Travel Insurance

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As this topic is something that all of us require at some point in time, even the most seasoned travellers so Choice magazine has provided an updated list of insurers that cover travel insurance, as set out hereunder:
Insurer contacts

 
JohnK said:
Yeah. I use them all the time but have not had to make a claim so far. They appear to be the cheapest to some of the others I have compared on a trip by trip basis.
JohnK, travelling as much as you are these days; maybe it's time to invest in an annual policy ;) ...

(YMMV)
 
serfty said:
JohnK, travelling as much as you are these days; maybe it's time to invest in an annual policy ;) ...
You might be right serfty! The policy for 5 days in DRW only cost $25. When I take out a policy for SE Asia it is around $85 for 2 weeks.

Need to check whether www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au, underwritten by Allianz, provides an annual policy and how much this would cost.

Any suggestions? A QBE annual policy would be out of the question as they sponsor the Swans and are also in direct competition with, and want to takeover, IAG who figure very prominently in my investment portfolio.
 
JohnK said:
You might be right serfty! The policy for 5 days in DRW only cost $25. When I take out a policy for SE Asia it is around $85 for 2 weeks.

Need to check whether www.travelinsurancedirect.com.au, underwritten by Allianz, provides an annual policy and how much this would cost.

Any suggestions? A QBE annual policy would be out of the question as they sponsor the Swans and are also in direct competition with, and want to takeover, IAG who figure very prominently in my investment portfolio.

I'm guessing the Annual Muliple Trip Policy on the travelinsurancedirect home page would be the one. How this compares to others, I don't know (yet). But based on serfty's suggestion to you, I am looking into it myself.

I have a vague memory of Amex offering me some policy like this some time ago, but at the time, I had no need for it.
 
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oz_mark said:
I'm guessing the Annual Muliple Trip Policy on the travelinsurancedirect home page would be the one. How this compares to others, I don't know (yet). But based on serfty's suggestion to you, I am looking into it myself.

I have a vague memory of Amex offering me some policy like this some time ago, but at the time, I had no need for it.
Ok, silly me I got really confused with names earlier because I use onlinetravelinsurance who are also underwritten by allianz and not travelinsurancedirect.

It appears that the annual policy with TravelInsuranceDirect is $340 which sounds reasonable. Cannot see annual policy offered by OnlineTravelInsurance but may need to call them to confirm.

For single trip policies I have found OnlineTravelInsurance to be cheaper than TravelInsuranceDirect.
 
Speaking of annual policies, does anyone know of a good one that does NOT have a limit on the number of days away in a year?
 
It's time for the renewal of the annual travel insurance policy. The QBE/QFF policy is $500, the QBE policy is available on travelinsurance.com.au for $432, and a similar policy underwritten by Allianz is available from Travel Insurance Direct - Travel Insurance for Australians for $340.

All three have FF point reimbursement, the QF one has point restoration, the Allianz policy has financial compensation.

Anyone had good or bad experiences with these? I've only had to claim once against my QF policy, back in 2000, and they were fine. I'm just trying to explain or justify the large price difference.
 
I guess TID saves costs in at least a couple of ways.

There is no need to have a shop front or office. Also, there is a more direct realtionship between the client and the underwriter which reduces relationship costs such as commission.
 
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I contacted QBE by phone today, after posting, asking if they offered shareholder discounts. The person I spoke with stated that there was a 25% shareholder discount, which brings their policy down to just over $370 for a year.
 
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HardieBoys said:
I contacted QBE by phone today, after posting, asking if they offered shareholder discounts. The person I spoke with stated that there was a 25% shareholder discount, which brings their policy down to just over $370 for a year.

Nice, did they give you a promotion code or online link for this? Or is it just over the phone?

Entertainment book also gives a 25% discount for QBE, (Or at least did last year). The web link still works, and is priced at $367.50.

One thing to watch with different policies (even from the same company) is that the coverage can be different. QBE's policy when resold can have different coverage and exclusions. Very confusing!

I need to renew my annual travel insurance, so also looking around for the best deal to suit my needs.
 
Re: Travel Insurance - Amex Plat.

I have read the fine print for the Amex Platinum Credit Card, and it is certainly good enough for me. It was the primary reason for getting it as it covered my wife and I for the 1 month we spent in the USA and the 1 month I spent in Europe. I have not had to claim.

Note that my RACT road service cover let me down on the weekend, at Tasmania's prime tourist attraction, on way to Cradle Mountain! Turns out they only travel 16km from their depots free of charge and I would need to pay $125 for the road service. Guess I had not read the fine print. They want me to get the Ultimate Road Service membership. I feel like cancelling after this weekend! The moral of this story is that even when you pay for a service you still get caught in the cracks, so go with the Amex insurance and collect the extra points!
 
There is much discussion about the cost of policies but not much on claims, which is when the quality of you policy is tested.
First hand experience with Cover-More is "don't go there" although others think they're great.
 
I gave up on paying for "real" travel insurance after my mother, with two kids, had to pay an additional $1700 or so to fly back to Canberra from Cairns after missing their flight. They were on a Qantas holiday with Q. accom, and Q. travel insurance. The fact they got to the airport late, due to confusion with transport, was NOT covered by Q. travel insurance!!! After several very angry letters from me and my brother, and my cancellation of my Q. cards...., she got a Qantas flight voucher for that amount... This is where my loyalty with Q. stopped.
 
serfty said:
JohnK, travelling as much as you are these days; maybe it's time to invest in an annual policy ;)
It is time for an annual policy with at least 5 overseas and 4 domestic trips scheduled for next year.

oz_mark said:
I'm guessing the Annual Muliple Trip Policy on the travelinsurancedirect home page would be the one. How this compares to others, I don't know (yet). But based on serfty's suggestion to you, I am looking into it myself.
At $340/pa it is not the cheapest but does accept Amex and includes a $4,000 rental vehicle insurance excess in the policy.

Without reading the fine print does this policy also cover any domestic travel?
 
Thanks Mark.

After reading through the PDS it appears to be an adequate travel insurance product.
 
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