What should I do if the airline loses my luggage?

Report the loss to the airline immediately and get a written report. Keep receipts for any essentials you buy while you wait, they may be claimable under your delayed baggage insurance.

Do airlines or insurers pay for cancelled flights?

Airlines handle refunds and rebooking first. Travel insurance for cancelled flights may help cover any additional out-of-pocket costs your airline doesn't reimburse.

Can travel insurance cover injuries during a flight?

Our policies include the Overseas medical expenses benefit, which may provide cover if you're injured during turbulence or another in-flight incident. If your airline doesn't assist with medical costs, your policy may help.

What is airline mishap?

An airline mishap is an unexpected travel disruption, like a flight cancellation, lost or damaged baggage, or an injury during a flight.

Does travel insurance cover flight cancellations?

Travel insurance may reimburse non-refundable travel expenses if your trip is cancelled due to a covered reason, subject to the policy terms.

What should you do if your flight is cancelled overseas?

Head to the airline desk straight away, ask about rebooking, get written confirmation of the cancellation, and contact World Nomads as soon as possible to make a claim.

Photo © VeeStudio89/Getty Images

Travel insurance for Airline Mishaps

Here’s how travel insurance may help in the case of cancellation, lost luggage and more.

Get a price

As featured in:

As featured in:

At a glance

Travel insurance may help cover flight cancellations, delayed baggage, and some airline-related travel disruptions.
If your baggage is delayed for more than 12 hours, you may be able to claim for essential replacement items, subject to policy limits.
Emergency medical cover may help if you're injured during a flight and need treatment while travelling.
Keep all receipts, airline reports, and travel documents to support any claim for airline mishaps.
Travel insurance won't cover missed flights due to oversleeping, unattended baggage, or known events before you purchased your travel insurance policy.
Before you fly, compare your travel insurance options and get a quote to help protect your trip from unexpected airline disruptions.

Airline mishaps: what travellers need to know
What we don’t cover
What to do if your flight is delayed or cancelled
How travel insurance may help with airline mishaps
Travel tips for airline mishaps
FAQs

We’ve been there. Stuck at the gate with a fixed ‘cancelled’ status. A cancelled flight that has a flow-on effect of the worst kind. Watching a baggage carousel in vain.

Airline mishaps happen, and when they do, the costs can add up faster than an aborted take-off. Last minute accommodation. Missed tours. Replacing the contents of a bag that never turned up. With World Nomads travel insurance those inconveniences may just end up being a small blip on your journey.

Airline mishaps: what travellers need to know

Airlines will sometimes step up with rebooking or compensation, but when they can't, travel insurance for airline mishaps may cover:

Flight cancellations
If the carrier has lost, delayed, or damaged your baggage
In-flight injuries

What we don’t cover

Hate the middle seat you were assigned to and want an upgrade?

We don’t cover that, or things like:

Missing your flight because you overslept
Costs already reimbursed by your airline
Travelling against a doctor’s advice
Losses arising from being intoxicated by alcohol
Bags left unattended and stolen
Cancellations as a result of a known issue that could result in a claim that occurred prior to buying your policy

What to do if your flight is delayed or cancelled

Rather than sit still and stress, follow these steps:

Head straight to the airline desk
Ask about rebooking your flight and refund options
Keep every receipt for anything you pay for because of the disruption
Contact World Nomads as soon as you can to make a travel insurance claim
Check your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for what’s covered, and terms and conditions, limits, and exclusions.

Flights don't always go to plan. Get a quote and see how World Nomads travel insurance may help protect you against airline mishaps.

How travel insurance may help with airline mishaps

Flight cancellations

Your flight’s gone, and so are your plans. If you’re grounded due to an insured event, travel insurance for cancelled flights may be your ticket to reimbursement of nonrefundable costs.

If the carrier has lost, delayed, or damaged your baggage

You arrived but your bag didn’t. If your carrier loses, damages, or delays your bag, delayed baggage insurance may help cover the cost of replacing essentials until they turn up. Your baggage must be delayed for more than 12 hours for cover to apply.

In-flight injuries

Turbulence happens. If a fallen carry-on, stumble in the aisle, or a spilled hot drink leaves you needing medical care at your destination, emergency medical cover may help if your airline doesn’t.

