Pros
- Travel Insurance Direct includes cruise cover as standard where most other providers will charge you extra to add it on.
- This company offers overseas medical and cancellation cover for COVID-19-related events, including quarantine expenses in some situations.
Cons
- Travel Insurance Direct provides personal liability cover of up to $2,500,000 which is significantly less than the majority of its competitors. World2Cover, Travel Insuranz and Insure4Less all offer at least 3 times as much.
- If you have an existing medical condition outside of the 40 listed, you won't be covered for any related claims.
| Overseas Medical and Hospital Expenses | Unlimited |
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| Cancellation and Amendment Fees | Unlimited |
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| Luggage and Personal Effects | $12,000 |
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| Maximum Age Limit | 74 |
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Table updated April 2023
The Coronavirus pandemic has not only changed how we travel but what we expect from travel insurance providers. The good news is, cover for some COVID-19-related events is available on all Travel Insurance Direct's plans, but the level of benefits varies between them. Here's what you can expect from its top level of cover:
Medical expenses overseas if you get sick with Covid-19 while on your journey
Coronavirus travel costs including cover for quarantine expenses and trip cancellation
Some exclusions do apply, however, including costs related to a broadly imposed government quarantine or your neglecting to observe any relevant hygiene, social distancing or vaccination guidelines.
If you'd like to see what else is available, we've compared all the providers that offer cover for COVID-19.
Travel Insurance Direct offers four policies to choose from, suitable for everyone from travellers on a shoestring to the luxury seekers amongst us. The Works, The Basics and Domestic plans are available for single trips and the Annual Multi Trip plan covers you for as many trips as you like over 12 months.
The Works
The Basics
Annual Multi-trip
Domestic
This insurance is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance. It comes with a cooling-off period and a choice of standard excess.
The cooling-off period is 21 days from the day you buy your policy, during which you can cancel your policy and receive a full refund of your premium. The excess is the amount you must pay for each claim you make and is deducted from any claim payment.
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 policy e.g. the comprehensive cover under The Works plan vs The Basics policy).
Optional add-on
Travel Insurance Direct offers add-ons to tailor your policy to your needs by paying a bit more.
- 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.
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.
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:
- Head to https://www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au/Member/OpenSignIn
- Log in with the email address and password you used when you bought the policy
- Select "Make a new claim"
- Answer a few questions and describe what happened
- Check your email for further instructions
- Upload your supporting documents
- Review your claim and submit
Travel Insurance Direct offers a robust suite of travel insurance policies with cover that should be sufficient for most travellers. You've got unlimited overseas medical expenses cover, your choice of cancellation cover and up to $12,000 for luggage and personal effects. Plus, cruise cover is included as standard with unlimited cover for medical expenses including evacuation and repatriation.
TID has automatic cover for 40 existing medical conditions including asthma, diabetes (types I and II) and high blood pressure. If your condition isn't listed then you can still buy a policy but you won't be covered for any claim related to it. On top of that, many of the included conditions aren't covered if you've required hospitalisation or have experienced complications recently.
Where TIDs policies fall short can be found in its general exclusions. ATV or quad riding is out, as is riding a motorcycle with an engine capacity greater than 250cc. Travellers to South East Asia should take particular note, where motorcycle riding is a common form of transport. Policies are only available to residents of Australia under the age of 75 so senior travellers will have to look elsewhere.
Hi,
I’m looking for travel insurance. I am a non-resident of Australia living in Indonesia. Can you help me?
Hi M Jones,
Thanks for your question. Yes, you can find cover. A list of insurers offering travel insurance for visitors to Australia is available for you to compare.
Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard
If I’m travelling to the USA for work & want travel insurance just for a few days to cover me while going there. Am I still covered even though I’m starting my trip in Australia but ending it while I’m overseas?
Hi Kaz,
Thanks for your question.
Yes, a one-way travel insurance will be suitable for you if you will end your trip overseas. You will still need to enter an end date of when you no longer need cover however, these dates are flexible which means that you can extend your cover further if you need to.
Most insurers offers this type of travel insurance, compare them and work out with insurers on the best policy for you. You can refine your search by using our tool on the right side of the page and click Get Quote to head over to the insurer’s website.
Please make sure to read the eligibility criteria, features and details of the policy, as well as the relevant Product Disclosure Statement of the policy before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. If necessary, speak to the insurance brand to verify any details.
I hope this was helpful,
Richard