Travel insurance for Bali including volcano cover?

[Glider_]

Hi all,

Nabbed a great Jetstar deal to Bali this time next year, and am looking at insurance. Our usual go-to is TID, but they won't cover volcano related claims (apparently both Mt Agung and ALL volcanoes generally evermore since last year?).

Can anyone recommend another insurer who has relaxed their Mt Agung stance yet?



This is what TID said in response to my enquiry about the volcano in Bali:

"If the event is listed as a known event in the media and on our website, we would not be able to offer cover for claims arising from, relating to, or associated with that event. As of today, we are still unable to offer cover for claims arising from Mt Agung. For policies purchased after 8:05pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 21 November 2017, cover is not available for claims arising from any volcanic activity, including any new ash cloud events, as such events are no longer unforeseen."

 

[serfty]

I do not like your chances at any reasonable cost ...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi all,

Nabbed a great Jetstar deal to Bali this time next year, and am looking at insurance. Our usual go-to is TID, but they won't cover volcano related claims (apparently both Mt Agung and ALL volcanoes generally evermore since last year?).

Can anyone recommend another insurer who has relaxed their Mt Agung stance yet?



This is what TID said in response to my enquiry about the volcano in Bali:

"If the event is listed as a known event in the media and on our website, we would not be able to offer cover for claims arising from, relating to, or associated with that event. As of today, we are still unable to offer cover for claims arising from Mt Agung. For policies purchased after 8:05pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 21 November 2017, cover is not available for claims arising from any volcanic activity, including any new ash cloud events, as such events are no longer unforeseen."

Further to Serfty's comments it might be worth looking at what you actually need this element of insurance to cover. While I was researching Bali hotels for July this year (2018) I noticed many of them had a notice on their booking page that any additional nights caused by volcano related delays would be free of charge (ie stay as long as you need for nothing).

Travel insurance may not even cover you under regular conditions for taking another airline or paying for alternative flights. And meals are cheap in Bali. So you might be ok with TID for medical and all the rest, with your only cost being meals while you wait.

 

[Pushka]

Further to Serfty's comments it might be worth looking at what you actually need this element of insurance to cover. While I was researching Bali hotels for July this year (2018) I noticed many of them had a notice on their booking page that any additional nights caused by volcano related delays would be free of charge (ie stay as long as you need for nothing).

Travel insurance may not even cover you under regular conditions for taking another airline or paying for alternative flights. And meals are cheap in Bali. So you might be ok with TID for medical and all the rest, with your only cost being meals while you wait.

Excellent points.

I can’t find any policies that will cover it. Insure and Go states that any medical events occurring as a result of the volcano issues will be covered. Flights will eventually be provided by the airline so it’s really just accommodation etc.

 

[Renato1]

We got stuck in Bali last year for five days when My Agung blew. We had insurance cover, so it wasn't an issue.

But it wouldn't have been much of an issue anyway for us, as after a few days of jets leaving full of passengers, and jets coming in without passengers, and some of those stuck there running out of money - prices started plummeting heavily on four and five star places. Some as low as $50 a night on Bookings.com.

We're going back to Bali next year without the insurance cover for volcanoes, and if a volcano blows, I'll just treat it as a bonus and stay somewhere at bargain rates where we haven't stayed before, till we can go home.

Last year my car was parked in the Tullamarine Long Term carpark when we got stuck in Bali. I emailed the carpark, saying I couldn't find anyway of increasing the length of stay on-line at their site. They replied that it couldn't be done, but that I would be charged the daily rate for a casual visitor who parked without booking for the additional days.

But that never happened, and I was only charged for the number of booked days I had originally committed to. Which was very nice of them.
Regards,
Renato

P.S. if one is on medications when going to Bali, make sure one takes at least 10 additional days worth (or more), just to be on the safe side.