Complementary Travel Insurance - change?

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shearsense

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Recently got my new EarthBlack card and while flicking through T&Cs in a moment of boredom, I noticed this paragraph relating to the complementary travel insurance:

"Cardholders, become eligible for this Overseas travel insurance when, before leaving Australia on an overseas journey, they have a return overseas travel ticket, and A$500 of their prepaid travel costs (i.e. costs of their return overseas travel ticket; and/or airport/departure taxes; and/or their prepaid overseas accommodation/travel; and/or their other prepaid overseas itinerary items) have been charged to the cardholder’s eligible credit card account"

In at least one early version of the T&Cs from a year or two back, the eligibility previously was related to paying for the tickets on the card. Now this seems to be worded that if any part of the pre-trip-related expenses reaches $500 (per person) then the traveller is covered. So the consequence of this is that you don't actually have to buy the actual ticket on the card to be covered. There may be reasons why one wouldn't pay for the ticket on the card (such as if somebody else is paying or for the purposes of earning points elsewhere), so I think this is a win for some. I am not sure how long this has been the case, though.
 
I know that it's been that way for a while as I had to phone Westpac to check when using FF points and had only paid for taxes on my cc. That was back in April or May this year. I was told exactly as you have indicated above although I seem to remember that it was a minimum of $300 but that's probably just my memory letting me down again.
 
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Recently got my new EarthBlack card and while flicking through T&Cs in a moment of boredom, I noticed this paragraph relating to the complementary travel insurance:

"Cardholders, become eligible for this Overseas travel insurance when, before leaving Australia on an overseas journey, they have a return overseas travel ticket, and A$500 of their prepaid travel costs (i.e. costs of their return overseas travel ticket; and/or airport/departure taxes; and/or their prepaid overseas accommodation/travel; and/or their other prepaid overseas itinerary items) have been charged to the cardholder’s eligible credit card account"

In at least one early version of the T&Cs from a year or two back, the eligibility previously was related to paying for the tickets on the card. Now this seems to be worded that if any part of the pre-trip-related expenses reaches $500 (per person) then the traveller is covered. So the consequence of this is that you don't actually have to buy the actual ticket on the card to be covered. There may be reasons why one wouldn't pay for the ticket on the card (such as if somebody else is paying or for the purposes of earning points elsewhere), so I think this is a win for some. I am not sure how long this has been the case, though.

Given the current t&c's are dated October 2012, it's been that way for at least a year! Prior to the change, it was 100% of the flight cost. In my opinion, in most cases, the current terms are much better. Reasons for this statement:

- you can redeem frequent flyer points and pay taxes or accommodation costs and still be covered;
- you can pay a deposit on the card and the remainder by other means and still be covered.

There is one situation I recently discovered where you are worse off - flying to NZ! My flights cost $240, so not covered under the current t&c's, but would have been under the old t&c's.

I know that it's been that way for a while as I had to phone Westpac to check when using FF points and had only paid for taxes on my cc. That was back in April or May this year. I was told exactly as you have indicated above although I seem to remember that it was a minimum of $300 but that's probably just my memory letting me down again.

It has never been $300 - previously the whole (100% of) flight cost, then switched to $500.
 
Given the current t&c's are dated October 2012, it's been that way for at least a year! Prior to the change, it was 100% of the flight cost.

Sounds about right - I haven't had to consider it for a year or two. A good change.
 
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