Research by Smartraveller found that one in four Australian travellers experienced an insurable event on their last overseas trip – this includes anything from lost luggage, to delayed or missed flights, or more serious medical emergencies. 

And although reading small print isn’t as much fun as researching luxury hotels, the devil is in the details – insurance policies are not all created equal.

In fact, we’ve compared international travel insurance policies from over 30 insurers (over 100 policies in total) and found that many have tricky exclusions, miserly limits, or just don’t offer good value for money.

What makes a good travel insurance policy?

ĚÇĐÄVlog travel insurance expert Jodi Bird says the best policies cover your needs for a good price. They should cover where you’re travelling to and the activities you’ll be doing, whether that’s cruising, riding a moped or skiing. 

And as we’re all trying to save a few bucks where we can these days, they should also be competitively priced based on your age, and include cover for any medical conditions you might have. 

In our travel insurance comparison you can compare policies on the cover they offer, and view how each policy compares on cost using our ‘price score’.

Annual or single-trip policy?

If you’re just going on one holiday, you only need a standalone or ‘one-trip’ travel insurance policy. 

We’ve listed the worst value single-trip policies further below so you know which ones to avoid.

But if you travel often, you might like to consider an annual multi-trip policy. If you visit our insurance review, and filter by annual policies, you’ll find these policies can provide good value for money. Check the fine print as some can restrict the length of each trip you take. 

Best travel insurance for your destination

For members, we’ve also identified the best policies by destination:

• Best travel insurance for Bali
• Best travel insurance for Fiji
• Best travel insurance for Japan
• Best travel insurance for New Zealand
• Best travel insurance for Singapore
• Best travel insurance for Thailand
• Best travel insurance for USA
• Best travel insurance for UK

The lowest scoring travel insurance policies

The best ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating we’ve given a one-trip policy in our review is 69%. The policies we list below get 54% or less. 

We rate travel insurance based on the value you get for the price. The lowest rated policies cover overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses, so they’re better than no cover at all, but there are cheaper policies out there with better cover. 

ĚÇĐÄVlog experts recommend you give these policies a wide berth in your travel planning.

1. Flight Centre Gold and Silver Travel Insurance

• ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating: 50% (Gold); 48% (Silver)
• Cover score: 75% (Gold); 64% (Silver)
• Price score: 13% (Gold); 24% (Silver)

The lowest ranked policies in our comparison are good examples of why it pays to shop around. Both of these policies have good overall cover, with the Gold policy scoring among the highest for cover. But the high cover comes at a price – some of the highest prices in the market, in fact. With just a bit of research, you can get better cover at a cheaper price from a policy recommended by ĚÇĐÄVlog. 

Read the full Flight Centre Gold policy review and the Flight Centre Silver policy review.

2. 1Cover Medical Only

• ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating: 54%
• Cover score: 35%
• Price score: 82%

This is a medical-only policy, which means it will only provide coverage for certain types of medical expenses, and not for other travel-related costs such as lost baggage or missed flights.

Unfortunately, ĚÇĐÄVlog experts say that even with the lower than average price, the minimal cover means it’s not a great deal. 

Read the full 1Cover Medical Only policy review.

3. World Nomads Standard

• ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating: 54%
• Cover score: 55%
• Price score: 53%

This is a perfectly average policy with average cover at an average price. If you want average, this is the policy to get. But there are a lot of other policies with a cheaper than average price that offer better than average cover. We suggest you buy one of those policies instead.

Read the full World Nomads travel insurance review.

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Bindi Shah only found out that she can’t get out of the 71-year Classic Holidays timeshare scheme she signed up to in 2014 when she recently called to ask.

The curt response from the Classic Holidays consultant was a far cry from how the whole thing started. She was handed a scratch-and-win card at a shopping mall that promised a free holiday as long as she attended a Classic Holidays timeshare seminar in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta.

