Insurance coverage for proposed Bali trip

[matyd]

Hi There, we're thinking of booking a Bali trip next year and as everyone is most likely aware the insurance companies are not providing coverage due to the volcano.
We've been numerous times in the past but have always bought insurance.
Just wondering on peoples thoughts regarding what sort of assistance etc that the airlines provide if theres an eruption.
I find it alittle confusing on why airlines are still taking future bookings but its impossible to get insurance coverage.
Any thoughts are much appreciated. Thx

 

[Anna]

You can still get cover for non volcano related issues like medical costs or lost luggage.

Insurance cover is basically like having a bet. If you buy insurance cover you are betting that you will need to use it and the insurer is betting that you won't need to use it. Usually you lose the bet, by not needing to use the cover. When the insurer feels that the odds that you will need to use the cover are getting too high, they will stop betting ie they will stop selling that cover. It is thought to be highly likely that the volcano will erupt so insurers are no longer selling cover for volcano issues. Why bet on an almost certain loser.

So your choice is to book to go to Bali and accept the risk that if you are delayed by volcano activity you will have to pay for your own added accommodation costs, or if you're not prepared to accept that risk then you can go somewhere else. There are plenty of good places in the Pacific for example.

 

[matyd]

Hi There, we're thinking of booking a Bali trip next year and as everyone is most likely aware the insurance companies are not providing coverage due to the volcano.
We've been numerous times in the past but have always bought insurance.
Just wondering on peoples thoughts regarding what sort of assistance etc that the airlines provide if theres an eruption.
I find it alittle confusing on why airlines are still taking future bookings but its impossible to get insurance coverage.
Any thoughts are much appreciated. Thx

Cheers Anna, thats basically the way im looking at it. Accommodation costs dont worry me, its more so dramas with flights. Just making decision on where else to go in Sept.
Thx again

 

[Pushka]

It’s a dilemma. We will be flying to Bali in 2 weeks but insurance purchased ages ago. But at that time we’ve now found our that Columbus Insurance never covered natural disasters. Which is absurd. Since July 1 they do so they said we could try put in a claim anyway should something happen. It seems our most likely avenue to claim quickly if we needed is our Credit Card Insurance. Purchased flights on one and accommodation on another. However the flights were booked on ANZ Amex which they’ve now cancelled so that’s an extra layer of complexity so it will probably revert to Westpac Credit Card Insurance.

I was saying to MrP the other day that non coverage will be putting off a lot of people from travelling to Bali when not already booked, so future bookings must look awful. We check the alerts every day. Sinabung which has recently blown was on orange alert for 4 years! And all those people who have been herded up for their safety - how long can that continue.

It’s an incredible dilemma. Until the volcano blows we can’t claim back our $3000 pre paid accommodation. It could blow while we are there.

 

[Limewood]

We booked Bali flights using ANZ Amex they say its still travel insurance covered even though the Plat Amex is not there now. Have now returned, no mention of the volcano anywhere and the media has just been repeating itself for weeks.

 

[exceladdict]

A quick bump - we booked our flights on the 10th of October, due to go in a few weeks. Spoke to Bankwest's world MC policy provider, allianz, who advised that because we booked after the 19th of sept, no volcano-related claims can be made (because it was a predictable event according to them, though I personally didn't start hearing about the eruption until late oct).

Have a few K of prepaid accom. Looks like things are clearing up now but is anyone aware of a provide that will still cover the volcano for a policy purchased now?

 

[Pushka]

A quick bump - we booked our flights on the 10th of October, due to go in a few weeks. Spoke to Bankwest's world MC policy provider, allianz, who advised that because we booked after the 19th of sept, no volcano-related claims can be made (because it was a predictable event according to them, though I personally didn't start hearing about the eruption until late oct).

Have a few K of prepaid accom. Looks like things are clearing up now but is anyone aware of a provide that will still cover the volcano for a policy purchased now?

Not now as it’s a known event. We knew about the potential eruption from September onwards as we were travelling (and did travel) to Bali in November.