If you have to cancel your trip for a reason outside of your control, travel cancellation insurance will make sure you don't lose out on any non-refundable expenses that you've already paid for. It can help cover the cost of prepaid accommodation, travel and any deposits that you've already put down.
Most comprehensive travel insurance policies cover cancellations. It's not typically included with basic travel insurance policies.
Travel delays is a separate benefit that's also included with most comprehensive travel insurance policies. It can pay for reasonable costs related to trip disruptions – for example, accommodation if you become stranded.
Here are some examples of prepaid travel expenses that you can claim back on cancellation cover:
As we touched on above, travel insurers only cover you when you need to cancel or cut your trip short due to situations that are unexpected and outside your control. That means no cover will be provided if:
The best policy for a person might not be the best policy for another, so your ideal policy comes down to your specific requirements. Here are some tips on how to settle on the right policy:
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I have booked a flight for next April 2020 for an overseas holiday. Am l able to get insurance if l have to cancel the flight due to work not giving me holidays at this time?
Hi Diane,
Thanks for getting in touch with us at Finder.
Unfortunately, most insurers won’t consider this a reason outside of your control. Examples of this would be if there was a death in the family or an unexpected natural disaster.
You might be eligible for a cancel-for-any-reason cover, but this is only available through certain travel agencies and brokers.
I hope this helps, and good luck with getting your leave approved!
Kind regards,
Jessica
I am holding travel insurance which only covers the cruise component of a subsequently extended trip that follows the cruise. I will commence the cruise in less than three weeks and I am outside the refund window. The included medical conditions are quite limited. Do insurers decline to insure on declared non included conditions and refund the premium?
If I take out an alternate policy for the whole trip with another insurer will I have a problem when it comes to claiming? Do I have to deactivate the unused policy? I do not favour extending my existing policy.
Hi Hugh,
Thank you for reaching out to Finder.
For your first question, (Do insurers decline to insure on declared non included conditions and refund the premium?) it really depends on the conditions as to why the insurer would decline the claim. You may need to contact your insurer directly to check if this is within the policy you signed up for or not. For your second question, (If I take out an alternate policy for the whole trip with another insurer will I have a problem when it comes to claiming? Do I have to deactivate the unused policy? I do not favor extending my existing policy.). Doubling up and having two insurance policies is actually more common than you might think. … However, many insurance policies renew automatically, and if you don’t cancel your original policy before taking out new cover then it’s possible you could pay twice for the same thing.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie
We would like to book our own non refundable flights from Sydney to Perth. Stay a few days at a motel that we book. Fly to Broome. Book a 4 day cruise around WA. Flight back to Perth/Sydney. Can we get cover for all these portions if we need to cancel for something unseen such as broken leg?
Hi Margo,
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
Yes, non-refundable deposits for pre-booked flights and accommodation are examples of pre-paid travel expenses you can be reimbursed for under trip cancellation cover. Unexpected events which are outside of your control like serious injury, you probably be covered. Some insurers come right out and tell you what they’ll cover, while others only tell you what they won’t cover – these are called exclusions.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni
I am planning a 12 week trip for 2019 and have just been advised I may be called up for jury service until Oct 2019. Which policies cover jury service?
Hi Kat,
Thanks for your inquiry and for visiting finder.
When you’re called up for jury duty or to serve as a witness in court, this is recognized as qualifying for cover, as long as there’s no way you could have seen them coming (ie, unexpected).
Just make sure you check your insurer’s policy documents because not every insurer treats these situations exactly the same. You will need to provide evidence of this.
To know which insurance provider’s cover jury duty, you may use the table above. Simply enter the information needed on the fields and click GET QUOTE NOW. This will show the list of providers.
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 was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.
Regards,
Nikki
My husband is in aged care suffering from dementia. He is physically well, apart from an inability to walk, which has him confined to a wheelchair.
Would I be covered if say, he had a fall which caused severe injury or worse?
He is a fall risk.
Hi Maggie,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
According to our review on travel insurance exclusions, the family emergency portion of your policy reimburses you for expenses incurred by you if a relative dies unexpectedly during your journey or becomes hospitalised due to illness or injury like if your husband had a fall and caused severe injury. Common exclusions include the following:
I suggest that you double check this situation with your chosen insurer.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni