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November 22, 2023

Fuseworks Media

Kiwis dive back into travel, look for high-value insurance – Canstar NZ

International travel is bouncing back, with a 70% jump in Kiwis going on holiday through September, according to the most recent statistics. And travel insurance is in hot demand, as cash-conscious Kiwis look for value and peace of mind for their adventures.

Today Canstar is proud to announce its Travel Insurance Outstanding Value Awards, across several categories. 

The winners of this year’s awards are:

● International Travel Insurance: House of Travel, Southern Cross Travel Insurance, Tower,

● Trans-Tasman Travel Insurance: House of Travel, Tower, Worldcare.

● Seniors Travel Insurance: AMP, Southern Cross Travel Insurance, Worldcare.

● South Pacific Cruise: House of Travel, Tower, Worldcare.

Canstar New Zealand spokesperson Irene Chapple said Kiwis are diving back into travel, but are more cautious given the upheaval of recent years. Kiwis are also looking for value from their insurance, given it is often a reluctant purchase.

“Canstar is always looking for the best value offers for consumers, and our Outstanding Value Travel Insurance Awards recognise the providers that deliver the most extensive features, for the best value.

“Arranging any sort of travel can be hectic at the best of times, and we hope these awards go some way to helping consumers with their decisions.”

Southern Cross Travel Insurance CEO Jo McCauley said the awards highlight the team’s ongoing commitment to providing exceptional coverage and service to travellers both domestic and international.

“It’s extra-rewarding to receive this recognition in what has been another challenging year, starting with the closure of airports as a result of the extreme weather events in Auckland and Hawke’s Bay in January and February.

“Our team at Southern Cross Travel Insurance is incredibly honoured to receive the Canstar Outstanding Value Awards for both the international and senior traveller categories in Aotearoa New Zealand, and we remain committed to upholding an excellence in standards in the industry.”

David Wallace, Chief Sales Officer of Allianz New Zealand, which offers a number of insurance products, said: “We are delighted with these achievements and that our partners, House of Travel, Tower and AMP, have received this recognition. Obtaining comprehensive travel insurance is more important than ever. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you simply can’t afford to travel.”

Canstar’s panel of experts noted Southern Cross’s competitive premiums for seniors, and high levels of cover for international travel insurance. The panel also recognised Worldcare’s consistently strong performance, along with its competitive pricing and policy features. House of Travel was commended for its high level of cover, combined with high-value pricing. Tower joined the winners’ club due to the insurer’s price performance, while AMP’s competitive premiums and above-average feature scores also saw it earn a position on the winners’ table.

For more information visit the Canstar website here.

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• Depart Return

Are all travellers under 19 your children or grandchildren?

Dependants are defined by TINZ as your children or grandchildren, not in full time employment, who are under the age of 19 and travelling with you for 100% of the journey. Before proceeding, please confirm that all travellers under 19 are dependants of the adult travellers. If the child is not classified under the above terms then please treat them as an adult traveller within this policy.

The Already Overseas plan is appropriate for New Zealand residents who are already overseas and need travel insurance cover because they have either forgotten to purchase before they left New Zealand or, their existing travel insurance policy has expired.

Please read our conditions of purchase carefully. We can only provide cover provided that you satisfy the following conditions at the time of purchase:

• You are aged 64 or under; and
• You have a permanent residential address in New Zealand and will be returning to resume residence in New Zealand at the end of your journey; and
• You intend to return to New Zealand on the date your policy ends; and
• You purchase your policy within 30 days from either the date you departed New Zealand; or the expiry of any other travel insurance policy; and
• Your period of overseas travel does not exceed 18 consecutive months in total from the date you originally departed New Zealand;

Please note:

• For this plan “journey” means the time from when the policy is issued while you are overseas and ends when you arrive at any immigration counter in New Zealand.
• Journeys can be up to a maximum of 90 days.
• Purchasing an Already Overseas policy is limited to one journey every 12 months.
• There is no cover provided for the first 72 hours from the start date of your certificate of insurance.

Age limit exceeded.

We are sorry.

We are unable to provide cover for this trip. Travellers aged over 80 years and over can only purchase travel insurance for a maximum duration of 6 months.

Please visit our partner website www.comparetravelinsurance.co.nz to purchase travel insurance for this trip.