There she was effusively promised discounts of up to 50% on accommodations around Australia. All she had to do was pay $22,000 up front to join the scheme, which she did, and then pay the annual fees. These have gone up steadily and now come in at around $3000.

The program seemed to deliver what it promised at first, though the 50% discounts never came through and the complicated points system made it impossible to know if she was really getting a bargain. Now Bindi, who is 63, is sure that not using the scheme is more cost-effective than using it, even though she has to keep paying the fees.

“In recent years, we have consistently found accommodation prices through Classic Holidays to be higher than those offered by public online travel platforms such as Booking.com,” Bindi says.

“Plus, the scheme’s restrictive cancellation terms compare unfavourably with the flexible 24‑hour cancellation options commonly available elsewhere.”

“Not only is it more expensive, but there are all these restrictions and conditions. There’s no flexibility at all. The value proposition of the scheme has deteriorated significantly.”

Bindi’s understanding is that her scheme runs until 2085 – far longer than she’d like to keep it. But when she recently contacted Classic Holidays to cancel it, she was shocked to learn that she couldn’t. This came as news to her. It would mean an additional $177,000 in fees by the time the scheme comes to an end, and that’s only if they stayed at $3000 a year, which is unlikely.

“Nowhere in the contract anywhere can I find that you can’t cancel,” Bindi says. “And when we originally signed up, there was no explanation that there was effectively a no exit clause for the membership.”

Regulations only go so far

This story of being stuck in a timeshare scheme is just one of many that ĚÇĐÄVlog has reported on. We also surveyed 351 timeshare members in 2021, around 30% of whom said they would have liked to cancel their membership but couldn’t.

In 2018 we handed a Shonky award to Marriott Vacation Club, a 40-year timeshare scheme whose costs for a one-week booking per year were 938% more over the life of the contract than similar accommodations available on online booking sites.

Marriott’s scheme may have been the worst of the bunch at the time, but we also pointed out that the value for money propositions from other timeshares schemes – including Accor Vacation Club, Classic Holiday, Ultiqa Lifestyle, Wyndham WorldMark South Pacific Club – were also extremely poor.

A timeshare scheme is a financial product and operators need to have a financial services licence, which all the major ones do.

It’s a credential that would seem to confer a sense of above-board legitimacy, but timeshare schemes operate on the dark fringes of the financial sector. Nonetheless, they are regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which has taken steps to provide better protections for timeshare customers in recent years. ĚÇĐÄVlog was involved in the consultations leading up to these changes.

In 2020, for instance, ASIC imposed new rules around fee transparency and hardship support. The regulator also made it mandatory to let prospective members know both in writing and verbally how these complicated schemes actually work and the risks they involve.

ĚÇĐÄVlog has lodged five official complaints with ASIC about timeshare schemes since 2016. In 2021, we lodged a “super complaint” to ASIC, alleging at least eight industry-wide breaches of financial services laws.

But regulations only go so far when the deal is financially unsound to begin with. ASIC makes clear that two of the most concerning conditions of these schemes – that the only way to get out of one is by selling it, and that they pass on to your children – are enforceable, though the Classic Holidays contracts that ĚÇĐÄVlog has reviewed don’t contain these terms.

Passing it on to her children

Bindi has tried to persuade her children to use her Classic Holidays bookings, but they say it’s much easier and cheaper to just book directly with the property or through an online booking service. They don’t want any part of Classic Holidays, even though they’re apparently due to inherit the scheme along with the annual fees. This is a condition that timeshare members discover when they try to exit a scheme. It is not included in the Classic Holidays contracts that we’ve reviewed.

It has also been widely reported that timeshare schemes are very difficult to sell, but that wouldn’t be an option for Bindi anyway.

“The Classic Holidays consultant suggested that I could use one of their brokers to sell the membership for a fee. I told him that I felt it would be unethical to sell the scheme to someone else,” Bindi says.

“If they had said, ‘you know, you won’t be able to get out of this’ from the beginning, then we might have thought twice about it. How can you have someone having a managed scheme where there is no way out? It’s just unethical.”

