For information relating to policies purchased prior to 27 June 2024, please check the Policy Wording provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased from 27 June 2024 please see below.
Yes, cover is available (with our Explorer Plan) if a natural catastrophe such as an earthquake, cyclone, flood, volcano, or tsunami affects your travel plans and/or injures you.
However, you need to have purchased your policy before these powerful forces of nature become a known event. So if you’ve done that, we’ll do everything we can to help you.
While the last thing we want to do is to talk about all the nasty weather that could come your way, it’s important for you to know what we define as a ‘natural catastrophe’ in our policy. The following are considered natural catastrophes: Volcanic activity, volcanic ash, earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, cyclone, flooding of more than 50 square kilometres, wildfire of more than 50 square kilometres.
Our Explorer plan can offer cover when a natural catastrophe or terrorism event occurs within 20 kilometres of your booked accommodation and:Yes. You must let us know how you are going and keep in contact with our Emergency Medical Assistance team until you no longer require treatment or assistance.
If you’re unlucky enough to be injured by a natural catastrophe, our Emergency Medical Assistance team can help you get to the nearest medical centre, so you can receive the medical attention you need. If you’re so badly hurt that the Emergency Medical Assistance team decides you need to go home, they can organise to transport you home. However, once you’re home, we’re not able to cover ongoing medical costs. You can find out further information here on how we help travellers with overseas medical treatment.
Yes, our Explorer plan can offer cover for your non-refundable travel and accommodation costs.
If you’re travelling on the Explorer Plan, and you’re caught up in a natural catastrophe, and you are forced to move from your pre booked accommodation, we can offer cover for additional accommodation expenses you incur in order to move to an alternative accommodation (at the same destination), as long as the policy and the affected travel arrangements were bought before the event.
As the policy is outside of its cooling-off period and you’ve travelled on it, there is no refund for that part of the premium for the unused period of insurance. You are welcome to make a claim for any additional expenses you might have incurred; however, no refund will be provided.
Funnily, we get asked this a lot, so here’s something we prepared earlier: a step by step guide on how to claim. If you have questions about a claim, contact our Claims team.
It’s important that you contact the Emergency Medical Assistance team as soon as you know you will be admitted as an inpatient for at least one night. Their details can also be found on your Certificate of Insurance.
Here are some tips that may help if you’re in a natural catastrophe:
The policy isn’t designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions in the Policy Wording for full details so that there are no surprises if you need to use it. If you’re not sure if something is covered, get in touch.
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Before your trip, check the latest government advice for any travel alerts for your destination.