With international borders opening again, Australians everywhere are excited to book their next travel getaway. Whether that be domestic or international, trips away are being planned and booked in.
Over the past couple of years, we have all witnessed the effects on travel and how the unexpected can disrupt our travel plans, even when you’re travelling domestically. Whether it’s a single trip or multiple trips to various locations, it’s a good idea to take out a domestic plan for travel insurance.
Imagine that your camera was stolen on your Aussie beach holiday adventure to the Gold Coast? Would you dread missing a State of Origin decider due to a delayed, diverted, or cancelled flight? Travel insurance could cover you in these instances.
With domestic travel is about to open up again, let’s take a look at how domestic travel insurance could help you.
It may be easy to overlook at times, but travel insurance for Australians holidaying in Australia is important to consider, especially if the last few years have taught us anything. Domestic travel insurance provides you with cover for unexpected incidents or accidents while you’re travelling around Australia. You might be a seasoned Aussie, giving your own country some love, or someone visiting from overseas, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect yourself against the unexpected. Australia.
Some of these accidents could be if your plans are disrupted by lost or stolen luggage, flights cancelled due to natural disasters or severe weather, or your rental vehicle gets damaged. Domestic travel insurance can be a great safety net to ensure your holiday stays on track.
It’s important to remember that your coverage will depend on what insurance policy you take out. The following points are a guide on what domestic travel insurance could cover, however, always ensure you read your policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
Whether it’s during transit or after you’ve arrived at your Australian destination, losing or having your personal items stolen is a common fear. In particular, your credit card – which can be a major inconvenience while you’re travelling. That said, domestic travel insurance can provide some financial defence when having to replace any lost, damaged, or stolen items. N.B. Your policy may not cover unattended personal effects that are lost, damaged, or stolen. Remember to always check the full details in your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to know exactly what you’re’ covered for, any sub-limits, what is excluded and other important information about your policy like any additional expenses and the insurance excess.
Your domestic travel insurance policy could potentially reimburse you for trip cancellation fees, cancellation costs, or lost deposits (depending on the policy you hold) if Australian travel trip delays and cancellations were caused by circumstances out of your control.
For example, if you book concert tickets in another city on a domestic trip, but your flight is cancelled and you must pay additional money to fly on another airline to get to the concert on time, your travel insurance policy could pay out a lump sum to make up for the loss of the delay expense.
When you hire a car, you’ll generally have to take out insurance from the rental company in case your vehicle is damaged. It is wise to do so as you’ll be driving on unfamiliar roads in a car you’ve’ never used. It’s worth noting that if an accident happens, you may owe an excess to the rental car company.
Domestic travel insurance could cover the cost of any rental car, which means you have one less thing to worry about during an already stressful time following an accident.
Keep in mind this may come as an optional extra on your policy.
Domestic travel insurance policies generally don’t include cruise cover as a standard feature. However, it may be added as an extra for travellers specifically looking to go on a cruise holiday. This addition could be crucial, as Medicare and hospital insurance won’t cover medical expenses for any injuries or accidents sustained while onboard a ship, and this applies to cruises within Australian waters, not just international waters. Additionally, having cruise cover will ensure that any claims for cancellation fees for delayed or cancelled cruises can be assessed.
Retirement can be a great time to go on that Australian road trip you’ve always wanted to do. It’s important to know that seniors under 99 years of age, could still be covered by domestic travel insurance.
While there may be reduced limits for your level of cover for Australians over 70, senior travellers can still have peace of mind knowing various expenses such as delayed flights, lost luggage and activity cancellations may be covered.
Every travel insurance policy has instances where you may not be covered. Common exclusions for domestic travel insurance policies are:
That said, Australian residents (except those who live in Queensland or Tasmania who have ambulance trips covered by their state governments) who don’t have ambulance cover may find themselves out of pocket in emergencies where they may have to call an ambulance for emergency assistance.
Find out more about domestic travel insurance exclusions by checking out our common travel exclusions guide. Remember to always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of your policy to know exactly what you are and aren’t covered for.
As the General Manager of General Insurance, Stephen Zeller is our resident expert in travel insurance. He believes in educating customers so they can make the most of their time interstate without worrying about mishaps and financial losses. Whether you’re planning a road trip or a flight across the country, Stephen’s expertise in domestic travel insurance is top tier.
Stephen has over 30 years of experience in financial services and he’s’ also an allied member of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF). Stephen is passionate about helping customers prepare for their trips.
Looking for a policy to cover your next domestic holiday? We can help!
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Setting your sights on a trip overseas? We look at international travel insurance cover for different countries too!