Best travel insurance [Is Qantas TI any good]

[Bus970]

Suggestions for travel insurance to caver getting sick, loss of property, trip cancelation and hospital overseas. Is Qantas TI any good? Thanks.

 

[Scr77]

I asked a similar question a long time ago. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as travel insurance that is good or recommended for everyone. For example, I once swore against free insurance included with a credit card but have just embarked on a 3 month trip using cc insurance that cost me nothing.

It sucks, but you really have to consider your risk tolerance and read the PDS. Some insurance policies require specific activation spends, some automatically cover heath issues that may apply to you while some may be a bargain, but only if you can wear a $5k car insurance excess.

Finally, I haven’t read the Qantas insurance PDS, but don’t presume it’s good just because it’s marketed by Qantas.

 

[Forg]

Finally, I haven’t read the Qantas insurance PDS, but don’t presume it’s good just because it’s marketed by Qantas.

I think the modern process is to assume something is bad because it's marketed by Qantas.

I've been served well by credit card insurance in the past, but nothing that terrible happened to me (just the one rental excess when I tried to push an Adelaide hotel down from the inside using a rented mini-bus).

 

[kookaburra75]

I asked a similar question a long time ago. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as travel insurance that is good or recommended for everyone. For example, I once swore against free insurance included with a credit card but have just embarked on a 3 month trip using cc insurance that cost me nothing.

It sucks, but you really have to consider your risk tolerance and read the PDS. Some insurance policies require specific activation spends, some automatically cover heath issues that may apply to you while some may be a bargain, but only if you can wear a $5k car insurance excess.

Finally, I haven’t read the Qantas insurance PDS, but don’t presume it’s good just because it’s marketed by Qantas.

Unfortunately it is something you need to check all of the details of what they cover, the limits of coverage, and what they don't cover, to be able to decide whether the insurance is suitable for you. Now that we are doing more leisure travel than work, I pick and chose depending on where we're going and the coverage e.g. hire car excess, delays, changes due to Covid etc

 

[Scr77]

A lot depends on your personal circumstances too. If you’re booking accommodation that is cancellable and understand your car excess, then you may be ok with only being covered for overseas medical expenses and personal liability
(Getting sued after a car accident etc).

But there’s no point paying For the most expensive policy and not declaring your heart condition.

 

[tdimdad]

You will also find plenty of information in the Travel Insurance forum here.

 

[RooFlyer]

Now that we are doing more leisure travel than work, I pick and chose depending on where we're going and the coverage e.g. hire car excess, delays, changes due to Covid etc

Same, my past 3 policies have been with different insurers. Different coverage for different trips, eg USA/non USA; cruise/non cruise; pre-existing medical conditions & combinations of those.

 

[DC3]

Now that we are doing more leisure travel than work, I pick and chose depending on where we're going and the coverage e.g. hire car excess, delays, changes due to Covid etc

Yes, I usually end up choosing a different insurer, based on the policy coverage for specific trips.

 

[Cynicor]

Qantas are underwritten by NIB which seems to have covered a large part of the market in the last 24 months. NIB have a bad rep among health professionals but may be better for paying out insurance.

That said, they tend to cover skiing way better than before so I tend to insure through a NIB policy and use my credit card for the rest of my trip.

 

[RooFlyer]

Choice ran an updated travel insurance comparison in Feb '24. Qantas TI rated pretty well, but was classed as 'expensive'. ($$$$$, where the cheapest was $)

 

[Ansett Nostalgic]

What's the most generous policy for reimbursing the cost of rebooking if flights are delayed or cancelled?

 

[Scr77]

What's the most generous policy for reimbursing the cost of rebooking if flights are delayed or cancelled?

Another case of having to read the PDS. Often policies will make a payment for delays but this usually doesn’t cover the cost of rebooking flights. It’s usually considered the airline’s responsibility to sort the missed connection. This is why you need to be careful of separate tickets.

However, If you have a car accident on the way to the airport, that may depend on the “resumption of journey” sections of the policy.

In my experience, when it comes to flight loses, insurance coverage may cover the “out of pocket” costs. This can be a problem with reward flights because often they are cancellable and there is very little out of pocket, but you haven’t made it to your destination.