Extended layovers

If you're delayed returning to your home in Australia due to illness or injury, or delay, cancellation, or restriction of your scheduled public transport, your policy may automatically extend. See "Delayed returning home?" in the PDS for details.

The above features and benefits are a summary of cover only. Cover is subject to the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions outlined in the Product Disclosure Statement. Contact us if you have any questions.

Travel tips for airline mishaps

Pack essentials, like medications and valuables, in your carry-on
Save contact details for your airline and World Nomads before you fly
Take photos of your luggage at check-in, especially for long, multi-leg trips
Keep receipts, even for small purchases
Download your Certificate of Insurance (COI) before you go for quick access to policy details

Read the PDS carefully to understand what is and isn’t included as well as specific coverage and limitations that may apply.

Unsure if something is covered? Get in touch and we’ll help clear things up for you.

FAQ

Here are our most frequently asked questions about cover for airline mishaps. You can also find the answers to other questions in our Help Center or you can ask the customer service team.

What should I do if the airline loses my luggage?
Report the loss to the airline immediately and get a written report. Keep receipts for any essentials you buy while you wait, they may be claimable under your delayed baggage insurance.

Do airlines or insurers pay for cancelled flights?
Airlines handle refunds and rebooking first. Travel insurance for cancelled flights may help cover any additional out-of-pocket costs your airline doesn't reimburse.

Can travel insurance cover injuries during a flight?
Our policies include the Overseas medical expenses benefit, which may provide cover if you're injured during turbulence or another in-flight incident. If your airline doesn't assist with medical costs, your policy may help.

What is airline mishap?
An airline mishap is an unexpected travel disruption, like a flight cancellation, lost or damaged baggage, or an injury during a flight.

Does travel insurance cover flight cancellations?
Travel insurance may reimburse non-refundable travel expenses if your trip is cancelled due to a covered reason, subject to the policy terms.

What should you do if your flight is cancelled overseas?
Head to the airline desk straight away, ask about rebooking, get written confirmation of the cancellation, and contact World Nomads as soon as possible to make a claim.

This is only a summary of coverage and does not include the full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the policy. You should read your PDS in full so you understand what is and isn’t covered. That way there won’t be any surprises if you need to use it. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Travel Insurance Benefits: how we can take care of you

Trip Cancellation

Protect your trip from unexpected cancellation.

Explorer Plan: Unlimited
Standard Plan: $5,000

Trip Protection

Unexpectedly hospitalized?
Travel buddy unfit to travel?
Close relative suddenly dies?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Medical Overseas

Take the pain out of medical costs.

Explorer Plan: Unlimited
Standard Plan: $5,000,000

Emergency Medical Insurance

Need meds quick?
Accidentally injured?
Suddenly sick?

We’ve got your back.

Emergency Medical Transport

We'll get you to hospital lickety-split

Explorer Plan: Unlimited
Standard Plan: $500,000

Evacuation and Repatriation

Banged up abroad?
Need a hospital urgently?
Medevac home?

Help starts here.

Protect your gear

Cover your stolen or damaged gear and tech.

Explorer Plan: $10,000
Standard Plan: $2,000

Protect your gear

Passport or tech stolen?
Airline lost your gear?
Bags delayed?

Help starts here.

Overseas Medical Expenses
Emergency dental treatment
24 hour assistance
Emergency medical transport & repatriation

Cancellation costs
Trip interruption costs
Compassionate emergency visit home
Resumption of trip

Theft or accidental damage to baggage and personal items
Baggage delay over 12 hours

Funeral expenses overseas or repatriation of remains
Personal liability

This is a general summary for Australian residents only. Restrictions, exclusions and limitations will apply. Benefit limits may vary depending on the plan chosen. Check the PDS for full details.

This information is for Australian citizens and residents only. Always read your Product Disclosure Statement and other policy documentation to review your specific cover and to make sure that the policy is right for you.

World Nomads is supported by different insurers from around the world. This insurance is arranged and promoted by WorldNomads.com Pty Limited ABN 62 127 485 198 AR 343027, as an authorised representative of nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd (nib) ABN 81 115 932 173 AFSL 308461 and act as nib's agent and not as your agent. This is general advice only. Before you buy, you should consider your needs, the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Financial Services Guide (FSG) and Target Market Determination (TMD) available from us. This insurance is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, ABN 83 169 311 193.