We asked Classic Holidays to provide examples of documents provided to members saying they can’t exit the scheme and explaining that it goes into a member’s estate upon their death. We didn’t get a response.

Facts you need to know about timeshare schemes

• Timeshare operators are required to be members of the (AFCA). If you feel you’ve been misled by a timeshare operator, lodge a complaint with AFCA.
• If you’re in financial hardship, ASIC regulations allow timeshare operators to release members from schemes in cases where the scheme constitution permits hardship withdrawals.
• If the timeshare operator has arranged finance for the initial lump sum membership payment ($22,000 in Bindi’s case), you can cancel the scheme even after the cooling off period if the loan has not yet been provided.
• In 2022, the Federal Court found that the timeshare scheme Ultiqa breached financial advice laws by failing to take the best interests of target customers into account and leading them into schemes they couldn’t afford. If a timeshare scheme has arranged finance for your membership, you may be able to challenge whether the advice you received was appropriate for your circumstances. 
• If you’re trying to sell a timeshare scheme, be particularly wary of scammers posing as brokers or resellers. 

The post She’s 63 and wants out of her timeshare, but she’s locked in until 2085 appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

Qantas, in particular, failed its customers on many fronts in recent years, not least by making it very difficult to redeem credits for flights that had been cancelled due to the pandemic. The airline’s troubling behaviour paved the way for a 2022 ĚÇĐÄVlog Shonky award.

In mid-March, Qantas settled a class action lawsuit over how it handled flight credits, paying out $105 million to customers (minus lawyer fees) who had found it all but impossible to redeem them.

The Aviation Consumer Ombuds Scheme (ACOS) is expected to start up some time this year. The hope is that it will help restore a measure of dependability – perhaps even civility – to air travel.

The complaints resolution service will replace the industry-funded Airline Consumer Advocate (ACA), recipient of a 2021 ĚÇĐÄVlog Shonky on the grounds that all it did was forward complaints to the airline rather than resolve them. Unlike the ACA, ACOS will have the power to investigate complaints.

It will make decisions according to the rules outlined in the new Aviation Consumer Protection Charter (ACPC), also due to take effect this year. (The associated bills were introduced to Parliament on 1 April.)

“ĚÇĐÄVlog has long campaigned for stronger travel rights and an independent travel ombuds scheme with the power to handle complaints and make binding determinations,” says ĚÇĐÄVlog director of campaigns Andy Kelly. “When things go wrong, consumers need stronger protections and an independent body that will take their complaints seriously.”

Seeking clarity on consumer airline rights

Unfortunately, the first draft of the ACPC, released in late 2024, was unclear on important points, including who was going to enforce it. It also lacked what ĚÇĐÄVlog has been calling for since we began focusing on the airline sector – a standardised approach to compensation for meals and accommodation when flights are delayed or cancelled, as well as an industrywide standard defining the overall terms and conditions of your booking.

The draft ACPC seemed to leave all the discretionary power in the hands of the airlines, which was pretty much business as usual.

An updated draft, released earlier this year, was an improvement. This final version remains vague on the issue of compensation, and doesn’t make clear what our rights are in many areas. It’s the kind of ambiguity that could continue to leave passengers at the mercy of the airlines, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.

One in two travellers experience a flight disruption

In December 2023, we reported that the chances of a flight taking off on time during the holiday season were about 50/50.

The story was based on the experiences of 9000 travellers we surveyed at the time, two out of five of whom told us they’d had a flight cancelled or delayed in the last 12 months. Eighty five percent of those whose flights were delayed said they were not provided accommodation or meal vouchers.

The latest air travel survey data from the federal government suggests that things may have gotten even worse.

It’s based on the airline experiences of 4008 people who travelled between 28 August 2024 and 27 August 2025, and the results are not encouraging.

