For information relating to policies purchased prior to 18 May 2022, please check the Policy Document provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased on or from 18 May 2022 please see below.
If a close relative become seriously ill or injured and you need to cancel your trip before you get started, or while already travelling, there may be cover available under our plans.
If a close relative is suddenly hospitalised or dies from a sudden illness or serious injury, then your travel insurance policy can help if you have to cancel or re-arrange your trip.
If you have to cancel or rearrange your trip, there’s cover for:
the non-refundable portion of your travel expenses, including transport, accommodation, tours/experiences, tuition/course fees, travel agency cancellation fees and frequent flyer points.
for your reasonable and necessary additional transport and accommodation expenses to return home early to visit your family, including:
the costs incurred to change your flights to an earlier date; and
The costs of itemised phone calls and internet expenses incurred when contacting us or your travel provider to rearrange, resume, catch up to or end your original travel plans.
costs incurred to re-arrange your travel plans so you can resume your trip after your visit home.
Please be aware, if the hospitalisation or death of your close relative (or a close relative of someone in your travelling party) relates to an existing medical condition, then the coverage may be limited. Read the Policy Document carefully for full details under 'How someone else's health may affect your cover'.
A close relative is defined as your spouse/de facto partner, fiancé, fiancée, parent, parent-in-law, daughter, son, adopted or de facto daughter or son, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, grandchild, grandparent, step-parent, step-son, step-daughter or guardian.
Before you change your plans, you must contact your travel providers to try to minimise your expenses and request any refunds or rescheduling assistance. You may resume your trip under the same policy up until it’s end date (with pre-approval of trip resumption costs first).
You can make a claim online for your additional expenses. You’ll also need a written medical diagnosis from the attending physician and, if applicable, the death certificate to support your claim. Also be aware that any claim submitted will have the policy excess applied.
The policy isn’t designed to cover everything. Take the time to read the terms and conditions in the Policy Document for full details, limits to cover and exclusions, particularly the information on Cancellation and Trip Interruption. That way there are no surprises if you need to use it.
Here are the main things that aren’t covered:
It’s foreseeable your relative might be hospitalised, sick or injured and you arrange to travel anyway.
The cost of a return flight back home if you don’t already have one. Why? Because cost of this return flight is considered part of any normal trip cost and therefore it isn’t covered.
Expenses incurred back in your home country.
Any expenses that you’ve already claimed for cancellation or trip interruption (no double-dipping allowed).
Anything else that’s listed in the General Exclusions and specific exclusions in the Policy Document.
This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your Policy Document in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.
We’re here to help if you have a question about travel insurance. We’re available:
Within New Zealand:
0800 666 237
From anywhere in the world:
+61 2 8256 1542
Within Australia:
1300 787 375
Before your trip, check to see if there are current travel alerts for your destination – you can also view the latest government advice
Gaza−Israel conflict: For travellers in, or planning on travelling to, Israel or the Palestinian Territories, please see our travel alert with more information.