YOU have booked your travel, packed your bags, and are counting down the days or hours until you are due at Brisbane Airport to board the first of your flights.
But have you thought about what happens if something goes wrong?
Travel insurance can be a lifesaver, but only if you know what it actually covers.
When Air Canada flight attendants went on strike last month, it forced the cancellation of more than 700 flights a day, including international and domestic services.
Travel agents, tour operators, as well as staff of other airlines, had to step in and help stranded passengers get to where they needed to go.
Helloworld Travel Director Suraj H Arachchige received calls from clients impacted overseas by the Air Canada strike, and was able to make alternative arrangements for them – but it was a big help when they had sufficient travel insurance.
“Of course, airlines always say they deeply regret situations like this and apologise for the impact on their customers, but it can take months before passengers are compensated or reimbursed for the extra costs they have to bear,” Mr Arachchige said.
“So, we always advise our clients to have the insurance needed to cover situations like this.”
He also points to the advice on the Federal Government’s Smart Traveller website, which graphically says: “If you’re leaving Australia, travel insurance is just as essential as a passport.”
Smart Traveller says costly medical expenses are the number one reason we should always have insurance, but sometimes other things can go wrong: trip cancellations, delays, lost luggage or even “the big stuff”, like natural disasters and pandemics.
Smart Traveller partners with CHOICE – the independent consumer advocacy service – to provide an easy-to-read guide on how to choose the best travel insurance for your trip.
Giving an example of where having insurance would have made all the difference, Smart Traveller provides this case study:
Marco – not his real name – had breathing difficulties on his way home from Europe, causing his flight to be diverted to the United Arab Republic (UAE).
Hospitals in the UAE won’t admit you unless you have insurance or can pay an upfront fee.
So Marco’s family had to pay thousands of dollars for his treatment.
Last word on travel insurance comes from a New Zealand couple who were sitting in the lobby of a smart London hotel waiting to check in after a long flight from India.
Unknown to them, a stealthy thief was operating behind their backs and stole their handbag, which contained passports, tickets, cash, cards and a few small valuables.
Despite reporting it immediately to hotel staff and police, the handbag and contents were not found, so the couple had to go to the trouble of getting new passports and tickets issued that day.
Fortunately, they were covered by insurance taken out in advance of their travels.
They received full reimbursement and compensation – including an offer of a free night at the same hotel.
