Don’t think you need domestic travel insurance? Think again

So you’ve heard how bad the medical bills can get if travelling without insurance. But it’s not the only thing you should consider.

While there is a whole lotta’ proof that you should have travel insurance from a medical point of view, not a lot of travellers think about cancelled flights or missing luggage – but that doesn’t mean the numbers aren’t as high as those medical mishaps we keep hearing about.

New figures released by Cover-More Travel Insurance show that more than a third of people who go on domestic holidays had flights cancelled or luggage and valuables damaged.

In fact, over 5000 domestic travel insurance claims were made by Cover-More customers in 2016 alone.

And if you don’t have travel insurance? Say goodbye to that brand new Samsonite suitcase for good – and forget having a weekend away once your domestic flight is cancelled.

Usually Aussies associate travel insurances with big trips overseas – not a weekend trip to Melbourne, but extreme weather, medical emergencies, lost or damaged luggage and cancelled flights can all just as easily happen in Australia.

Here are some quick examples of real life Cover-More Travel Insurance domestic claims to scare you straight:

A flight cancellation due to severe weather: the customer was forced to buy brand new flights. Additional Expenses: $5,500 – covered.
A customer’s suitcase had gone missing with their chosen airline and the items were not recoverable. Luggage value: $2,500 – covered.
A rental car was damaged due to a third party collision and the car was deemed a write-off. Rental Car Insurance Excess: $4,000 – covered.

But if any of these customers didn’t have domestic travel insurance? They would have had to pay – and their ruined trip would be even more ruined than before.

Cover-More Travel Insurance figures also show that flight and accommodation changes or cancellation costs were by far the most claimed benefit in 2016 – accounting for more than half of total domestic claims. This was followed by lost luggage and travel documents, additional expenses (like that smashed iPhone) and rental car insurance excess.

Domestic policies have specific benefits for travel within Australia and can cover you for everything from flight cancellations and accommodation expenses through to broken glasses.

Ate some bad sushi and got food poisoning, making you miss your flight? Accident in a rental car? Cyclone Debbie ruining your weekend plans and flight? Domestic travel insurance got you covered.

A spokesperson for Cover-More, Glenn Broadhurst, said many Aussies are overlooking domestic travel insurance.

“Everyone thinks it won’t happen to them, but there are lots of ways unforeseen circumstances can affect your travel plans within Australia. It doesn’t need to be an extreme weather event or a medical emergency for travel insurance to pay off,” he said.

“The truth is your flight can just as easily be delayed or cancelled when travelling domestically as they can overseas.

“We helped more than 5000 customers with their domestic claims last year and most of those were for flight cancellation and luggage loss or damage,” Broadhurst added.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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