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Budget Direct Travel Insurance
Budget Direct Travel Insurance review of policies. Compare options and save with the promo code.
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2019 Finder Awards
Winner: Best Travel Insurance - Comprehensive
Budget Direct Travel Insurance
Budget Direct's Comprehensive policy is Finder's pick for the second year running. It offers unlimited cover for important benefits including overseas medical expenses, cancellation and emergency companion cover.
Offering a variety of travel insurance policies, Budget Direct Travel Insurance has you covered whether you're travelling on a budget or after something more comprehensive.
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A travel ban is in place for all Australians effective 25 March 2020. Most travel insurance brands will not cover you if you travel against a government warning. If you already have a policy, please contact your insurer directly for more information. We are currently updating our site to reflect the Australian government’s advice. Some travel insurance policies will be temporarily unavailable.
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Summary of Budget Direct's Comprehensive policy
| Overseas Medical and Hospital Expenses | Unlimited |
|---|---|
| Cancellation and Amendment Fees | Unlimited |
| Luggage and Personal Effects | $7,500 |
| Maximum Age Limit | 100 |
Table updated June 2020
What policies are on offer?
Budget Direct offers five different policies to suit all travellers.
Budget Direct travel insurance review of benefits
Compare Budget Direct travel insurance policies side by side to see which policy would be most suitable for your trip.
| Benefits | Comprehensive | Essentials | Last Minute | Domestic | Annual Multi-trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Additional expenses | $40,000 | $12,500 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $40,000 |
| Alternative transport expenses | $5,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Cancellation and amendment fees | Unlimited | $12,500 | $10,000 | Unlimited | |
| Cutting your trip short | Unlimited | $12,500 | $7,500 | Unlimited | |
| Delayed luggage allowance | $600 | $400 | $250 | $600 | |
| Hijack | $1,500 | $1,500 | |||
| Hospital cash allowance | $75 per completed 24 hours up to $2,500 | $75 per completed 24 hours up to $1,000 | $75 per completed 24 hours up to $2,500 | ||
| Loss of income | $10,400 | $10,400 | |||
| Luggage and personal effects* | $7,500 | $5,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| Overseas medical and hospital expenses | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Personal accident* | $40,000 | $30,000 | $15,000 | $40,000 | |
| Personal liability | $5,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,500,000 | $5,000,000 |
| Pet care | $500 | $500 | |||
| Rental vehicle insurance excess | $6,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 | |
| Resumption of journey | $3,000 | $3,000 | |||
| Travel delay expenses | $100 per completed 12 hours up to $2,000 | $50 per completed 12 hours up to $1,000 | $50 per completed 12 hours up to $1,000 | $100 per completed 12 hours up to $2,000 | |
| Travel documents, credit cards and | $5,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
*Conditions such as variable claim limits apply. Table last updated 16th June 2020
Are there any policy add-ons?
One of the major perks of taking out international travel insurance with Budget Direct is that you won't need to buy extra cover if you're heading on a cruise. However, there are a few additional cover options that come for an added price:
- Pre-existing medical conditions. Budget Direct cover up to 27 pre-existing medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes and acne, however you will need to pay a bit extra for cover. If your condition is not listed, Budget Direct may not pay any claims related to your condition.
- Snow Sports Cover. If you're planning on hitting the slopes at any stage during your trip, you might want to look at the snow sports cover, which protects you from the costs of piste closure, damage to your ski gear, avalanche cover and more.
- Additional Specified Items Cover. If you're travelling with an item that costs more than single item limit of your Budget Direct policy, you can select the additional specified items cover, which can protect items up to a maximum value of $4,000.
- Excess reduction. Budget Direct has three excess options: $200, $100 and $0 excess. If you don't want to pay as much for your policy upfront, you can select the $200 option but pay more at claim time or vice versa select the $0 option and pay more for your policy but nothing come claim time.
Is cover from Budget Direct expensive?
How much you'll pay for cover will depend on a few variables such as your age, where you're going, for how long and what activities you're planning on doing while you're there. Since there are so many variables it's hard to say whether one provider is more or less expensive than the other.
However, after completing a range of dummy quotes for different destinations, both the Essential and Last Minute policies from Budget Direct consistently cost less than the average policy in the results from the Finder Travel Insurance comparison tool.
And while the Budget Direct Comprehensive Travel insurance might cost slightly more than the average policy, it consistently ranks as one of the most comprehensive policies according to the Finder Rating. You're also getting a lot less bang for your buck. The Last Minute option only covers 4 of the 18 items covered by the Comprehensive policy, meaning that while you're saving 32% in monetary terms, you're losing about 78% of the cover provided by the premium option.For example, Budget Direct Last Minute Travel Insurance costs roughly 32% less than Budget Direct Comprehensive Travel insurance. This might seem like a huge saving but since travel insurance is relatively inexpensive, the savings won't change your life.
How can I save on Budget Direct travel insurance?
Looking to save money travel insurance? Here are some ways to cut costs with Budget Direct:
- Opt for a lower level of cover. If cost is all you're concerned about you can choose the Last Minute Travel Insurance option, though as I previously stated it doesn't represent great value for money.
- Use a Budget Direct Travel Insurance promo code. If you're after a discount on your travel insurance from Budget Direct, there are always promo codes floating around on the Internet. Check out the latest codes on Finder.
- Check your excess. Opting for the highest excess means you'll pay less upfront for cover but need to pay the full excess should you lodge a claim.
What happens if I need to make a claim?
If you do need to file a claim, the process is relatively straightforward. What you'll need to provide is:
- Policy number
- Details about the accident: time, date etc.
- Supporting evidence: police or medical reports, receipts, etc.
- Personal details: name, age, etc.
- Payment details: account name, number, etc.
