voices TODAY MONDAY 12 MAY 2014 15

Tips for hassle-free travel

The school-holiday period in June
has always been a popular time for
Singaporeans to travel, especially
for families with children. Whether
youre planning a shopping trip in
Bangkok or taking in the spectacu-
lar sights on a road trip in New Zea-
land, its a good opportunity to share
great experiences with loved ones.
GET ORGANISED
However, planning, booking and
packing can feel like a chore espe-
cially if youre already scrambling to
nish projects at work. But a simple
checklist can help you get organised
and avoid any last-minute scramble
to get ready for your trip.
You can use the same list for eve-
ry vacation, especially if you update
it regularly to match your changing
needs. With a checklist, youll never
forget essential items like chargers,
passports or medication. The check-
list should also include reminders to
sort out your travel insurance and
overseas card access before you
leave two necessities that can
make or break your long-awaited
vacation.
PEACE OF MIND FOR YOU
Some holidaymakers have found out
the hard way that travel insurance
is never optional. Whether its some-
Planning your next vacation
can be stress-free if you adopt
a systematic approach
BE A SAVVY TRAVELLER
Worry-free holidays made easy
(Europay, MasterCard, Visa) chips
remain active for local and overseas
transactions. However, as the EMV
chip for transaction processing is not
widely accepted at all destinations,
you may wish to enable the magnetic
stripe on your cards for overseas use
before travelling. If you require more
information, you should speak to
your bank or card issuing company.
Enabling your cards magnetic
stripe access will also allow you to
withdraw money from affiliated
ATMs. You wont have to carry
excess cash, or worry about keeping
it safe in your hotel room.
SAVE AS YOU SPEND
You can also save money by using a
credit card that rewards you for your
spending. This can help you save in
the long run. The POSB Everyday
Card, for example, ofers a two-per-
cent cash rebate on overseas spend-
ing, as well as a three-per-cent cash
rebate on AirAsia savings that can
go towards your next vacation.
As you plan for your trip over-
seas, dont forget to check off the
most important items on your list
your happiness and peace of mind.
thing relatively minor like an overnight
ight delay or a devastating event like
a natural disaster, travel insurance
can take care of associated costs like
medical treatment or replacement of
lost items.
You never know what might happen,
so it helps to have the peace of mind
ofered by insurance coverage. In the
event of accidents or disruptions, all
you have to do is dial the insurance
hotline number to access a range of
emergency services.
These days, many families and cou-
ples prefer to travel alone instead of in
tour groups. Many are also planning
or customising their itineraries as this
lets them cater to their interests.
Some Singaporeans are also taking
up activities like white-water rafting
and rock-climbing. If you have a taste
for adventure, consider buying a more
comprehensive travel insurance plan
that covers hazardous pursuits.
If you enjoy golng, choose a plan
with specic protection for your equip-
ment, and if you make frequent trips
to a favourite destination, consider an
annual plan to get more bang for your
buck.
SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE
Besides buying travel insurance, dont
forget to enable your credit, debit or
ATM cards magnetic stripe for over-
seas use. The magnetic stripe on cred-
it, debit and ATM cards was disabled
for overseas use from last September,
in line with the banking industrys
measures to enhance cards security.
Newer cards with encrypted EMV
For peace
of mind, I
will buy a
comprehensive
travel
insurance
package that
takes care of
everything,
from lost
luggage to
hospitalisation.
Derrick Goh
HEAD OF POSB
WHAT SHOULD I TAKE NOTE
OF WHEN BRINGING MY
CARD OVERSEAS?
For a start, you should take basic
safety precautions such as always
keeping an eye on your card.
Id also suggest that you only
carry the cards you need per-
haps one ATM and one credit card.
Should you happen to lose your
card or if its stolen, you should
inform your credit card company
or bank as soon as possible, so that
they can cancel the missing card
and issue you a new one.
You should al so remember
to disable your cards magnetic
stripe when you return home to
minimise the risk of unauthorised
transactions being made on your
card.
Protect yourself from vacation hassles
MY CREDIT CARD OFFERS
TRAVEL INSURANCE.
ISNT THAT GOOD ENOUGH?
Some credit card companies offer
complimentary travel insurance
when you pay for your ight tickets
with a credit card. You should check
the terms and conditions as it may
not be a comprehensive plan, or it
may only offer personal accident
coverage for any resulting death and
disability. For peace of mind, I will
buy a comprehensive travel insurance
package that takes care of everything,
from lost luggage to hospitalisation.
WHICH TRAVEL INSURANCE
PLAN SHOULD I CHOOSE?
A good start is to think about your trav-
el patterns and habits. If youre travel-
ling by yourself, you should opt for in-
dividual cover. If youre travelling as a
family with children below the age of 18,
choose a plan that ofers family cover.
Next, consider your frequency of
travel. An annual plan may ofer the
best value if you travel often.
Insurers tend to price their plans
based on travel duration and area of
cover. As a rule of thumb, I would buy an
annual plan if I foresee myself travelling
ve times or more within a year as this
may provide greater value for money.
Futhermore, if you have an appe-
tite for adventure and enjoy extreme
sports, there are more comprehensive
travel insurance plans available that
provide such coverage.
For example, TravellerShield* travel
insurance, which is popular at POSB,
offers Classic, Premier and Platinum
plans. The Premier and Platinum plans
ofer coverage for activities like skiing,
scuba diving and even golf.
HOW DO I MAKE A CLAIM?
From my experience, making a claim
is easy, especially if you have the doc-
uments to support your claim. The
documents needed will depend on the
type of claim youre making. Typically,
FROM
DERRICKGOH
Head of POSB
these documents include airline
tickets, boarding passes and cop-
ies of your passport. If youre claim-
ing for an accident, ensure that you
have an accident report and/or
medical receipts. You should refer
to your policy document to nd out
whats needed.
*TravellerShield is underwritten by MSIG
Insurance (Singapore) Pte Ltd and is avail-
able at POSB.
Thi s i s the fi nal stor y i n a 19- par t
collaboration between TODAY and POSB.
TIP 1
Register online with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs at
eregister.mfa.gov.sg/ to make
it easy to help you if theres an
emergency at your destination.
TIP 3
Make photocopies of your
identity card and passport.
Apply for an Exit Permit if
youre a male Singapore citizen.
TIP 4
Get contact
details of the
Singapore
Embassy at your
destination.
To withdraw money with your credit
card when youre overseas, simply
follow the steps below:
Link your savings or current account
to your credit card.
Ensure you have a valid card PIN.
Find Cirrus-enabled ATMs and
choose the right options to avoid cash
advance charges.
To nd out more, visit www.posb.
com.sg/personal/cards/casalink.
USING YOUR CREDIT
CARD AS AN ATM CARD
Whether its
something
relatively
minor like
an overnight
fight delay or
a devastating
event like
a natural
disaster, travel
insurance
can take care
of associated
costs like
medical
treatment or
replacement
of lost items.
GRAPHICS: ONG ZE TENG, THINKSTOCK
Planning a holiday? Heres a basic checklist to help ensure youll
be adequately prepared for your trip:
YOUR TRAVEL CHECKLIST
TIP 2
Check visa, as well as health
and vaccination requirements
at your destination.
Passports
Tickets
Enable cards for
overseas use
First-aid kit and toiletries
Travel insurance
Electronic devices
and chargers
TIP 5
Leave a copy of
your itinerary
with family or
friends.
Itinerary
5D4N
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