Single Trip | Annual Multi-Trip

SINGLE TRIP | ANNUAL MULTI-TRIP

five star travel insurance

It's not just our customers that rate us highly, independent research agency Canstar recently rated our products as Outstanding Value. TINZ received a five star rating for many common travel scenarios. 

Hear what our customers say

We like to know whether our customers think we're marvellous or medicocre. We value customer feedback and don't shy away from being independently rated. This is why we ask for travel insurance reviews from you. See what our customers have been saying on Compare Travel Insurance.

TINZ Rated 8.6 on a scale of 0 to 10 out of 355 reviews on Compare Travel Insurance

Review by Simon Nash

Rated 8.7 on a scale of 0 to 10

Quick service, support, re....

Hi, Very impressed with speed and support in processing our claim so promptly. Definitely recommend TINZ! WIll book again next time!

Review by Robert Mundell

Rated 10.0 on a scale of 0 to 10

Wonderful quick result for claim. Very efficient, Great pricing. Would recommend them and we will always use them when traveling

Review by Vedant

Rated 1.0 on a scale of 0 to 10

One of the worst insurance....

Guys beware of this company. They will charge the premium amount by showing a good cover, but when it comes to claims they won't claim a single dollar and literally have excuse for every exclusion in their list. it's better not to have travel insurance than to pay these guys the premium.

Review by Marie Bowden

Rated 8.5 on a scale of 0 to 10

Just what we needed withou....

Because of Covid, we needed to purchase Travel insurance. Spent a few hours shopping around and found TINZ did all that we needed (without all the extras) and it didn't break the bank balance. Will be asking for a quote on next years overseas trip. Easy to use web site, good value, highly recommend.

Review by ROLAND BASTET

Rated 1.7 on a scale of 0 to 10

Useless if you need help o....

Had trouble with my travel arrangements. While I accepted that it was my fault, I needed assistance (non-financial) how to proceed. The lady on the phone was releaved that my claim wasn't covered and did not do anything other that to say they could ring me during NZ business hours, which was completely useless being in Europe. I wonder what would have happened if that would have been a medical emergency. The cheap cost of the policy reflects the service one will receive. Will certainly not use this outfit again. Minus 3 stars.

Review by Vanessa Taylor

Awesome communication. What great communication with emails from TINZ. We didn't have any claims but the safety of having travel insurance is a must.

Review by Blair Cooper

So easy for peace of mind

TINZ is consistently the cheapest in the market. We buy domestic travel insurance to cover our rental car excess - much cheaper than taking the rental company’s insurance. The one time we had to claim, it was very easy and efficient. Although we had to pay the rental company for the damage first, Tinz paid our claim promptly.

Review by Diane

Rated 4.0 on a scale of 0 to 10

Very long process.

We bought our insurance with TINZ. When our luggage was delayed in NY the lady on the phone was very helpful. She told us how much we were covered for in that scenario. During the rest of our holiday we had items stolen from our luggage in Cuba and we were delayed coming home due to weather. Once we were home, I tried to make the claim on line but it wouldn't accept my policy number so there was much delay and correspondence over that then I seemed to be dealing with Australia and despite my emails and attachments of documents they kept requesting either the same things over again weeks later, or further down the process they wanted new information. It was a very long, slow and tedious process just to get a small amount refunded. The money I was initially claiming for - for delayed baggage, the company refused to pay and it ended up being an airline claim. I have used this company before and been happy but TINZ seems to be underwritten by an Australian company that I had huge delays and hassles with.

Review by Ursula Murphy

Excellent service

From to start to finish of the claim, was an easy process, I needed help with certain issues and it was explained what I needed to do in a courteous manner. Even though I had a long wait to get information from air new Zealand, the claim stayed active and was resolved as soon as information was received.

Review by Jo Seddon

Covid 19 response

My cancelled travel due to the current pandemic was not covered by my policy however TINZ gave me a credit note valid for 18 months, which they did not have to do. I really appreciate the ease with which they agreed to the credit and the personal touch from their customer service representatives. It has been a difficult time for all of us, especially for those who have had to deal with an angry and frustrated public. The TINZ staff are a credit to the industry and I thank them.

Review by John & Chris Buckby

Excellent service and comp...

