Annual vs. Single-Trip travel insurance: Which suits you?
Annual versus single trips: the main differences
We all know some of the smart tips to consider when travelling. That means regular things like checking the forecast ahead of time, planning your excursions, packing the right supplies, and double-checking your bookings. It also includes equipping yourself with travel insurance.
Travel insurance for Canadians can be a few different things with Saskatchewan Blue Cross. There are annual or multi-trip options and single-trip options. Our Annual Plan is perfect for frequent travellers who need reliable international travel insurance more than once per year. This plan allows the traveller to choose a trip duration, customize with add-ons, and access Flight Delay Service at no extra cost. Covered trips can vary from four to 180 days long. If you want to lengthen your trip, simply add extra time through your plan to stay covered, anytime before your original coverage period was scheduled to end.
Our Individual Plan is great for travellers who travel only once in the year. This plan allows for customization, so you can match your plan to the needs of each individual trip. If you’re travelling within Canada, you’ll receive reduced rates with the same great coverage. You’ll still get Flight Delay Service at no extra cost with this plan.
Travel insurance for annual trips
Even if you only tend to go on two trips a year, the Annual plan is a great option that can help you save money on insurance premiums. It creates space for flexibility, reliability, and customization. You’ll buy one package that covers any trip you take for an entire year, as long as your trip length is the same as or less than your chosen trip duration. That means that if you decide to take another impromptu trip, you’re still covered! This is also a great option for snowbirds who spend most of their time in a warmer climate over the winter months but still travel back to Canada to visit family and home or attend events and appointments.
Know that with an Annual travel insurance plan, you choose a maximum trip length for the majority of your travels. If you ever plan a longer trip or want to extend a trip you’re already on, you can do so by adding days of coverage any time before your plan expires or you reach your maximum trip duration.
Four Annual plan travel insurance benefits
Spontaneity
With coverage that lasts the whole year, you’ll be able to spring into a last-minute trip easily if the opportunity arises. You can book it right away and be at your destination quickly, without adding ‘get travel insurance’ to your pre-trip to-do list. This is essential for travel-lovers, last-minute changes, or frequent business travel. Annual travel insurance for Canadians can help you expect the unexpected, so you won’t have to worry about unexpected expenses..
Savings
If you’re planning two or more trips in a given year, annual travel insurance plans will save you money. Oftentimes, your premiums for multiple individual trips will add up to more than you’d spend on an annual policy. An Annual plan allows you to take as many trips as you’d like (within the terms of the policy) with a plan that only needs to be purchased once.
Convenience
Annual travel insurance plans offer long-term protection. It’s not something you’ll have to think about every time you get on a plane or book an activity. An Annual plan will cover a four-day trip just as seamlessly as it will cover a sixty-day trip, as long as you choose a duration that covers the length of your longest trip. It flows from trip to trip without pause. As long as you renew your travel insurance package each year, the rest of your year is covered.
Peace of mind
Lastly, purchasing annual travel insurance offers frequent flyers peace of mind. It’s the ability to leave home without “what if” questions floating in the back of your mind. It’s an annual purchase that leaves the rest of the year free for adventures with the knowledge that injuries, illnesses, cancellations, and interruptions are covered.
There’s enough to think about when planning a trip, from accommodations to flights to food to activities. Don’t let your safety and peace be a stressor.
At Saskatchewan Blue Cross, Annual Plans are available as follows:
- Annual Medical: A package that includes emergency medical care
- Non-Medical Annual: A package that includes trip cancellation or interruption, accidental death or dismemberment, and baggage
- All-Inclusive Annual: A package that includes all of the above
The extent of your coverage is up to you. If you feel the need for one aspect more than another, there’s a plan for you. If you want everything covered without a second thought, go for the All-Inclusive Annual travel insurance plan.
Travel insurance for single trips
Our Individual Plan is perfect for people who save their travels for one trip per year. This plan covers individual trips with a set start and end date which must be defined before the trip. The plan is purchased in conjunction with each individual trip, paired with the dates you select and ends once the trip is over. You’ll purchase a new plan for any additional trips. If you decide you’re not ready to go home yet, the Individual plan can be extended any time before your original travel insurance policy expires.
This plan makes sense for one-off trips, for example:
- A couple’s getaway where coverage is only necessary for two people
- A week-long trip for an overseas wedding
- A big, yearly vacation that a family commits to every winter
Four Individual plan travel insurance benefits
Savings
Yes, this is a perk for both Annual and Individual plans depending on how they’re used. For single trips, the Individual Plan is financially smart because you’re only paying for what you’ll use. You keep costs to a minimum because you’re not paying for a year’s worth of potential travel and with an Individual Plan, you can choose what add-ons to pay for depending on what your trip entails.
Customization
There’s no telling what your trip can end up being. Someone might use their yearly trip for a simple cottage getaway in another province. Another might use it as an adventurous expedition in an overseas jungle. These two trips, while both applicable to Individual plans, have drastically different needs. Our Individual Plan allows customization through add-ons including the number of travellers, if the trip is within Canada or not, emergency medical care, trip cancellation or interruption, accidental death or dismemberment, and baggage.
Dependability
An Individual travel insurance plan offers dependability when they’re set up properly according to the traveller’s needs. It means you can go on your trip knowing you’re covered for the unexpected. If you always go on a winter vacation, you’ll be covered for flight cancellations and delays—a common occurrence when winter storms and heavy snow are around.
Reduced rates available for in-Canada travel
When travelling within Canada specifically, you can get the same coverage you need at reduced rates. When you apply, select Canada as your country of destination. Save when you’re planning to go skating on the Canal in Ottawa, skiing in Banff, or fishing in Newfoundland.
Explore Individual travel plan options here.
Get your travel on with Saskatchewan Blue Cross
Whether it’s an Annual Plan or an Individual Plan you need, see the full coverage details here and get your plan here. Put your dream vacation plans into action.