Advice for people travelling to Japan post quake

Advice for people travelling to Japan post quake

The earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan have left many travellers unsure of where they stand in relation to upcoming travel arrangements.

Southern Cross Travel Insurance CEO, Craig Morrison, said the company is advising travellers unsure of whether to continue their holiday plans to Japan are to contact their service providers in the first instance to see whether you need to change or alter your travel arrangements. This includes airlines, accommodation owners and tour operators.

In the event of damage or delays, service providers may provide refunds, credit notes or alter your bookings without charging additional fees.

With the majority of Australian travellers heading to the main island of Honshu (Tokyo), there are currently no travel alerts affecting the area, and as such, Australians should continue their planned holiday whilst still keeping informed of local conditions. We recommend travellers head to http://smartraveller.gov.au/countries/japan and subscribe to the travel alerts to keep up-to-date with information.

In the event that your travel plans are disrupted as a result of the earthquakes and service providers cannot help, the next step is to contact your travel insurance provider. If you are able to make a claim, be sure to keep all supporting documentation relating to the event, such as receipts, as well as any letters or emails from your service providers.

Of course, all travel insurance policies are different so you will need to check if you are covered for delays and cancellations (and to what level) to determine how much you can claim.

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