Bali ash cloud update: Mount Rinjani has stopped affecting your travel insurance
Merry Bali Christmas! Insurers are again offering cover for future volcanic activity.
Important:
Travel insurance rules continue to change as a result of the pandemic. Some information may not be accurate at this time. It’s even more important to double-check all details that matter to you before taking out cover. Please note:- Some policies may not be available through Finder at this time
- It’s unlikely that your policy will cover expenses from border closures
Finally, some good news! Travel is picking up, so some insurers have started offering cover again.
Just remember, you won't be covered for any pandemic related claims if you do take out domestic travel insurance.If you're heading to Bali over the Christmas period, we've got some good news. Many insurers are once again offering cover if your trip is interrupted by a volcanic event.
Mt Rinjani erupted in early November and caused an ash cloud to blanket local area, making air travel impossible. Most insurers stopped providing cancellation and disruption cover for policies issued on or after 3 November 2015, because of the uncertainties involved.
Now that has changed. According to the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin, eruptions from Mount Rinjani have dissipated. Due to this advisory, several insurers have revised their stance on volcanic events in the region. That means if Mount Rinjani erupts again, it will be treated as a new event and be covered under the disruption section of your policy.
The effective date of these changes varies between insurers and are displayed in the table below.
| Provider | Conditions | Apply |
|---|---|---|
 | Eruptions from Mt Rinjani have now dissipated. Any further disruptions to travel plans shall be considered a new, unforeseeable event with regard to cover under any policy purchased prior to that next disruption as of 12:00pm 10 December, 2015. | |
 | Please be advised Fast Cover have lifted the embargo on Mt Rinjani Ash Cloud eruptions as of the 22 of December, 2015. | |
 | According to the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), the ash cloud event affecting parts of Indonesia (including Bali) caused by the eruption of Mount Rinjani has dissipated and as such Budget Direct have deemed its conclusion date to be 14 December, 2015. This means any further eruptions from Mount Rinjani would be considered to be a new event. | |
 | QBE (the underwriter of Travel Insurance Saver) lifted the restrictions previously placed on cover for this event from 12:01am 5 December, 2015. | |
 | QBE (the underwriter of Easy Travel Insurance) lifted the restrictions previously placed on cover for this event from 12:01am 5 December, 2015. |
Picture: AndreyOnTheMove / Shutterstock.com (image cropped)