We have used TINZ several times for overseas trips. Needed to make claim for medical and delayed departure at Munich Airport. Highly impressed with their service and assistance with claim, and prompt claim settlement. Would definitely highly recommend TINZ for excellent, and easy service. John & Chris - Auckland NZ

Review by Aimee

The best travel insurance ...

I initially chose the Comprehensive Plus cover because it was the only insurance policy in NZ I could find with cover for events related to terrorism, however I ended up needing to claim for something entirely different - the 5 day delay of my luggage. Comprehensive Plus cover gave me $1000 of cover instead of the $250 of Comprehensive, and I was so glad I had paid the extra at the time of purchase. The claims process was straightforward and very easy, and considering the state of the travel industry right now, I was very impressed with the timeliness of the response from TINZ. Thank you very much I will certainly chose TINZ in the future (whenever that may be!)

Review by Siobhan Patterson

Rated 9.3 on a scale of 0 to 10

I was really satisfied wit....

I had difficulty getting through to the claims department in NZ. The Australian medical advisor from TINZ was really helpful but couldn't be sure if accommodation costs would be covered and he didn't mention a food subsidy so I didn't keep good receipt records of everything I spent. That said the actual claim process was quick and easy, my bank records were accepted and all paid out so I am so grateful for the support to my young daughter and me when we were in a vulnerable position after escaping the NSW forest fires. Thanks again!

Review by Petina Kerapa

Quick to take the insuranc...

Good communication when signing up, but when travel plans changed and my trip was cut short TINZ refused to refund any portion of the year long premium-absolute thief’s.

Review by David Connell

Rated 9.5 on a scale of 0 to 10

Was very pleased with the value of the policy offered, the price of the policy, the follow up and will use again.

Review by Paul Bensemann

No response at all to my e...

Your website said you were overwhelmed by phone calls so I sent two emails to you and no response. It was a complete waste of money taking out travel insurance with you.

Review by Francis Talboys

Insurance Null and Void

Pointless in making a claim because all travel insurance is void. Read the small print. But they still keep the premium

Review by JOHN THREADGILL

Rated 3.0 on a scale of 0 to 10

Rang the helpline to ask s....

Didn't get through. Same song over and over and over and over again. Gets super-tedious quickly. Gave up after 45mins. :-(

Review by Helen Walker

As I did not have to claim...

Your service is very efficient and I believe it is really good value. Always puts the mind at rest.

TINZ customer? Have your say!

If you're a TINZ customer, we'd love to hear from you. Please take a minute to let us know how we're doing by writing a review. 

Travel insurance reviews FAQ's

Q. why should i provide feedback.

We understand that everyone has a unique journey with varying needs. Which is why our products have 3 levels of cover to choose from with optional extras that allow you to tailor your insurance to your trip. Our aim is to give our customers a personal and stress-free service. However, we don't get things right all the time. Whether your experience with TINZ was marvellous or mediocre, we're all ears! Please take a minute to share your experience to help us improve further.

Q. which site do i write my review on?

Your review will be published on independent comparison site comparetravelinsurance.co.nz and shared with us. 

Q. How long will it take for my review to be live?

Provided you didn’t swear, it usually takes about 48 hours for your review to be published.

Q. can i edit my review?

Once you’ve submitted your review, it cannot be edited. If you wish to remove your review, or realise you’ve made a mistake, please get in touch with independent comparison site comparetravelinsurance.co.nz.

Because life’s a trip

Before You Buy

Top searches, popular destinations, customer rating.

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Important information about our cover for Covid-19

Quick Links

• Cancel Policy
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Annual Multi-trip travel insurance

If you’re planning on taking several journeys overseas a year, our Annual Multi-Trip policy might be a more cost (and time) effective choice than shopping around for travel insurance every time you travel. Once purchased, you’re covered for an unlimited number of return journeys overseas, over a period of 12 months commencing on your start date of insurance. You can choose to have journeys covered up to a maximum of 30, 60 or 90-day in length.

So, if you’re planning to go on several holidays this year, you could buy just one policy to get cover for 12 months worth of adventure.

If you buy a ‘Family’ Annual Multi-Trip Policy, the adults on the Certificate of Insurance can travel independently, however any dependent children named on the Certificate of Insurance are only covered if travelling with an adult named on the same Certificate of Insurance.

