Most of us wouldn't think twice about purchasing travel insurance ahead of a big overseas trip, yet overlooking the need for cover when travelling within Australia can be tempting.
Would we be so sanguine if we knew that more than one third of people who go on domestic holidays have their flights cancelled, or luggage and valuables damaged?
According to new figures revealed by Cover-More Travel Insurance, these unexpected situations are a harsh reality for one in three domestic holiday-makers, revealing more than 5,000 domestic travel insurance claims were made by its customers in 2016 alone.
Of this, flight and accommodation changes or cancellation costs accounted for more than half of total domestic claims. This was followed by lost luggage and travel documents, additional expenses (i.e. damaged Smartphone) and rental car insurance excess.
A costly oversight
When we think of travel insurance, medical emergencies or extreme weather events abroad spring to mind. Not a weekend round-trip from Sydney to Melbourne.
Overlooking the need for travel insurance can be tempting. After all, Medicare can cover a medical emergency, CTP and insurance, and roadside assistance can cover your vehicle, and home and contents insurance can cover your loss or theft of property, right?
Not necessarily.
For lovers of snow sports, an injury on the slopes, if not covered by a subscription or health insurance, can cost upwards of $1,000 for an ambulance, and more than $10,000 for a private helicopter evacuation.
In the same vein, comprehensive cover isn't always guaranteed, as homes and contents policies don't always cover personal items taken outside the home, such as mobile phones and luggage, unless these have been added as optional extras to your policy.
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Most common domestic insurance claims in 2016: |
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Flight cancellation |
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Luggage and personal effects |
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Additional expenses i.e. broken smartphone |
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Rental car insurance excess |
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Travel delay |
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Non-medical additional expenses |
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Delayed luggage allowance |
"Many of us forgo domestic cover because we’re on home turf. But there’s more than medical you need to be thinking about. Loss of personal belongings, flight delays and cancellations — these are more commonplace than people realise and can be costly," says Michael Betteridge, General Manager, Travel, NRMA.
“Buying travel insurance is small price to pay for peace of mind and security,” he adds.
