Changes to International Travel Insurance and Purchase Cover Insurance

[odysseus]

With my latest statement I noticed a little flier that 'advised me to read through the details of some important information.' Unfortunately the scope of that detail was to say that there would be changes to International Travel Insurance and Purchase Cover Insurance effective 01 April 2009, but I have to refer to my March statement or go online for the new terms.

I have looked online, but the only have the current terms, and I also looked here but didn't see any discussion. Does anyone have any idea what the changes will be? Based on the wording, I'd say it's either a degradation or just a re-wording of the existing terms with little effect.

 

[serfty]

G'day odysseus, welcome to AFF.

I noted that myself; but as I came to the conclusion last year that with "Free" insurance policies, you pay for what you get.

That's why I have a paid annual policy ...

 

[MelUser]

Webjet have a special at the moment - $299 per year which includes self/spouse and children - international - very good value INHO - I have paid more for an individual policy in the past.

I think the special ends midnight tomorrow though.

 

[odysseus]

Cheers, thanks Serfty

I might have to take up a paid option in future, but hadn't heard of any major issues with the Citibank insurance offering so have relied on that a couple of times in the past (though never had to claim).

Oh well, wait and see...

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

i've recieved a Citibusiness Gold card today and was going through the travel insurance terms and conditions.

These T&Cs have been effective since Feb 2007. You can get an online copy at http://www.citibank.com.au/global_docs/pdf/cc_MCG7933.pdf

Something I would like to highlight to AFF members is:

“use of the cardholder’s eligible Gold credit card account”
means that your overseas travel ticket (but not taxes or
airport or travel agent charges) was obtained prior to the
commencement date of your journey by one of the following
methods:

cost charged to a cardholder’s eligible Gold credit card
account; or

obtained in exchange for the cardholder redeeming their
frequent flyer points, provided that the redemption occurs
within one month after the cardholder transferred at least
10,000 Citibank Reward points to the said Frequent Flyer
program; or

obtained by the cardholder under the Citibank Take Flight®
program.

Please note that no cover is provided under the International
Travel Insurance Policy when the overseas travel tickets have
been fully or partially obtained by redeeming points or rewards
from schemes other than as outlined above.

I have been blissfully unaware that some of my trips were not covered, since I had used some QF points to do 1 or both legs of the from / to Australia, but this was not within amonth of doing a transfer to QFF.

Seems like you need to keep enough Citi rewards points in your balance to make a transfer to the FF program before you book your reward flight.

 

[GCS]

The new conditions are here. http://www.citibank.com.au/global_docs/pdf/Core_Platinum_Cover_7932.pdf

It took a while to find them on the Citi website this morning.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

the gold card info is at the below - from what i understand if you have already paid for your travel, or will have paid for it before April 1, then the old insurance T&Cs will still apply.

http://www.citibank.com.au/global_docs/pdf/Core_Gold_Cover_7933.pdf

“use of the cardholder’s eligible Gold credit card account”
means that your overseas travel ticket (but not taxes or airport or
travel agent charges) was obtained prior to the commencement date
of your journey by one of the following methods:

· cost charged to a cardholder’s eligible Gold credit card
account; or

· as a member of the Citibank Rewards Program, you
obtained the travel ticket in exchange for the cardholder
redeeming their frequent flyer points, provided the
redemption occurs within one month after the cardholder
transferred at least 15,000 Citibank Reward Points to the
said frequent flyer program, and those points were accrued
in the 12 months prior to the transfer; or

(from the above it seems you will need to earn at least 15000 points in the 12 months prior to travel + transfer them to the FF program no more than 1 month prior to booking your travel)

· obtained by the cardholder under the Citibank Take Flight
program.

Please note that no cover is provided under the International Travel
Insurance Policy when the overseas travel tickets have been fully
or partially obtained by redeeming points or rewards from schemes
other than as outlined above.

 

[ColinP]

The relevant clause for those intending to take the $19 p.a. QFF direct sweep option is as follows:

as a member of the Citibank Qantas Frequent Flyer Rewards
Program or Citi Miles Rewards program (not applicable to
Citibank Rewards program members), you obtained the travel
ticket in exchange for the cardholder redeeming their Qantas
Frequent Flyer points, or Emirates Skyward Miles, provided that
within the 6 months prior to the redemption thecardholder had
had credited to his/her Qantas Frequent Flyer account or
Skyward Miles account, in accordance with the Citi Qantas
Frequent Flyer Rewards program or Citi Miles Reward program,
a minimum of 15,000 points.

