Travel Insurance Direct

Our verdict: Cruise cover is now an optional add-on and pre-existing conditions need an online medical assessment, so check what your plan includes.

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Cristal Dyer's headshot
James Martin's headshot

By

Cristal Dyer

&

James Martin

Updated

Fact checked
Travel Insurance Direct

Key takeaways

  • TID offers cruise cover as an optional Cruise Pack on its Comprehensive, Domestic and Multi-trip plans, and all its international plans include overseas medical cover for COVID-19.
  • The Comprehensive and Domestic plans are available to travellers of any age, but the Basic and Multi-trip plans have an upper age limit.
  • Cover for pre-existing medical conditions is available if you apply through TID's online medical assessment and it's approved, and an extra premium may apply.

Pros

  • Travel Insurance Direct offers cruise cover through an optional Cruise Pack on its Comprehensive, Domestic and Multi-trip plans.
  • All TID international plans include overseas medical cover for COVID-19, and depending on your plan, COVID-related cancellations may also be covered.

Cons

  • Cruises, snow sports and many adventure activities aren't covered as standard: you'll need to add an optional pack for an extra premium.
  • Existing medical conditions aren't covered automatically: you need to apply through TID's online medical assessment, and an extra premium may apply.

How does Travel Insurance Direct cover COVID-19?

All Travel Insurance Direct international plans include cover for overseas emergency assistance and overseas medical and hospital expenses if you're diagnosed with COVID-19 during your trip, and depending on your plan, other COVID-related events may also be covered. Here's what that can include:

  • Medical expenses overseas if you get sick with Covid-19 while on your journey
  • Cancellation and additional expenses caused by COVID-19, if your plan includes those benefits

Some exclusions apply, so check the Epidemics and Pandemics section of the PDS before you buy.

If you'd like to see what else is available, we've compared all the providers that offer cover for COVID-19.

What policies does Travel Insurance Direct offer?

Travel Insurance Direct offers four policies to choose from, suitable for everyone from travellers on a shoestring to the luxury seekers amongst us. The Comprehensive, Basic and Domestic plans are available for single trips and the Multi-trip plan covers you for as many trips as you like over 12 months.

Travel plane luggage passport

Comprehensive

Passport

Basic

Hiking

Multi-trip

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Domestic

Current Travel Insurance Direct policies are issued by AWP Australia Pty Ltd (trading as Allianz Global Assistance) as agent for the insurer, Allianz Australia Insurance Limited. If you bought your policy before 15 September 2026, different terms may apply, so check your own policy documents. Policies come with a cooling-off period and a base excess you can vary when you buy.

During the cooling-off period after your Certificate of Insurance is issued, you can cancel your policy and get a full refund of your premium, provided you haven't started your journey or made a claim. The excess is the amount you must pay for each claim you make and is deducted from any claim payment.

Here's a breakdown of Travel Insurance Direct features

Standard features
Optional add-on
Exclusions

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Standard features

Travel Insurance Direct policies cover a range of benefits. We've outlined a few of them below, just keep in mind allowances can vary depending on your chosen plan, for example, the Comprehensive plan vs the Basic plan.

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Optional add-on

Travel Insurance Direct offers optional add-ons for an extra premium, including an Adventure Pack, a Cruise Pack, a Snow Pack and increased item limits cover.

  • Specified items. If some of your more expensive belongings are going along for the ride you'll want to check the benefit limits on your policy. This add-on provides extra cover above the standard for specific items such as jewellery, mobile phones and musical instruments.
  • Snow sports. Hitting the slopes? You might need to add on cover for activities such as skiing, snowboarding and even tobogganing. This add on covers you for piste closure, snow sports gear, hired ski equipment and recovering pre-paid costs if you're unable to ski due to illness or serious injury.

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Exclusions

Even the best travel insurance policy has some things that are generally excluded. With Travel Insurance Direct, these include:

Make sure you review Travel Insurance Direct's policy wording for a detailed breakdown of what isn't covered, found under its list of general exclusions.

How to make a Travel Insurance Direct claim

The easiest way to make a claim on your policy is online through the TID website. Have your insurance documents ready and follow these steps:

  1. Head to https://www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au/Member/OpenSignIn
  2. Log in with the email address and password you used when you bought the policy
  3. Select "Make a new claim"
  4. Answer a few questions and describe what happened
  5. Check your email for further instructions
  6. Upload your supporting documents
  7. Review your claim and submit

Here's the bottom line about Travel Insurance Direct

Travel Insurance Direct offers a robust suite of travel insurance policies with cover that should be sufficient for most travellers. Its Comprehensive plan includes overseas medical and hospital expenses, cancellation cover and cover for luggage and personal effects, and you can add cruise cover with the optional Cruise Pack.

