WAS stands for Wise and Silent. It is an Australian provider based in Queensland. It is a recent entrant into the travel insurance market. To date, it has just 5 reviews on Trustpilot (correct as of March 2023). WAS Insurance is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, an Australasian insurance firm that's been around for more than 2 decades.

Are pre-existing medical conditions covered by WAS?

In some cases, yes. WAS lists the different types of pre-existing conditions which are covered automatically in its policy. These include asthma, sleep apnoea and some mental health conditions such as depression. It's really important to check the PDS to see which medical conditions are and aren't covered, along with any restrictions that apply. If a condition is not specifically called out in your policy, it will be excluded.

How do I make a claim with WAS Travel Insurance?

WAS offers an online claims process on its website. You can also contact WAS via phone or email: 1. Phone (outside Australia) + 61 2 8880 5820 2. Phone (within Australia): 02 8880 5820 Email: claims@battleface.com To help speed up your claim, it's a good idea to keep any relevant documents such as receipts, medical notes or police reports.

WAS Travel Insurance review: Compare and save

Pros

On top of unlimited overseas medical expenses, you'll get up to $20,000 in funeral expenses if you die while on your trip.
WAS gives you the option to be covered for up to $40,000 in trip cancellation or interruption costs. By comparison, Tick Travel Insurance caps its benefit limit at $20,000.
Its COVID Essentials policy covers the basics in case COVID-19 impacts your travels.

Cons

Only 4 covers are included as standard. Yes, this means you can avoid paying for unnecessary coverage – but it means you might also overlook key add-ons such as trip cancellation, luggage and personal liability cover.

Find a WAS travel insurance policy

Summary of WAS's Discovery policy

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Get 8% off your Wise and Silent policy Use promocode: FINDER8 to get 8% off travel insurance online. T&Cs apply. Get deal Get deal		loading Fetching your data...

COVID-19 medical expenses	Rental car excess insurance	Standard excess
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Domestic Bonus	$1,000	Optional	$100	Get 8% off travel insurance with Wise and Silent when you purchase online. Use the promo code FINDER8. T&Cs apply.	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate with Cruise and Snow Cover	$2,000	Optional	$250	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate with Rental Vehicle Excess	$2,000	$8,000	$250	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent (Engine)	No Cover	Optional		Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate with Snow Cover and Rental Vehicle Excess	$2,000	$8,000	$250	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate with Snow Cover	$2,000	Optional	$250	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate with Cruise, Snow Cover and Rental Vehicle Excess	$2,000	$8,000	$250	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent Travel Insurance - Covid Essentials Bonus	No Cover	No Cover	$250	Get 8% off travel insurance with Wise and Silent when you purchase online. Use the promo code FINDER8. T&Cs apply.	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate with Motorcycle Cover	$2,000	Optional	$100	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate with Cruise and Rental Vehicle Excess	$2,000	$8,000	$250	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate Bonus	$2,000	$8,000	$250	Get 8% off travel insurance with Wise and Silent when you purchase online. Use the promo code FINDER8. T&Cs apply.	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading
Wise and Silent International Travel Insurance - Discovery Ultimate with Cruise	$2,000	Optional	$250	Get quote More info Compare product selectionCompare	loading

Overseas medical and hospital expenses	Unlimited
Cancellation and amendment fees	Cover chosen
Luggage and Personal Effects	Cover chosen
Maximum age limit	99

Overseas medical and hospital expenses

Unlimited

Cancellation and amendment fees

Cover chosen

Luggage and Personal Effects

Cover chosen

Maximum age limit

What policies does WAS offer?

WAS has 3 travel insurance policies to pick from. These are Domestic, COVID Essentials and Discovery. These are some of the main insured events a policy can cover you for:

The cooling-off period is 21 days meaning you can change your policy or cancel within this period, and WAS will refund your premium in full. By opting for a higher excess – the amount you need to contribute to a claim – you can score a lower premium.

Here's a breakdown of WAS Travel Insurance features

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Standard features

Here are some of the key policy benefits to help you find out if WAS can give the right cover for you:

Overseas medical expenses – unlimited (for up to 12 months of treatment)
Funeral expenses if you die on your trip (up to $10,000 with COVID Essentials or up to $20,000 with Discovery)
Daily hospital benefit – $50 (up to a maximum of $500 with COVID Essentials or up to $5,000 with Discovery)
Airfare reimbursement – up to $2,500 (Discovery only)
Certain pre-existing medical conditions as stated by the policy
Pregnancy – up to 24 weeks with a single child; or up to 19 weeks with twins or multiple children

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Optional add-on

WAS offers a wide range of optional extras. You need to add these after you choose which policy you want to take out.

We've listed the core add-ons with the Discovery policy here:

Trip cancellation or interruption. You choose a benefit limit of up to $10,000 (Domestic) or $40,000 (Discovery) in case an unforeseen event means you're forced to make big changes to your travel plans.
Personal accident cover of $50,000 (Discovery only).
Luggage and personal items. Choose up to $5,000 (Domestic) or $10,000(Discovery) to cover your lost, stolen or damaged items including belongings such as your laptop, phone, camera and travel documents.
Travel delay. Get $50 per 6 hours if you're delayed. Up to $1,000 (Domestic) or $2,000 (Discovery).
Personal liability. Covers the compensation for damages, bodily injury or death to third parties including legal expenses. Pays up to $2.5 million. (Domestic and Discovery only)
Rental vehicle excess. Drive your hire car with peace of mind that you'll be covered for up to $6,000 (Discovery) or $8,000 (Domestic) in case you need to pay your rental company should your vehicle be damaged or stolen.
Pet boarding. Get your beloved pet taken care of in case your return to Australia is delayed by 24 hours or more. This benefit pays up to $1,400.
Cruise pack. Enjoy peace of mind against emergency medical costs, and lots more, if you're going on a cruise.
Motorcycle and moped pack. Protect yourself and your bike against the unexpected.
Snow pack. Get additional cover in case you injure yourself, or damage your equipment, or a ski run is closed, while skiing or snowboarding.

Exclusions

As with any travel insurance plan, some events won't be covered. General exclusions with WAS include the following situations:

Any pre-existing condition that's excluded from your policy
Pregnancy after the 24th week
Childbirth at any stage of pregnancy
Activities such as snow sports – to be covered, you'd need to have taken out an activity pack with your Discovery policy
Indirect losses including loss of enjoyment or business opportunity
A criminal or dishonest act by you or a person with whom you're in collusion
Loss from, or related to, impairment due to alcohol
Acts of war
Going to a country with a "Do not travel" warning from the government

Make sure you read WAS's PDS for more detail on policy exclusions and restrictions.

Here's the bottom line about WAS

WAS offers 2 easy-to-understand policies with some competitive cover benefits. Both policies are aimed at international travellers. If you're one of the 27% of Aussies who intend to holiday in Australia in the next 12 months*, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Being able to add coverage of up to $40,000 for trip cancellation or interruption should be plenty for most travellers. On the other hand, its rental vehicle excess of $6,000 is half of the $10,000 limit offered by Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI). WAS's website is refreshingly easy to navigate – not a given when it comes to insurance.

Don't forget to take out cover as soon as you've confirmed your travel dates, to get the most protection from your policy.

*According to a Finder survey in February 2023

If you're still not sure about WAS, you can compare other travel insurance companies here.

WAS Travel Insurance review

Our verdict: WAS Travel Insurance is a decent option if you’re looking for no-fuss insurance with the flexibility to add more cover to your policy to suit your particular needs.

Pros

Cons

Find a WAS travel insurance policy

Summary of WAS's Discovery policy

What policies does WAS offer?