One in two travellers experienced a flight disruption over the twelve-month period, with delays most commonly ranging from 15 minutes to three hours. Only 31% said they were satisfied with how the disruption was handled by the airline, and 82% said they received no support. A roughly equal number (81%) said they weren’t informed of their rights when their flights didn’t take off on time.

Despite the poor airline performance, only 8% of affected customers complained – a sign that we’ve come to regard airline complaints as exercises in futility. (Only two out of five customers who did make a complaint were satisfied with how it was resolved, and fewer than one out of five had anything good to say about the overall complaint process.)

Transparency around disruptions

In a submission to the federal government in February this year, we called for airlines to come clean about the reasons for delays and cancellations in their reporting to ACOS, in particular specifying whether the disruption was within the airline’s control or outside of it. This information could help inform which remedies may be available for passengers.

But at the moment we can simply be told that our flight is not taking off on time with no further explanation, leaving us stranded for hours in the terminal wondering what other air travel mishaps are lying in wait. It remains to be seen whether the final version of the Aviation Consumer Protection Charter will make air travel less precarious.

“While these reforms [the ACPC] fell short of a European-style compensation scheme, these changes should force airlines to provide fair remedies for cancellations and unreasonable delays,” Kelly says. “The framework will only be as strong as the protections contained in the charter, and ĚÇĐÄVlog will continue to advocate for the strongest possible protections for consumers.”

The post Half of airline passengers still experiencing delays and cancellations appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

Planning a trip this Easter? You’re not alone.

Australians regularly spend billions of dollars on travel at this time of year, as we take advantage of public holidays and a break from school to explore, either domestically or overseas.

As a new holiday approaches, many of us will be opening our wallets, logging onto accommodation platforms, scoping out airline tickets, signing up for tours and searching for travel advice on social media as we gear up for some time away.

Unfortunately, scammers are aware of this and have been known to exploit our dealings with all of these services in attempts to secure themselves a tidy Easter bonus.

We’re breaking down the most common travel cons to look out for, with tips to follow so you can score a scam-free break.

On this page:

• 1. Phony prizes
• 2. Fake listings
• 3. Hacked hotel profiles
• 4. Fake airline accounts
• 5. Road toll rip offs
• 6. Fake travel documents
• 7. Scams to watch out for once you arrive overseas

1. Phony prizes

Even just knowing that many of us are thinking about time away is enough for some scammers to try their luck.

State and national consumer regulators say they’ve seen a rise in cases of consumers receiving suspicious scratch cards in the mail promising travel giveaways or discount holidays.

Scrape away the covered sections of these cards and you can expect to be told you’ve won, sometimes as much as $240,000.

Directions on the card will tell you to contact the providers by phone, email or social media to claim your prize.

But there lies the catch – you’ll be told you’ll have to pay a fee, sometimes thousands of dollars, in order to receive your winnings. 

You may even be asked to provide sensitive personal documents in order to gain eligibility for these holiday schemes.

Don’t try to redeem these so-called “prizes” and definitely don’t provide money or personal details to the organisations distributing them.

They’re likely criminals who won’t provide any of the goodies they’ve promised and may use any details you do hand over to steal your identity.

How to spot a fake travel prize

• Be sceptical of unexpected holiday offers you receive in the mail or are sent online. Don’t respond to these or click on any links in emails or text messages you receive accompanying these promotions.
• Don’t share any money or personal or financial details with anyone contacting you about these offers or claiming to be associated with a competition you didn’t enter.

2. Fake listings

Sites like Booking.com and Airbnb have revolutionised the travel industry by allowing regular people to turn their properties into accommodation businesses.

But scammers are also trying to get in on the action and have been known to create fake listings on these sites in an attempt to steal travellers’ deposits.

We’ve heard from travellers who were left stranded and out of pocket after booking holiday homes that didn’t exist through major booking platforms.

The global scope of these companies means this isn’t a uniquely Australian problem – our UK sister organisation Which? has reported on .