TID covers a large number of pre-existing medical conditions if you complete its online medical assessment and your condition is approved. Additional premiums may apply, so do the assessment before you buy.

Where TID's policies can fall short is in what needs an add-on. Motorcycle, scooter and quad bike riding is only covered if you buy the Adventure Pack and meet its licence and helmet conditions, which matters for travellers to South East Asia, where scooters are a common way to get around. The Basic and Multi-trip plans also have an upper age limit, but the Comprehensive and Domestic plans are available to travellers of any age.

Not quite sure about Travel Insurance Direct? You can compare other travel insurance companies here.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Cristal Dyer's headshot
Written by

Writer
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Cristal Dyer is a travel writer at Finder. She has been writing about travel for over five years and has visited over 40 countries around the world. Cristal currently travels full-time, writing about her favourite cities and food finds, and she is always on the lookout for amazing flight deals to share. See full bio

James Martin's headshot
Co-written by

Journalist

James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. An experienced journalist, James' work has featured in publications including The Irish Times, Companies100 and In Business. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

James's expertise
James has written 167 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Car, home, life, health, travel and pet insurance
  • Managing the cost of living
  • Money-saving tips
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15 Responses

    Don's avatar
    DonFebruary 8, 2019

    Can I renew the policy for a second year while in that country in this case Myanmar?

      Jeni's avatarFinder
      JeniFebruary 11, 2019Finder

      Hi Don,

      Thank you for getting in touch with finder.

      If you need to renew your travel insurance with Travel Insurance Direct, kindly contact them directly. Please note that there are policies that allow you to take out travel insurance if you’re already overseas.

      I hope this helps.

      Thank you and have a wonderful day!

      Cheers,
      Jeni

    Anita's avatar
    AnitaJuly 10, 2018

    will be travelling to Bali. Does the insurance cover flight cancellation or delay as a result of volcanic ash?

      Joel Marcelo's avatar
      JoelJuly 10, 2018

      Hi Anita,

      Thanks for leaving a question on Finder.

      If you buy a new travel insurance policy for Bali today, you won’t be covered for any volcano-related issues. This is because travel insurance is designed to cover unforeseen issues, and the Mt Agung eruption is a known event. It’s basically like trying to get car insurance after you’ve had an accident, and expecting to be covered.

      Now for the good news: you can still get travel insurance for Bali. Should you bother? Definitely, because even if you’re not covered for the volcano, you’ll still be covered for things like medical expenses, cancellation costs not related to the ash cloud, lost luggage, cover for leisure activities and more, depending on the policy you choose.

      Cheers,
      Joel

    Andrea's avatar
    AndreaFebruary 2, 2018

    Hi do you cover volcanic ash

      Ash Munoz's avatar
      AshFebruary 16, 2018

      Hello Andrea,

      Thank you for reaching out to us.

      Currently, no brand in our panel offers cover for the ash cloud in Bali. However, our list of Bali travel insurance would give you an idea of which brands offered to cover in the past. Please continue to check our pages as we are continuously updating them for any new issue statements regarding the ash cloud cover from different insurance providers.

      I hope this helps.

      Please do not hesitate to reach out to us again if you have additional questions.

      Cheers,
      Ash

    Megan's avatar
    MeganMay 13, 2017

    I need to purchase medical cover for my son who just got married to an American and is living in US. What typ of cover is suitable??

      Zubair Hassan's avatarFinder
      ZubairMay 15, 2017Finder

      Hi Megan,

      Thank you for your question.

      You have contacted finder.com.au, a comparison and information service and not actually TID. As a comparison and information service, we are not permitted to provide our users with personalised financial advice or product recommendations.

      However, TID offers cover for Australian residents that are already overseas. You may compare TID and other travel insurance brands on our guide about travel insurance for Australians already overseas.

      While looking for insurers, please make sure you read the terms and conditions of the policy to learn more and know if it is the right policy for you or not.

      I hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      Zubair

    Barbara's avatar
    BarbaraMay 9, 2016

    Europe 31 May returning 28 June. Single policy, aged 69. Need pre existing condition of CLL covered. Take one pill, no other treatment, no hospitalisation, not terminal, not against doctor’s advice. No other conditions except minimal blood pressure and under active thyroid, both treated for at least past five years without change.
    Can you offer a policy?

      Clare's avatar
      ClareOctober 9, 2016

      Please do not use this company. TID ripped me off big time. They do anything they can to avoid paying you, I ended up $20 worse off than if I never claimed, and thousand of dollars in medical expenses they would not pay. Go with anyone else but never TID!!! Clare

      Richard Laycock's headshotFinder
      RichardMay 10, 2016Finder

      Hi Barbara,

      Thanks for your question. Many of the brands in our panel offer cover for pre-existing condition. Please review our travel insurance for pre-existing conditions page for more information.

      I hope this was helpful,
      Richard

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