 

[Scr77]

Regardless of which travel insurance you choose, I can highly recommend you take out the loss and damage waiver on any rental car.

Having just written off a car with only 3,000 miles on the clock, it was a relief when the rental car company handed over a new set of keys with no excess/deductible to pay.

 

[Phoenix-1]

What's the most generous policy for reimbursing the cost of rebooking if flights are delayed or cancelled?

Don't know if it's particularly generous, but Allianz will cover alternative transport costs:

3.3 Alternative Transport Expenses

3.3.1 What we cover

If your scheduled transport is cancelled, delayed, shortened or diverted during the period of cover and that means you would not arrive on time to a wedding, funeral, pre-paid airline/rail travel, pre-paid tour/cruise, pre-paid conference, pre-paid sporting event, pre-paid concert/cultural event or pre-paid accommodation which, before you left Australia, you had planned to attend or utilise while you are overseas, we will pay your reasonable additional travel expenses to enable you to arrive on time

But it doesn't say anything about the class of travel.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Don't know if it's particularly generous, but Allianz will cover alternative transport costs:


But it doesn't say anything about the class of travel.

‘reasonable’ is defined in the PDS: it is a similar class of hotel or air travel as you have booked for the rest of the itinerary. If no other hotel or air travel has been booked, then it must ‘not be extravagant’.

I guess it would be a case of discussion with the insurer. Buying a full-fare last minute walk-up on another carrier because you might miss your $100 pre-paid hotel in bangkok might be a stretch. But doing the same to make your 14 night cruise to antarctica might be ok!

 

[Pushka]

Regardless of which travel insurance you choose, I can highly recommend you take out the loss and damage waiver on any rental car.

Having just written off a car with only 3,000 miles on the clock, it was a relief when the rental car company handed over a new set of keys with no excess/deductible to pay.

Some policies have this in their Travel Insuramce but the issue is having to cover the damage costs personally until the TI accepts the claim and pays out. Consequently we are always over insured when it comes to hire insurance.

We have just bought an annual policy with BUPA that we can use for three trips. Turned out to be the cheapest by a few hundred dollars. I need pre-existing cover but have also claimed on card insurance as one of their clauses covered something that TI policy didn't.

 

[Scr77]

Some policies have this in their Travel Insuramce but the issue is having to cover the damage costs personally until the TI accepts the claim and pays out. Consequently we are always over insured when it comes to hire insurance.

We have just bought an annual policy with BUPA that we can use for three trips. Turned out to be the cheapest by a few hundred dollars. I need pre-existing cover but have also claimed on card insurance as one of their clauses covered something that TI policy didn't.

That’s the best part of paying for the Loss and Damage waiver with the car provider. It’s not insurance, it’s an agreement that the rental company won't hold you liable for damage. There’s zero dealing with any insurance company or excess. Of course, the agreement has exclusions like driving through creek crossings, ripping roof off in a low car park etc.

 

[CaptJCool]

Here’s some interesting USA research that is quite comprehensive as to risk and coverage and which things people prefer to be covered

Travel Insurance Statistics 2024

Wanderlust has hit many Americans, with this year promising to be an even busier travel year than 2023. Nearly all American adults (94%) have travel plans in the next six months, according to a recent survey from Longwoods International.¹ And while most travelers carefully plan flights, car re

www.forbes.com

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That’s the best part of paying for the Loss and Damage waiver with the car provider. It’s not insurance, it’s an agreement that the rental company won't hold you liable for damage. There’s zero dealing with any insurance company or excess. Of course, the agreement has exclusions like driving through creek crossings, ripping roof off in a low car park etc.

Agree!

Almost wrote off a snowmobile earlier this year. Luckily had paid additional insurance direct at the counter on the day… no paperwork, no needing to file police reports and make a claim on insurance. So easy! (well… there was *some* insurance paperwork… me needing to indemnify the company against my injuries!! lol)

 

[Pushka]

Agree!

Almost wrote off a snowmobile earlier this year. Luckily had paid additional insurance direct at the counter on the day… no paperwork, no needing to file police reports and make a claim on insurance. So easy! or anything! (well… there was *some* insurance paperwork… me needing to indemnify the company against my injuries!! lol)

Almost kind of disappointing when you return the car without any scratches or bumps, let alone dents. Now it's just petrol.