- Travel details: where, when, etc.
Budget Direct claim and contact details
EClaim via email: Complete your claim form and send it along with any other supporting information to budgetdirect@claims-travel.com.au
Claim via post: Complete your claim form and send it along with any other supporting information to:
GPO Box 14, Brisbane QLD 4001
Claim online: Complete your claim form and upload it along with any other supporting information through Budget Direct online claims centre; https://claimmanager.com.au/budgetdirect/agreement
Emergency assistance: +61 7 3465 1718 (from overseas); 1800 444 424 (within Australia)
Budget Direct Travel Insurance FAQ
Ask an Expert
We are trekking in Nepal to 4500m. Will we be covered for this please and does it cover emergency evacuation by helicopter in case of injury or illness?
Hi Jacqui,
Thanks for getting in touch! On this page, you’ll find travel insurance providers that cover trekking to Nepal. Normally, cancellations, medical expenses, and helicopter evacuation is covered if you become ill or if you’re injured while trekking to Everest base camp or on other guided treks in Nepal which can be provided by your insurer’s medical assistance team.
While Budget Direct is not on the list of brands who can cover you for the Everest Base Camp or Nepal trekking, use the online form on top of the page, enter the information needed in the fields provided and click “get my quote.” This will show a full list of providers for your trip.
As a friendly reminder, carefully review the Product Disclosure Statement of the product before applying. You may also contact the insurance provider should you have any questions about their policy.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Nikki
Hi! I require 12 months travel insurance for Germany. The consul requires 30,00 euro for medical evacuation/ repatriation of body in case of death. Can you please advise if the unlimited medical covers this?
Hi Jo-anne,
Thank you for reaching out to Finder.
Budget Direct will cover for medical evacuation or repatriation based on your specific needs. You may need to check with your specific policy it the 30,000 EU so covered by your policy as the approval is still subject to an assessment and approval by Budget Direct.
You can reach out to Budget Direct to verify so they can check on your policy coverage too.
Hope this helps! 😊
Kind Regards,
Mai
Hi, on a 7 month trip to the UK, how can we make sure we’re covered for countries that we suddenly decide to visit? Or, can we add to our insurance whilst away, i.e. If we decide to go to Canada for 2 weeks, can we pay the extra prior to departure?
Hi Deb,
Thanks for contacting Finder and for leaving a question about Budget Direct Travel Insurance.
Once you are on a trip in the UK and decided to go to another country that is not supported by the region that you purchased, you can log in to your Budget Direct account and purchase a policy to add a new country, say Canada for instance. You can also head to Budget Direct’s website and chat with one of their representatives who can add add a cover for you. It can be done anytime even if you are already on a trip.
Hope this helps and please feel free to contact us back should you require further assistance.
Kind Regards,
Mai
I have a 125cc motorcycle in Philippines am I coverd if im riding it there
Hi Brett,
Thanks for reaching out! As it says on our page, Budget Direct covers overseas emergency medical assistance – it offers unlimited cover for all plans excluding the domestic plan. For further information, you can check the part on the page that says “Budget Direct Travel Insurance benefits.”
Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.
Best,
Nikki
I am 83 years old. Is medical cover unlimited for Europe?
Hi Edward,
Thank you for leaving a question.
Yes, Budget direct does cover until 100 years old. Depending on the policy you take out with them, medical cover may be unlimited for a European tour. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie
We will travel for 6 months overseas (Philippines) and will be back to Australia on Aug 20 2017. Although we want to purchase comprehensive insurance for 3 months only until May 31st 2017 and renew the policy for another 3 months, is that possible? Pls advice…..thanks
Hi Alicia,
Thank you for your question.
You have contacted finder.com.au and not actually Budget Direct Travel Insurance, finder.com.au is a comparison and information service and don’t represent any insurance brand listed on our website.
You may need to organise two single trip policies or annual multi-trip policy if you will come back to Australia within the six-month duration. If it is a continuous trip without coming back to Australia, you may be eligible for a one-time single trip policy.
Cheers,
Zubair
I am 79 and my husband is82.We are after a single trip travel insurance with preexisting conditions
Will you insure us?
Hi Susanne,
Thanks for your question. finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. You may find our travel insurance for pre-existing conditions page and seniors travel insurance page useful.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
What is the cheapest insurance for a passenger travelling on a ship to the South Pacific aged 86
Hi Vicki,
Thanks for your question. finder.com.au is a comparison service and not an insurer. If you would like to compare the policies from the travel insurance brands in out panel, please enter your travel details into the comparison tool on the quote tool on the travel insurance homepage.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
I would like to buy the travel insurance to Vietnam but I don’t know the insurance cover or not for high blood pressure and diabetes
Hi Thanh,
Thanks for your question. Whether or not you’ll be able to get cover may depend on the insurer. Below are some links to pages you may find useful:
Travel insurance for diabetics
Travel insurance for hearth conditions
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
Hi
I’m looking to take out Budget Direct Platinum Travel Insurance.
1. I’m travelling to Canada and Bali – please confirm that I select Worldwide travel
2. Am I covered in Bali if i have an accident whilst riding a bicycle?
with thanks, Carol Crowe
Hi Carol,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding the Budget Direct Platinum Travel Insurance policy.
1. As Bali and Canada are both listed under separate regions, yes you would select Worldwide.
2. I have not been able to find any exclusions for claims related to riding a bicycle in the Budget Direct PDS. No claim will be paid if “Your claim Arises from being in control of a Moped or Scooter without a current Australian motorcycle or drivers licence, or you are a passenger travelling on a Moped or Scooter that is in the control of a person who does not hold a current motorcycle or drivers licence valid for the country you are travelling in. You may wish to clarify by contacting Budget Direct directly on 1800 062 750
All the best.