On the fence and not sure which provider to go with? If you’re toying between
Southern Cross Travel Insurance and TINZ, our handy guide makes it easy to help you find the right cover for your trip.
Deciding which travel insurer to go with is always tough. With so many options in the market, it's hard to be confident that your chosen insurer is right for your holiday. A good way to be sure is to compare a few policies to make sure you are getting the most cover for your money. To help you out, we've highlighted the biggest differences between TINZ & Southern Cross to help you find the right cover for your holiday.
Cover types: Southern Cross has two international single-trip plans available International Comprehensive and International Medical Only, whereas TINZ has three. With TINZ you can choose between Essentials, Comprehensive or Comprehensive Plus to tailor the appropriate level of cover for your trip. Compare our plans to get a feel on the different levels of cover available.
Cancellation cover: TINZ offers unlimited cancellation cover as standard on the Comprehensive Plus plan. If you need to cancel your holiday due to a covered, unforeseen event like sickness, injury, or a natural disaster, your pre-paid expenses may be reimbursed. Southern Cross offers limited cancellation cover of $2,500 on the International Comprehensive Plan if you need to cancel before your trip has started, however you have the option to pay an additional premium and increase cover to $5,000, $10,000 or unlimited.
Terrorism cover: Should a terror attack affect your trip TINZ will cover you on the Comprehensive Plus Plan to cancel your holiday and be reimbursed for some of your out-of-pocket expenses. *Conditions apply. Southern Cross do not have any cancellation travel insurance benefits relating to terrorism, but do offer maximum cover of $100,000 per person for medical and evacuation directly related to terrorism.
Family holidays: Southern Cross provide policies for up to 10 adult travellers with 1 dependant or 2 adult travellers with 8 dependants, whereas TINZ allows groups of up to 25 travellers under one policy.
Pregnancy: If you’re looking for that last minute babymoon, make sure you select the right insurer that will cover you to your gestation limit. Southern Cross covers mums-to-be until 23 weeks and 6 days (single pregnancy) while TINZ offers cover up to 24 weeks inclusive (single pregnancy).
Domestic cover: Southern Cross' domestic plan covers travel within New Zealand for up to 90 days. TINZ's domestic policy covers trips of up to 92 days at a time.
Already overseas: If you forgot to buy cover before you departed for your trip, you can rely on TINZ's already overseas cover. Southern Cross require you to have a start date and end date in NZ in order to purchase a policy.
| BENEFIT | SOUTHERN CROSS | TINZ |
|---|---|---|
| Accidental death | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Age limits | 100 years | No age limit |
| Alternative transport | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Annual multi-trip Limits | 30, 60, 90 days | 15 or 30 day options (64 and under) Trips must be more than 100k from home |
| Already overseas | No cover | Yes available to travellers aged 74 and under |
| Cancellations before you leave | $2,500 | Unlimited |
| Cancellations/changes after you've left | $50,000 | Unlimited |
| Climbing | 3,000 max altitude, no cover if oxygen or ropes are needed | 5,000 altitude |
| Cooling off period | 14 days (if you cancel after cooling off, but before your holiday you will be charged $35 cancellation premium) | 14 days |
| Cruising | Automatically covered | Automatically covered |
| Domestic trips | No stand alone domestic policy available | 3 month policy, no age limits |
| Dependants | Under 21 years | Under 19 years |
| Excess | $0, $100, $250 | $200, can reduce to $100 |
| Groups | 2 adults | 25 travellers |
| Hijack & kidnap | No | $7,500 |
| Insolvency | No | No |
| Loss of income | $6,500 (after 90 days of suffering injury, for a maximum of 13 weeks) | $10,400 (after 30 days of suffering injury, for a maximum of 26 weeks) |
| Luggage, theft damage | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Luggage delay | $1,000 (after 12 hours) | $1,000 (after 12 hours) |
| Medical | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Mopeds, scooters | Must buy moped and motorbike cover in order to be covered. Only cover up to 200cc | Automatic cover and no engine size restrictions so long as policyholder holds appropriate license in NZ and overseas. You can only ride a 50cc bike if you only hold a driving license |
| Non-residents | For overseas travel if you have a visa which gives access to publicly funded health and disability services in NZ | Only cover for NZ citizens or permanent visa holders |
| Natural events | Only cover once holiday has started | Covered from the time you buy your policy |
| One way cover | No | Only available for one way travel back to NZ from overseas |
| Permanent disability | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Personal liability | $1,000,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Pregnancy | 20 weeks (single, multiple, IVF) | 24 weeks (single, IVF) 19 weeks (multiple, IVF) |
| Repatriation & funeral expenses | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Rental vehicle excess | $5,000 (no more than 8 people per vehicle) | $6,000 |
| Single trip limits | 12 months | 18 months (under 69 yrs) |
| Sailing | 12 nautical miles | Not racing, inside territorial waters |
| Skiing | With ski pack | With ski pack |
| Terrorism (medical) | $100,000 | Unlimited |
| Terrorism (trip cancellation before you've left) | No | Yes, if one week before you are due to travel the NZ government upgrades it’s travel advisory warning to advise against travel |
| Theft of cash | $1,000 | $250 |
| Underwriter | Southern Cross Benefits Limited Trading | HDI Global Specialty SE - New Zealand |
| Unrest, riots (before you leave) | No | Yes |
| Unspecified items (laptops, tablets, cameras) | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Unspecified items (all other items) | $1,500 | $1,000 |
| Visitors to NZ | Yes | No |
The founders of TINZ are pioneers of the online travel insurance industry and have been selling insurance for 20+ years. All TINZ travel insurance plans are underwritten by HDI Global Specialty SE – New Zealand. A global company who provides a broad range of insurance solutions in more than 175 countries. We at TINZ, are a passionate, energetic breed with a deep understanding of insurance and travel patterns. 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.
TINZ prices are competitive. We’re passionate about providing the best travel insurance that money can buy. We only charge you for extras, meaning you can get more cover for less. Get a quote at the top of the page to get a specific quote for your holiday.
We have a money back guarantee! You can cancel your policy for any reason within 14 days if haven’t started your journey. You will receive a full refund. No questions asked.
Whether you’re after the bare essentials or fully comprehensive cover, TINZ offers a range of options for all types of travellers & budgets. You can add on extras after you’ve left the country. You can even extend your policy from overseas if you’re having too much fun.
We automatically cover 35 pre-existing medical conditions for free. We also cover many more conditions, assessed on a case by case basis. Complete our medical assessment during the quote process to see if we can cover your condition.
