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Are you covered for flight cancellations?

Here’s the first thing you should do after booking an overseas flight.

By Clair Morton
Published: Wednesday, June 27, 2018

You’ve just scored a great deal on flights to your dream destination – what’s the next thing you do? Phone a friend? Start thinking about what to pack? It might be a better idea to book your travel insurance.

Despite data showing 30% of RAA Travel insurance claims are for pre-holiday cancellations due to illness or other personal reasons, less than a third of customers (32%) book insurance on the same day they book travel.

Close to half took up to a month to take out insurance, while 21% waited more than a month before getting insurance cover.

RAA Travel spokeswoman Mandy Nasuti said while the price of insurance premiums was  rarely dependent on timing, booking travel insurance early could mean the difference between getting money back for your flights and losing the money altogether.

Happy to be covered

The percentage of RAA insurance claims for pre-holiday cancellations

“Based on the experiences of more than 2500 RAA Travel Insurance customers, we’ve found a surprising percentage of them are risking the cost of their flights and accommodation by waiting until the last moment to insure themselves,” she said.

Ms Nasuti advised travellers to take out travel insurance at the same time they booked their holidays, and to check the cover included cancellations.

“If you’re going to buy it anyway, you might as well do it when you book flights,” she said.

“It’s the same principle as insuring your car as soon as you buy it, to make sure you are covered for any unforeseen circumstances.

“The last thing you would want is to cancel your holiday but still have to pay for it.’’

RAA Travel Insurance tips

  • If you’re going on a cruise in Australian waters, you’ll need to tell your insurer as Medicare generally will not cover your shipboard medical expenses.
  • It’s very important to inform your insurer if you have any kind of pre-existing medical condition.
  • If you’re hiring a car, you can save money by using travel insurance to cover the collision damage excess rather than paying the car hire company’s extra charge.

Are you covered?

RAA members save 10% on travel insurance

Get a quote

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