Changes to Travel Insurance Activation

[Kremmen]

The original statement is clear: either activating and/or travelling will do. It's the article that confuses things by leaving out the "or". I'm not sure yet how badly this will affect me but I've already activated it for five trips from tomorrow to next August.

No, it isn't clear at all. It's utterly ambiguous. They wrote "and/or" for both the "no change" and the "new" clauses, which means that activating before and departing after make both clauses true.

As for the change itself, it makes the card almost useless to me. For example, I have already booked a US trip next year using frequent flyer points. (Alaska over, before they devalue, and Avianca Lifemiles back.) I'm staying with friends. My total cash cost for the trip is just the air ticket taxes. There is no $500 cost in total, let alone in a single transaction. I also have a trip to Europe booked on frequent flyer points with the hotels booked on IHG and Hilton points. Again, no $500+ payments.

 

[levelnine]

As for the change itself, it makes the card almost useless to me.

Agree. If you're a hardcore churner and pay for everything on points, it can be very hard to find $500 of prepaid travel expenses. Many of my trips are less than that.

 

[kookaburra75]

Not

Not necessarily. Just returned from a week touring NZ. Flights on points, car hire only $350 and never spent more than two nights in one hotel and mostly in regional areas. Largest cost I used Accor points for anyway. Wouldn't have qualified for what is a simple legitimate holiday.

Your trip about describes what me and MrsK are planning to do next March. I have registered for the insurance to cover that trip.

I did notice that the limit for car hire excess is only $2250 - I can't remember if it was higher in the past. As Sixt have a $4900 excess, I bumped the car hire limit up which cost me an additional $14.

But, yes as others have said the value of the card has decreased. The only good thing at the moment is no forex fees on purchases such as the Kobo store and a few overseas newspapers and magazines I subscribe to - saved us $13 last month. Looks like I'll be looking around for a new card in the new year.

 

[aikman]

Agree. If you're a hardcore churner and pay for everything on points, it can be very hard to find $500 of prepaid travel expenses. Many of my trips are less than that.

Hardcore churners are not likely to keep a card long enough to be able to make an insurance claim on it.

 

[burmans]

Hardcore churners are not likely to keep a card long enough to be able to make an insurance claim on it.

Even hardcore churners sometimes have one card they don’t churn for purpose’s exactly like this!

 

[garrence]

I did notice that the limit for car hire excess is only $2250 - I can't remember if it was higher in the past. As Sixt have a $4900 excess, I bumped the car hire limit up which cost me an additional $14.

Worth noting that eligibility for the CBA rental vehicle insurance benefit requires you "have purchased motor vehicle insurance or a damage waiver from the rental company or agency you rented the rental vehicle from."

You may not be covered if you have not fulfilled that requirement.

 

[straitman]

Worth noting that eligibility for the CBA rental vehicle insurance benefit requires you "have purchased motor vehicle insurance or a damage waiver from the rental company or agency you rented the rental vehicle from."

You may not be covered if you have not fulfilled that requirement.

I use my Amex Platinum for vehicle insurance excesses etc.

 

[kookaburra75]

Worth noting that eligibility for the CBA rental vehicle insurance benefit requires you "have purchased motor vehicle insurance or a damage waiver from the rental company or agency you rented the rental vehicle from."

You may not be covered if you have not fulfilled that requirement.

I've selected the Loss Damage Waiver - it comes standard with the NRMA Corporate Rate that I get with Sixt, which reduces the excess from $8k down to $4900, so that covers it.

I use my Amex Platinum for vehicle insurance excesses etc.

I have a Qantas Amex Ultimate card, and as I didn't pay for the return airfares to NZ (I used points), I'm not eligible for that travel insurance, which doesn't cover hire car excesses anyway.

It seems like the credit card companies are really starting to cut back on what they offer.

 

[Spacetravel]

I have a Qantas Amex Ultimate card, and as I didn't pay for the return airfares to NZ (I used points), I'm not eligible for that travel insurance, which doesn't cover hire car excesses anyway.

It seems like the credit card companies are really starting to cut back on what they offer.

Are you sure? I haven’t read the pds in a bit but last time I did I’m sure if you used Qantas points it was still covered?

Edit: just checked the pds and as long as you are using Qantas points its covered.

Domestic Return Trips 3. You are going on a Domestic Return Trip and You either: a. spend $500 or more on accommodation; or b. Pay the full amount of Your outbound ticket for a Scheduled Flight, Scheduled Cruise, bus or train to Your scheduled outbound destination on Your: i. American Express Card Account; ii. corresponding American Express Membership Rewards points / Qantas Points / Velocity Points (where applicable); and/or ili. Travel Benefit.

