefitsDeluxe PlanMid-Tier Industry Average
1-Week ASEANS$46.90S$46.00
1-Week GlobalS$85.40S$78.00
Annual ASEANN/AS$242.00
Annual GlobalN/AS$340.41
1-Week ASEAN Value Ratio1.710.88
1-Week Asia Value Ratio0.770.89
1-Week Global Value Ratio0.670.91
Total Medical/Personal AccidentS$750,000S$929,000
Trip InconvenienceS$18,600S$19,600

Citibank Platinum Plan

Citibank's premium travel insurance option, the Platinum plan, strikes us as the weakest within the Citibank suite. This is because whereas the Classic and Deluxe plans stood out for their high coverage for baggage loss/damage and delay, the Platinum plan actually provides below-average coverage for baggage loss/damage, as well as maintaining Citibank's characteristically poor coverage for trip delay. The Platinum plan does, however provide better-than-average cover for medical expenses and baggage delay.

The main reason that the Citibank Platinum plan does not stand out as a clearly obvious choice for any kind of travellers is two-fold. It tends to be mid-priced for most kinds of trips, making it not a particularly affordable choice. More importantly, there are better alternatives on the market, such as the high-value Allianz Global Assistance Gold Plan, that offer you better bang for your buck. And for just a few more dollars, you can upgrade to the nearly universally superior Aviva's Travel Prestige Plan.

Premiums & BenefitsPlatinum PlanTop-Tier Industry Average
1-Week ASEANS$69.30S$56.00
1-Week GlobalS$127.40S$90.00
Annual ASEANN/AS$302.00
Annual GlobalN/AS$421.00
1-Week ASEAN Value Ratio0.951.09
1-Week Asia Value Ratio1.041.32
1-Week Global Value Ratio0.891.28
Total Medical/Personal AccidentS$2,500,000S$1,709,400
Trip InconvenienceS$23,800S$28,400

Sports Coverage

Citibank has generous coverage for sports and activities and also includes golf and sports equipment coverage included in its premium. However, it doesn't cover scuba diving equipment, fishing equipment or rental equipment. You will automatically have medical and accident coverage for non-professional sports such as marathons (up to 42km), biathlons, triathlons, any activity done with a guide including parachuting, skydiving, bungee jumping, hiking or trekking up to 6,000km, harnessed rock climbing, canoeing/rafting up to level 4 rapids and scuba diving. The sports that aren't covered are classified as extreme, and include base jumping, big wave surfing, horse jumping, martial arts, mountaineering, off-piste skiing and shark cage diving.

Golf CoverClassicDeluxePlatinum
Loss of Golf Equipment (incl. In Use)S$2,000S$750S$500
Hiring of Golf EquipmentS$300S$300S$200
Hole-in-OneS$600S$150S$100
Sports EquipmentClassicDeluxePlatinum
Sports Equipment (inc. ski)S$1,000S$600S$300

Claims Information

Since there are two plans that you can purchase through Citibank (this review is using Citibank's AXA version), you will have to go to the respective insurer's site and file a claim with them. AXA lets you submit your travel claims online or download and mail a pdf form.

Contact Information
Customer Service1-800 880 4888
24-Hour Emergency Assistance(65) 6322 2566
Address(AXA) 8 Shenton Way, #24-01 AXA Tower, Singapore 068811
ClaimsOnline

Citibank Travel Insurance Details

Citibank
Citibank

We hope reading our review of Citibank's travel insurance plans has helped you determine if this insurer has the right policy to keep you adequately covered on your next trip. Below you'll find a summary of how Citibank's premiums and benefits compare to the industry average. If you'd like to learn more about some of our top picks for travel insurance in Singapore, you can read our guide here.

ClassicDeluxePlatinumIndustry Average
1-Week ASEANS$31.50S$46.90S$69.30S$46.00
Annual ASEANS$239.20N/AN/AS$248.00
1-Week AsiaS$36.40S$53.20S$77S$56.00
Annual AsiaS$245.60N/AN/AS$264.38
1-Week GlobalS$63S$85.40S$127.40S$78.00
Annual GlobalS$396.80N/AN/AS$355.00
1 Week ASEAN Value Ratio0.640.710.951.00
Annual Global Ratio0.43N/AN/A1.00
Coverage BenefitsClassicDeluxePlatinumIndustry Average
Personal Accident & DeathS$200,000S$300,000S$500,000S$329,300
MedicalS$250,000S$450,0002,000,000S$781,000
Emergency Medical & RepatriationS$600,000UnlmtdUnlmtdS$1,043,000
Trip CancellationS$5,000S$10,000S$15,000S$12,900
Trip DelaysS$1,000S$1,000S$1,000S$1,300
Baggage Loss DamageS$4,000S$6,000S$6,000S$5,700
Baggage DelayS$1,200S$1,600S$1,800S$1,100

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Anastassia Evlanova

Anastassia is a Senior Research Analyst at ValueChampion Singapore, evaluating insurance products for consumers based on quantitative and qualitative financial analysis. She holds degrees in Economics and International Business Management and her prior working experience includes work in the capital markets sector. Her analyses surrounding insurance, healthcare, international affairs and personal finance has been featured on AsiaOne, Business Insider, DW, Vice, Her World, Asia Insurance Review, the Australian Institute of International Affairs and more.

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