Tourists aren’t the only ones being preyed upon by phony listers. Real estate bodies and fair trade agencies have warned of the same trick being pulled on people searching for rental homes.

Airbnb and Booking.com have previously told ĚÇĐÄVlog that false listings are rare on their platforms and that they work hard to verify properties registered with their services, but it’s still worth being vigilant.

How to spot a fake accommodation listing

Scammers pushing phony properties will try to lure you in with offers many of us might find irresistible – a holiday home in a popular location going for a fraction of the usual price, for example.

So don’t rush into booking deals that seem too good to be true, and perform the following checks before locking in your stay:

• Check the most recent reviews: Fake listings are often accompanied by a flurry of negative feedback from fellow travellers or no reviews at all. Make sure you’re looking at the latest reviews to get up-to-date feedback.
• See how long the property has been listed for: Booking platforms work to take down fake listings but scammers themselves can remove and replace their advertisements quickly. Beware of suspicious listings that have only been active for a short time.
• Stay on the platform: Be sceptical if the accommodation host tries to direct you off the platform (onto private messaging apps, for example), especially when it comes to payment.

3. Hacked hotel profiles

Another scam appearing on popular booking platforms involves criminals hijacking the accounts of hotels and other accommodation providers.

These compromised profiles reportedly then send guests messages or links to impersonation websites designed to steal sensitive information.

The con often begins with accommodation operators accidentally downloading malware or handing over login details for the platforms where they list their property.

Booking.com has been a popular target of this scam. Last year, Microsoft warned of a flurry of emails impersonating the platform being sent to accommodation businesses who use it to list properties.

These messages were believed to be carrying malware designed to steal an accommodation provider’s login credentials.

Once they’ve gained access to a business profile on a site like Booking.com, hackers send messages to the hotel’s guests, urging them to update or verify their card details in order to re-confirm or secure their booking.

Victims in Australia have reportedly lost money and sensitive personal information after clicking on the links included in these messages.

Booking.com has previously told ĚÇĐÄVlog it’s working to limit the impacts of phishing attacks on its accommodation partners, advising hotels on how to ensure emails appearing to come from Booking.com are actually being sent by the company.

How to spot a hacked account

• Beware of suspicious messages: Watch out for unusual messages appearing to come from accommodation you’ve booked. Requests to provide card details or other sensitive information via direct message or risk losing your booking are major red flags.
• Don’t click on unexpected links: Beware of unsolicited links included in messages appearing to come from your accommodation. Check URLs carefully for indicators of deception, such as misspelt or additional, unnecessary words e.g. info.businessname.gateway.payment.com.
• Follow up outside the platform: If you receive a suspicious message or link, contact your accommodation provider via details you’ve found yourself (not those listed on its booking site profile) to check if the messages are legitimate.

4. Fake airline accounts

Delayed or cancelled flights are perennial causes of holiday frustration and complaining on social media can feel like the easiest option when travel plans are derailed.

But doing so can make you a juicy target for scammers, some of whom use bot technology to prowl popular platforms for complaints mentioning major carriers.

Once they’ve acquired a target, these scammers will reply to your gripe using an account that looks like it belongs to your airline. 

Such accounts have been most prevalent on X, where we’ve seen multiple profiles posing as Australian airlines and targeting customers in distress.

Victims have been directed to private messaging services and then to phishing sites designed to steal sensitive information.

Anyone signed up to an airline’s loyalty scheme should also beware of emails urging them to log in via a link to address purported “fraudulent activity” on their accounts.

Cyber security company Mailguard recently warned of a trend of these scams targeting Qantas Frequent Flyers.

How to spot fake airline communications

• Make sure a carrier’s social media account is legitimate: Look at how many followers it has and when it was created – scam profiles will have very few followers and are often only around for months at most.

• See where emails are coming from and where they lead to: Recent fake airline emails have come from Gmail addresses (e.g. someone@gmail.com) rather than official email addresses using the business domain name (e.g. info@qantas.com). Hover your mouse over any links and the URL of the page it leads to should appear. Make sure this matches the airline’s official website URL.

