Travel insurance advice for Kiwis
In addition to naming its 2019 travel insurance winners, travel insurance provider Canstar NZ has issued travel insurance advice to New Zealanders, as many Kiwi travellers are failing to obtain the right travel insurance cover, and as a result are facing inadequate medical and trip cancellation cover, as well as extra costs imbued from lost items.
Recent research conducted by Canstar found that 18 per cent of insureds had experienced a travel disaster – 34 per cent of those had missed a flight, 33 per cent had lost luggage and 30 per cent needed to receive medical treatment while travelling.
“In New Zealand there are no standard requirements for what is included in a travel insurance policy, so all policies are different. But so is each holiday,” said Jose George, General Manager Canstar New Zealand. “When choosing a policy, focus on finding what would be suitable for your specific travel situation. For example, travelling for a musical concert may involve flights, car hire, or use of public transport, which could increase chances of delays or travel disruptions. The concert itself may also be subject to cancellation. So, you’ll need different cover if you were, say, going on a cruise or to a resort.”
Canstar identified Southern Cross Travel Insurance and New Zealand Travel Insurance as the winners in the category for outstanding value for international travel insurance; ANZ Bank NZ and WorldCare NZ came top in the category for outstanding value for seniors’ travel insurance. New Zealand Travel Insurance, WorldCare New Zealand and House of Travel New Zealand topped the outstanding value for South Pacific cruise travel insurance category; and New Zealand Travel Insurance and WorldCare New Zealand were the winners of outstanding value in Trans-Tasman Travel Insurance.
Canstar urges New Zealanders to follow its top travel insurance tips next time they are planning a trip. It advises travellers to buy their travel insurance at the time of booking their trip, ensuring that they are covered from the moment they purchase their trip in the event of natural disasters or personal injuries leading to trip cancellation or postponement; when buying travel insurance, it emphasises the importance of comparing all the features a policy offers, not just focusing on the price; it also highlights the importance of declaring all medical conditions – not being honest and upfront about medical conditions can mean that insurers are not able to accurately assess a traveller’s risk, and in turn this can lead to invalid insurance in the event that travellers do need to make a claim.
Canstar also recommends that travellers research any activities that aren’t covered by the policy and ensure that they add them to their insurance policy. It advises travellers to speak to their insurers if they’re unsure about what it and isn’t covered. Finally, Canstar also notes that New Zealand travellers should not assume that they are automatically covered if they visit Australia – Kiwis are entitled to some health and emergency care in Australia, but that does not cover an ambulance, aftercare, some medications and possible repatriation costs; not to mention what should happen if they were to cancel a trip or lose luggage.
“If in doubt, just ask your insurer,” said George. “An extra 10 to 20 minutes planning could just make all the difference.”
To see the full list of travel insurers considered in the 2019 Canstar Travel Insurance Awards, visit the Canstar website.