Jetstar strikes over Xmas – can you get your money back?
If your holiday plans have been disrupted by the Jetstar strikes, travel insurance can help.
Jetstar workers are set to go on strike over the Christmas and New Year period, after ground crews and baggage handlers voted 94% in favour of taking strike action.
In preparation for the strike, Jetstar has been forced to cancel 108 flights between Friday 13 and Sunday 15 December 2019. The strike is likely to affect Sydney, Melbourne, Avalon, Adelaide, Cairns and Brisbane airports over the coming weeks.
What will happen to affected passengers?
In a statement on its website, Jetstar agreed to refund or offer alternative flights to people that are impacted by the flights, as well as offering accommodation and meals to people that have to stay overnight away from home.
That's great news - but what about if you had accommodation booked in Melbourne for a week, and couldn't find another flight? What if you were flying to Sydney for the Elton John concert? This is where travel insurance could kick in.
How travel insurance can help when a strike impacts your travel plans
If you purchased a travel insurance policy before the strike became a known event, you're most likely covered. Here are a few major travel insurance brands that cover strikes and the benefits you can claim under:
| Brand | Benefit | Cover |
|---|---|---|
 | Additional accommodation and travel expenses | Reimbursement for the costs of your scheduled transport if it is cancelled or delayed provided you purchased your policy before the strike became a known event. |
 | Additional expenses | Additional accommodation and transportation expenses as a result of strikes. |
 | Additional expenses and travel delay expenses | Cover for additional accommodation, meals and travelling expenses if you have already departed for your trip. If your departure is affected by the strike, Budget Direct will cover extra meals and accommodation as long as you still intend to travel. |
 | Travel delay and abandonment of trip | Cover for additional meals, accommodation and transfers if your trip is delayed for more than six hours. Cover up to a certain limit is available if you're delayed by 12 hours or more for abandonment of your entire trip. |
 | Additional expenses | Cover for additional accommodation and transportation expenses as a result of strikes. |
 | Travel delay | Provision to claim for additional meals and accommodation expenses if your travel is delayed for at least six hours. |
 | Additional expenses | Cover for out-of-pocket expenses to rearrange your travel and accommodation. |
If you don't have travel insurance
If you didn't get a chance to sort out your travel insurance before the strike was announced, unfortunately you probably won't be able to claim any strike-related expenses if you buy a policy today. Here are some travel insurance brands that have released alerts regarding the strike:
| Brand | Comments |
|---|---|
| Event may not be covered for policies purchased after 10/12/19. |
 | No cover for policies purchased after 8pm AEST 6/12/19. |
 | Event may not be covered for policies purchased after 3pm AEST 10/12/19. |
 | No cover for policies purchased after 8pm AEST 6/12/19. |
| No cover for policies purchased after 12am AEDT on 10/12/19. |
 | Warning issued only. |
 | Event may not be covered for policies purchased after 3pm AEST 10/12/19. |
While most of us forget to take out travel insurance on domestic trips. These strikes are the perfect example to show how handy it can really be. Plus, it's not usually too expensive either.
Picture: Getty Images
