Travel Insurance with Missed Flight cover

[Jennifer615]

I'm travelling from Cairns, to China, then on to Ghana in March. I purchased my 2 airfares online, as it was cheaper to do it this way. The airlines aren't connected in anyway, (China Eastern and Turkish Airlines).

We all know how unreliable flights can sometimes be and hence I will need travel insurance which has missed flight cover, if my previous flight was delayed and I missed the connecting flight. For example, on the way back, my Turkish Airline flight gets to Shanghai at 3.50pm, and my China Eastern flight leaves for Cairns at 9.00pm. There is ample time for transfer. However, if the Turkish Airline flight was late and I missed the China Eastern flight home, I would have to either stay overnight in Shanghai or catch another flight with someone else.

Does anyone know of any insurance company that will cover me for the expenses incurred if this happens. Thanks.

Jennifer

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm travelling from Cairns, to China, then on to Ghana in March. I purchased my 2 airfares online, as it was cheaper to do it this way. The airlines aren't connected in anyway, (China Eastern and Turkish Airlines).

We all know how unreliable flights can sometimes be and hence I will need travel insurance which has missed flight cover, if my previous flight was delayed and I missed the connecting flight. For example, on the way back, my Turkish Airline flight gets to Shanghai at 3.50pm, and my China Eastern flight leaves for Cairns at 9.00pm. There is ample time for transfer. However, if the Turkish Airline flight was late and I missed the China Eastern flight home, I would have to either stay overnight in Shanghai or catch another flight with someone else.

Does anyone know of any insurance company that will cover me for the expenses incurred if this happens. Thanks.

Jennifer

You can easily get insurance for flight delays, which will pay out $x (usually around $150-500 depending on your policy) if you flight/journey has been delayed for 6 hours or more and you require food and/or accommodation. This might be suitable for you. Generally the wording is similar across most policies, my ANZ one says this:

(3) Travel DelaySubject to the excess set out in the Schedule We will pay:
Reasonable and additional costs You incur for
accommodation and meals until Your Journey is
restarted or cancelled. We will only pay if You are
delayed for more than 6 hours because Your
scheduled transport is delayed, and the delay is not
Your fault.

you would need to clarify with the insurance company if they cover two separate tickets where the inbound is delayed. Most policies have this cover provided you don't select one of the more basic premiums (such as medical+baggage only).

This doesn't cover you for extra charges for changing your ticket if required. And check the excess, because somewhere like china your food and accommodation might be well less than the excess.

Most insurance policies will also cover 'missed connection' but this is strictly defined, usually as something like (and this is from my ANZ insurance)

(4) Missed Connection
Subject to the excess set out in the Schedule We will pay:
The Reasonable costs You incur for alternate transport
or services You need to arrange if You miss, or are going
to miss, Your transport to attend a special event which
cannot be delayed because You are absent.

Special events are defined as things like your wedding, or a conference where you might be the keynote speaker, or a funeral.

Provided you are on an eligible passport you may be eligible for a transit without visa for China, so that's part of the problem out of the way. The next thing is to make sure you can change the outbound if you miss the flight, and finally, research a cheap hotel some where near the airport.