5. Road toll rip offs

Easter road trips often take us into cities we’re not familiar with, meaning new road systems and potentially toll operators who’ll be hitting us up for payment.

These companies are a regular target for impersonation by text and email scammers pushing links to fake websites.

Linkt, a major toll service in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, is a favourite among criminal impersonators and was the target of a recent email scam designed to steal drivers’ bank card details.

How to spot fake road toll messages

• Don’t trust surface level names: Scammers can make it look like they’re sending texts from an official company account when they’re not. Check where an email is from – scam messages often come from generic accounts that don’t use the name of the company they claim to represent.

• Don’t click on links: Toll operators like Linkt shouldn’t ask you to provide payment details via links in text messages or emails. Address outstanding payments by logging into your toll account via an official app or website. For more info, see .

Scams to watch out for when heading overseas

Due to the ubiquity of major booking sites and social media platforms, you could just as easily find yourself the target of the above-mentioned scams while travelling overseas as in Australia.

But certain scams will only emerge in the course of venturing beyond our shores.

6. Fake travel documents

Cyber support service IDCARE expects visa scams to become more prevalent this year, after the number of people contacting it after being sold fake or non-existent visas jumped by 76% in 2025.

Criminals often set up fake websites promising to provide visas and other vital travel documents for different countries and can pay for these pages to appear at the top of search engine results.

Once they’ve got your bank card details, these operators may not provide any visa in return or may supply a fake document – something that will cause you serious issues if you try to use it to enter a country.

In a similar vein, scammers have also been known to run schemes claiming to sell international driving permits (IDP). Some of these sites do provide these materials (at an inflated rate), but others will send you fake documents.

How to avoid fake travel documents

• Be wary of sponsored results: Legitimate companies and scammers alike can pay for their websites to appear at the top of search engine results. Scroll down past sponsored results before clicking on any links.

• Stick to official sources: DFAT’s website tells you which countries require a visa or other permit (assuming you’re travelling on an Australian passport) and directs you to the legitimate sources for obtaining these materials. If you’re looking for an IDP, .

7. Scams to watch out for once you arrive overseas

Depending on your destination, there are various scams you might only encounter once you’re on the ground in other countries.

For info on all the most common cons, including ticket, taxi, vehicle hire and card-skimming scams, and what to do if you run into trouble overseas, see .

The post Travel scams to avoid this Easter appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

Does travel insurance cover war?

All travel insurers in ĚÇĐÄVlog’s travel insurance comparison exclude cover for claims that arise as a result of war. This includes flights interrupted by military strikes in the Middle East.

Travel insurers specify this in the General Exclusions section of their Product Disclosure Statement. It is generally stated as:

We will not pay for claims arising as a result of war, invasion, act of foreign enemy, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection or military or usurped power.

Will travel insurance cover trips interrupted by ‘Do Not Travel’ warnings?

Travel insurance doesn’t cover claims arising from you not following an Australian Government ‘Do not travel’ warning. 

If the warning level for your destination was escalated to ‘Do not travel’ after you bought your policy, travel insurers may cover you to change plans, but only if the reason for the claim isn’t already excluded by the insurer.

Since claims due to war are not covered by travel insurance, you will unfortunately still not be covered for claims due to war.

What will your travel insurer help with?

If your claim isn’t related to war, you may be covered for other incidents. You may also have some cover in a ‘Do not travel’ destination if you bought your policy before that advice was published.

For example, if you are unable to change your plans and your flight or tour transits through a destination with a Smartraveller ‘Do not travel’ advice, you may be covered if you break your toe on the stairs. But if your hotel is bombed in a drone strike, you may not be covered.

Insurers may also offer you a free extension of your insurance if you bought your travel insurance policy before the travel advice was escalated to ‘Do not travel’. So if you’re stranded overseas for longer than you planned, speak to your insurer about extending your policy. That way you’ll at least still have cover for events unrelated to the military conflict, such as if you’re phone is stolen or you slip in the shower and need medical attention.

