Credit card insurance - Outside of Australia?

[KingHuang]

Hey guys,

I was having a thought that most of the credit card insurance covers if you 'book a ticket starting from Australia', what happens from a coverage point of view if you book a ticket that is:

1. outside of Australia (say a small intra europe trip using Amex plat) but you are already on a trip that is starting and returning to australia, would that be covered?
2. If you booked a one way ticket out of Australia using points from the card + pay on an award ticket, and book a separate ticket either to Australia or another country would they be covered?
3. Any cards that covers all travel related spendings as long as it is using the card to pay for the trip/accommodation, regardless if it started from Australia or not. Whether it is Australian issued or from another country that we can potentially access to.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You need to read the PDS.

If you are looking for credit card insurance, some will cover one way tickets. Many do not and require a return ticket to Australia in order to be covered. This can usually be two one-way tickets but you must have them before you depart Australia.

You also need to check the exact requirements for eligibility of cover. Some cards only require $250 spend (could be on taxes), some require $500 or more. Some cards cover you and spouse or dependents for $250/$500, some require you to spend the minimum per person.

Some cards require you to put the whole airfare on your card to activate insurance, or to only use points you accrued using the card to pay for an award ticket.

If you are looking at PAID insurance policies, many will allow you to get cover once you have left Australia. But there is a three-day - sometimes longer - waiting period before benefits start. You almost always need to have a return ticket to Australia.

I would not expect an Aussie-based CC to cover you for a small portion of an overseas trip. But again, you need to check the PDS of the credit card you have, or are looking to get.

In general, on your point:

1: if you are already covered by CC insurance with a return ticket to Australia, or have a card that covers one-ways, an extra trip you book while you’re away is likely to be covered. For example you fly to the UK, but decide to take a weekend break to New York, or Paris. Those side trips will be covered.

2: you need to look at the PDS which will explain eligibility. If you have a card that requires $500 spend on the card, and have nothing else but a points+pay ticket, you might not be covered if you haven’t spent $500. Again, your other questions in the scenario depend on whether your CC covers one ways, or requires a return. Booking a one way and then onwards to another country will not cover you for anything if the CC requires a return to Australia.

3: not that i’m aware of for an Australian CC. Or even a paid policy.

 

[SCM]

1, 2 & 3 - please read the PDS, I cannot emphasise enough how important that is, every insurance product is different, and the conditions and coverage are different.

For my AMEX card for example, I believe (don't remember myself, but I'd check) that you have X number of days (say 90), from the start of your trip. During your trip you can go to whatever countries you like (except ones on the do not go list by the AU gov are not covered), and it's all considered one trip.

I'm not sure what you mean by covers all travel related spending either, there are definitely many things not covered - for example, I haven't found any travel policies which cover train travel across Europe (or anywhere), despite how prevalent it is. That means you could be out hundreds of a ticket, and if you miss the train or the train is delayed or whatever, there is no recourse. That's just one of many examples.