What is multi-trip travel insurance?

Multi-trip travel insurance allows frequent travellers to buy one policy that provides the same level of cover across several journeys overseas. It can be a cheaper option if you plan to travel several times in the same year, and also save you the hassle of buying an single trip policy before each trip.

A regular travel insurance policy only provides cover for a single journey overseas. Buying a single journey policy every time you travel may end up costing you lots, which is why annual multi-trip policies can often the best option for frequent travellers.

What does our Annual Multi-Trip policy cover?

Our Annual Multi-Trip Policy offers the same comprehensive benefits as our Single Trip Policy and includes:

• Unlimited medical and evacuation expenses that arise due to unexpected events while on your journey
• Damaged or lost baggage
• Personal items if they are stolen or damaged
• Rental car excess should you have an accident
• Emergency dental treatment
• Funeral costs

When you protect yourself with an Annual Multi-Trip Policy or a Single Trip Policy, you also gain access to our worldwide emergency assistance team, who are there to offer round-the-clock advice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Southern Cross Travel Insurance awards

Whether you’re booking a tour or a hotel, it’s always a good idea to search online for feedback on the quality of the product and service. Travel insurance is no different.

We’ve been providing quality comprehensive travel insurance for nearly 40 years. This year, we’re proud to have received the Canstar award for Outstanding Value for Travel Insurance - International 2020.

Tips for frequent travellers

If you’re a frequent traveller, chances are you’re already using a few travel hacks to make your journey more enjoyable. Whether it’s a certain spot in the airport where you can unwind between flights, or a theft-proof backpack, simple things can remove the stress of travelling and let you focus on the good things.

Here are five simple tips for frequent travellers:

1. Focus on your health

With long haul flights,  jet lag , changes in climate and high stress levels, it’s no surprise that travelling can take a toll on your health.

Always  focus on your health  while travelling, which may mean skipping the airport bar and getting an early night the day before you fly. Stay hydrated and bring healthy snacks on board the plane. But remember, buy these when on the other side of the customs check, otherwise they’ll be confiscated.

2. Play the game

As a frequent traveller, you’ll know that special request meals are always served first on board. As a frequent traveller, you’ll also know that airlines usually under stock their meals, which means that people sitting towards the back of the plane can miss out on their first choice (or end up with a lukewarm meal).

Requesting a special dietary meal ahead of time ensures that you won’t be stuck with something you don’t want, or be served lukewarm food after the front of the plane has already finished eating. Airlines often have a wide variety of special meals to choose from, typically at no extra cost.

3. Beat the queues

Most travellers will automatically flock to the shortest line at customs or immigration. However, you may be better off looking at the speed of the employee rather than the length of the line.

Be smart about picking the time and date of your travel. A quick online search will help you find out when the peak travel times are for the airports you’ll be passing through, so you know what days and times of the week to avoid.

4. Clear your cookies

Airline booking sites often raise prices based on demand and searcher behaviour, in a process called ‘ dynamic pricing ’. This can mean that if you’ve been looking at the same flight to Fiji for a few weeks before deciding to buy, the price can increase during that time. Clearing your cookies on your web browser can reset these prices to normal.

5. Check the departure zone for taxis

If you get to the arrivals gate and find a taxi queue 500 people long, it might be worth heading to departures instead (if it’s close by). The departures area will be rich in empty taxis, whose passengers have just left to enter the airport.

What you need to know

This page includes some information about our products but, as with all insurance policies, terms and conditions apply. For our terms and conditions (including information about exclusions, excesses and sub limits) we recommend you read the relevant policy documents to ensure our travel insurance products are right for you.

You can find the relevant documents for all our policies here:  International Comprehensive , Annual Multi-trip ,  Domestic ,  Working Overseas ,  Visiting New Zealand ,  International Student  

We're here to help

We know how important it is to be able to talk to someone when you need help, that’s why we are available via email, phone and live chat Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 7pm, and Saturday, 9am to 6pm, excluding public holidays. And if you find yourself in a medical emergency our Emergency Assistance team are available 24/7 to help, wherever you are in the world.

Get in touch with the team and we'll be happy to help.

Call us Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 7.00pm.

You can reach our team on: +64 9 979 6593