International Return Trips 4. You are going on an International Return Trip and You pay the full amount of Your outbound ticket for a Scheduled Flight or Scheduled Cruise leaving Australia on Your: i. American Express Card Account; ii. corresponding American Express Membership Rewards points / Qantas Points / Velocity Points (where applicable); and/or ill. Travel Benefit. 5. You hold an eligible American Express Card Account which is current (meaning it is not cancelled or suspended). 6. You are 79 years of age or younger when You make Your Qualifying Travel Purchase.

 

[kookaburra75]

Are you sure? I haven’t read the pds in a bit but last time I did I’m sure if you used Qantas points it was still covered?

You're right. I didn't read down into the bit under where they quoted the cost of the travel (pds).
International Return Trips
4. You are going on an International Return Trip and You pay the full amount of Your outbound ticket for a Scheduled Flight or Scheduled
Cruise leaving Australia on Your:
i. American Express Card Account;
ii. corresponding American Express Membership Rewards points / Qantas Points / Velocity Points (where applicable); and/or
iii. Travel Benefit.
But it was the hire car excess cover I really wanted.

 

[straitman]

It seems to be getting harder across the board. This appears to still be the best cover for me at the moment.
I looked at the policy associated with my Westpac Black card. All quite similar however the Westpac insurance won’t cover me because of my heart surgery earlier this year whereas CBA does cover me.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Perhaps I am missing something here but why is there a need to activate travel insurance on the card. Isn't simply charging your travel to the card enough? This should be an automatic thing like American Express and other cards have. Heck, with AmEx Platinum some of the insurance coverage kicks in even if you don't charge a penny to the card.

-RooFlyer88

 

[burmans]

Perhaps I am missing something here but why is there a need to activate travel insurance on the card. Isn't simply charging your travel to the card enough? This should be an automatic thing like American Express and other cards have. Heck, with AmEx Platinum some of the insurance coverage kicks in even if you don't charge a penny to the card.

-RooFlyer88

Point taken but there are questions about pre existing conditions they can’t just guess at, option for extras you have to agree/not agree to and it also serves as advising them where you’ll be travelling (should you actually use the card).

 

[straitman]

Perhaps I am missing something here but why is there a need to activate travel insurance on the card. Isn't simply charging your travel to the card enough? This should be an automatic thing like American Express and other cards have. Heck, with AmEx Platinum some of the insurance coverage kicks in even if you don't charge a penny to the card.

-RooFlyer88

In the CBA case they want to check on who is actually being covered and details of pre-existing illnesses and if there will be a loading for same.

As I mentioned previously my Westpac Black card the insures (Allianz) won't cover me because of my heart surgery even though there is no follow up required.

 

[theblank]

Worth noting that eligibility for the CBA rental vehicle insurance benefit requires you "have purchased motor vehicle insurance or a damage waiver from the rental company or agency you rented the rental vehicle from."

You may not be covered if you have not fulfilled that requirement.

Every insurer says that, its nothing special.

 

[theblank]

If you are listening CommBank and Covermore I ask that you rethink this one and buy your staff calculators so they can add up a number of smaller transaction.

They are not listening.

please send your feedback to Commbank. Let them know, or they wont know. I already did

 

[ausfox]

Can someone please point me to where I can find cover for rental car excess charges in the Amex Ultimate PDS. I received confirmation of this from Amex a few years ago but I am unable to find where in the current PDS or where to ask the question on the Amex site.

 

[kookaburra75]

Can someone please point me to where I can find cover for rental car excess charges in the Amex Ultimate PDS. I received confirmation of this from Amex a few years ago but I am unable to find where in the current PDS or where to ask the question on the Amex site.

If you're talking about the Qantas Amex Ultimate card, I couldn't find any mention of hire cars in the PDS a couple of weeks ago. Hence, I used the CBA MasterCard insurance, but had to bump it up to get the level of coverage.

 

[ethernet]

I will have to Investigate Costco USA cards, possibly CitiBank. 4% cashback and free insurance. Please note: In my books minimum spend and increased co-pays make it 'not free' and CBA is really pi .. ng me off. Time I got me a mixed currency account in HK or Bermuda.

 

[ausfox]

I covered this in another list it seems. The Qantas Ultimate travel insurance is covered by ANZ/Chubb.
I received an email from them stating that rental car excess is not covered. I rehired with a card which included cover.