For information relating to policies purchased prior to 27 June 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased from 27 June 2024, please see below.Only the Explorer Plan may cover reasonable additional expenses you incur after leaving home should your travel plans be delayed or if you miss your connecting flight, through no fault of your own and due to an insured event.
Missed Departure from Your Country of Residence:
If you are delayed reaching your departure point in your country of residence due to specific insured events, there is cover for additional travel and accommodation expenses to get you to your destination. Benefit limits and sub-limits apply.
Alternatively, if the only reasonable alternative transport results in you losing more than 50% of your trip, you can claim under the Cutting Short Your Trip section.
Delay and Abandonment:
Delay Cover
- If your booked public transport is cancelled or delayed and you’re delayed in reaching your overseas destination or your home for more than 12 hours, you can make a claim for additional expenses incurred during the delay for meals and refreshments or additional accommodation. No policy excess is applied to Travel Delay claims.
- If your public transport to return home is delayed or cancelled, for each 12-hour period your departure is delayed, there is cover for additional expenses incurred such as meals, refreshments or additional accommodation (up to the sum insured).
OR
Additional Transport Costs
- Alternatively, when outside your country of residence, if you are delayed by at least 24 hours beyond your original return date, there is cover for additional transport costs you incur to return home (when not paid by your travel provider).
Abandonment
- If you are on the outward leg of your journey from your country of residence you are delayed by at least than 12 hours, you can claim for unused travel and accommodation costs. Alternatively, if the alternative transport provided by the carrier means you lose more than 50% of your trip, you can claim for unused travel and accommodation under the section Cutting Short Your Trip.
Missed Departure and Connection Outside your Country of Residence
For travellers with the Explorer Plan, cover is available for your reasonable additional accommodation (room only) and public transport expenses (Economy class) incurred if you don’t make it in time to board any onward connecting public transport on which you are booked to travel as a result of:
- technical fault of any public transport which delays the scheduled departure of your pre-booked transport;
- strike or industrial action;
- shortage of crew;
- adverse and unforeseeable weather conditions;
- the vehicle in which you are travelling being involved in an accident or breakdown, or you being delayed as a result of a major accident on a motorway. (If you missed your transport because of a vehicle breakdown or a road accident, a police or a roadside assistance report must be obtained.)
- a diverted flight
- a natural catastrophe or terrorism event
Cover for missed connections is not available to travellers on the Standard Plan.
What you must do to be eligible to make a claim for delayed or missed connections
- You must check in according to your itinerary, unless your public transport provider has requested you not to travel to the airport/port/depot/destination.
- You must take all practicable steps to seek compensation or offers to rearrange or reschedule your plans and, where applicable, exercise your rights under consumer protection legislation, before deciding to incur additional expenses, change your travel plans or make a claim with us.
- You must accept any alternative transport options offered by the carrier.
- Obtain written confirmation of the cancellation from the public transport provider (or their handling agents) which outlines the number of hours of delay or denied boarding and the reason for these, together with details of any alternative transport offered.
What's not covered
Travel insurance is not designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the full description of coverage in the policy wording so there are no surprises if you do need to use it.
Here are some situations where no cover is applicable:
- If sufficient time has not been allowed for your journey in order to meet the check-in time(s) specified by the transport providers or agent;
- Any costs incurred by you which are recoverable from the public transport operator;
- Denial of boarding due to drug use, alcohol or solvent misuse or your inability to provide a valid passport, visa or other documentation required by the public transport operator or their handling agents;
Only the Explorer Plan can cover additional expenses should your travel plans be delayed through no fault of your own or if you miss your transport due to an insured event.
The policy isn’t designed to cover everything so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the policy wording for full details, so there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered get in touch.