The Insurance Council of New Zealand has advised people travelling to Bali that they should contact their airline or other travel provider they booked with first, and then their travel insurer to discuss their options.
“If you face extra costs or lose out on something you pre-booked, your travel insurer may pay those extra costs or loss if it is covered by your policy,”
ICNZ chief executive
Tim Grafton said.
Grafton said travel providers may be able to rebook arrangements for travellers without extra costs.
Here is some advice brokers might want to offer clients as travel chaos erupts:
- If they do suffer extra costs, make sure they keep receipts.
- Have a check on their policy wording and always talk to their insurer to understand what costs their insurance policy covers.
- Purchase travel insurance every time they book and pay for a trip to ensure they enjoy the benefit of cancellation covers.
“We can’t stress enough that travellers need to purchase their travel insurance when they book and pay for their tickets and not just before they are about to travel if they want to enjoy the benefit of cancellation cover,” Grafton said.
Related stories:
Travel insurance enquiries set to spike as holiday season hits
New report to help insurers respond to coastal hazards