You'll need to average $2,500 per month for the 6 months prior to redemption to have insurance cover. -- One to look out for or you might end up, inadvertently, like Jeffrey O'Neill, blissfully unaware that you have no cover.

 

[oz_mark]

You'll need to average $2,500 per month for the 6 months prior to redemption to have insurance cover. -- One to look out for or you might end up, inadvertently, like Jeffrey O'Neill, blissfully unaware that you have no cover.

Less for Emirates as there is a 1.5 points per dollar rate.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

i had always thought that if i was paying the taxes on my card that i was covered.

just goes to show how much you really do need to read the fine print and never assume

damn u citibank and zurich :evil:

 

[odysseus]

How weird that they couldn't just say what the changes were. February's notice, at the tail end of the document, just says to refer to the March statement for details. Wait for the March statement and it then just says to refer to the website for information (notably in a box that looks like a standard advertisement) without any references or details.

It's like one of those mysterious games where you find one note and it directs you somewhere else.

 

[Deleted member 6404]

Hi all, Plain english answer needed,
1* I have currently 100,000
Qff points that have been redeemed from Citi Gold/platinum cc over the year or so, I now want to book a flight to Singapore useing these points, I will be paying taxes useing My Citi Gold/platinum cc Am I Covered with Fee travel insurance.
2* If I purchase a airline ticket in Singapore useing Citi Gold/platinum cc to fly to other destinations am I cover for free travel insurance, or all tickets must be purchased while in Australia to be covered.

3* How many people really trust the free travel insurance spill.

Thanks

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

Hi all, Plain english answer needed,
1* I have currently 100,000
Qff points that have been redeemed from Citi Gold/platinum cc over the year or so, I now want to book a flight to Singapore useing these points, I will be paying taxes useing My Citi Gold/platinum cc Am I Covered with Fee travel insurance.
2* If I purchase a airline ticket in Singapore useing Citi Gold/platinum cc to fly to other destinations am I cover for free travel insurance, or all tickets must be purchased while in Australia to be covered.

3* How many people really trust the free travel insurance spill.

Thanks

Since it sounds like you wont be booking before April 1 I will use the new Travel Insurance T&Cs.

1. Basically you will need to have earned at least 15000 reward points on your gold card in the previous 6 months.
2. You will need to transfer the points to QFF and then book you're travel no more than 1 month later
3. You must book the tickets outbound / inbound via your Citibank Gold Card. AFAIK all other travel can be paid for on another credit card, or in a way that does not meet the requirements above.

Citibank have made their travel insurance for travel booked with FF points rather coughpy when compared to Earth+ (which says you just need to use the points earned on your card + pay the taxes etc using your Earth+ card) or the Card Services Gold Card that is offered by Citibank on behalf of Credit Unions (it gives you 12 months to accumlate the 15K worth of points).

 

[JohnK]

3* How many people really trust the free travel insurance spill.

I do not rely on complimentary travel insurance offered by credit cards and instead invest some money in an annual comprehensive travel insurance policy.

Reminds me as the last annual policy expired a few days ago so I will need to renew again but do not have an overseas trip until August.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I will need to renew again but do not have an overseas trip until August.

Have you booked your August trip yet?

Remember that a large part of what you insure for is if you have to cancel for illness etc.....

And once you have a reason that you cannot go...it is too late to insure.

 

[JohnK]

Have you booked your August trip yet?

Remember that a large part of what you insure for is if you have to cancel for illness etc.....

And once you have a reason that you cannot go...it is too late to insure.

Too late trip is already booked with QFF points. I will get the travel insurance closer to the time of the trip and if I have to cancel for whatever reason I should in theory get a refund of the Oneworld award - 5,000 QFF points and all the taxes and surcharges.

Surely if something happens during the trip then I am fully covered if I purchase travel insurance prior to departing....

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

i was thinking....and i might be being too tricky

but it seems you could

book your flight with FF points + pay the taxes on your CB card.

Once the transaction appears on your statement you could then use the take flight option to use some points to pay for part of the trip ie 5000 points to pay for $30 worth of the taxes.

In theory this should give you cover, but i suppose would need to clarify with Zurich on if this will stick.

Seems it should work since you don't have to have enough points to pay for the entire trip using the take flight option.

Actually, mentioning the take flight option does seem a bit redundant since you've already paid for the flight(s) on your card.

It also seems if you have the Citibusiness card that you will still have the old rewards conditions rather than the new QFF direct earn

ie 15000 points transfer to the FF account, as long as they were earned within the previous 12 months, credited to your account and the flight booked within 1 month of the transfer.

with the QFF direct earn you have to earn the 15000 points over the prior 6 months.