Insurers should also offer support via their emergency assistance, for example to help you coordinate medical care, access prescription medication or to report an incident you want to claim for.

What should you do if your flight is booked through the Middle East?

Keep an eye on your airline’s advice about your flight, especially if you have a stopover in the Middle East. If you cancel your ticket you will be subject to the terms and conditions of the ticket. Unless you have a flexible ticket, you’re unlikely to get your money back from the airline. However if the airline cancels the flight, you will usually be entitled to a refund or credit.

If the airline has cancelled or delayed flights due to war or a “Do not travel” warning, it’s considered an event that is out of their control and the airline will have a policy providing compensation for cancellation or delay. Familiarise yourself with the policy in case you need to remind the airline of their terms and conditions, because they won’t necessarily volunteer it to you.

Let your airline know if you’re unable to get to the airport due to a war. If you can get a real person on the phone that you can explain your situation to that will help, otherwise try their social media accounts. That will often get a response where other avenues don’t.

Should you book a flight via the Middle East now?

The is currently set to ‘Do not travel’ or ‘Reconsider your need to travel’ for the Middle East. The travel advice applies to stopovers in the destination as well as longer stays, so you should avoid booking travel to or through this region for the foreseeable future.

How to get money back on accommodation

Keep an eye on your airline’s advice because your airline may cover accommodation costs incurred due to flights cancelled or rescheduled due to the military conflict.

Otherwise, contact your accommodation provider and ask if you can reschedule or get a refund. Military situations have a big economic impact on tourist destinations so flexibility on both sides of the equation can help the community, as well as ensuring you still get a holiday.

How to get back from third-party booking sites

Booking sites generally have their own terms and conditions and if you booked through them, you should deal with the booking site, not the end-point service provider. The booking site should still be subject to Australian Consumer Law.
The sites usually have standard cancellation policies but in the event of war, they may make an exception. Airbnb, for example, may in the event of a war. So familiarise yourself with the booking site’s policy and quote it to them if necessary.

You’ve tried everything else, is there any other way to get your money back?

When you have exhausted your attempts to get money or a credit back from your airline, accommodation or travel agent, you should still lodge a claim with your travel insurer. Even if you don’t think you’ll be covered.

If you don’t think you got a fair go from your travel providers, then you may also want to consider raising a credit card chargeback. Or if you’re not happy with your travel insurer, see our advice on How to complain about an insurer.

The post Does travel insurance cover war? appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

When Maaz Sayed recently booked a flight through Flight Centre for a family trip to Mumbai, the transaction took a turn he wasn’t expecting.

Without his consent, the business tacked on both $932 worth of travel insurance to the quote they emailed him, and something called the “Captain’s Pack”, which cost $236 and included extras such as lost baggage tracking and a tree planted through a Brisbane-based organisation called ReForest to offset the carbon miles.

Maaz paid the quote without knowing these extras had been added.

“At no point during my phone consultation was insurance discussed or offered as an optional product,” Maaz says.

After he complained, Flight Centre told Maaz that it was up to him to notice the additions and let Flight Centre know if he didn’t want them.

Citing chapter and verse of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), Maaz informed Flight Centre in no uncertain terms that he was not happy about this approach to doing business.

It’s a sales trick we’ve seen all too often in our continuing campaign against unfair business practices, or unfair trading. Automatically adding unwanted extras would be classified as a ‘dark pattern’ when it happens online, or a design element on a digital page that pushes you into making choices you didn’t intend to make.

The federal government has vowed to legislate a ban on unfair trading tactics, starting with subscription traps and drip pricing. Whether adding extras without consent will be outlawed remains to be seen.

Non-transparent disclosure

The explanation to Maaz from the Flight Centre complaints team suggests that adding expensive options without explicitly informing the customer was nothing new for the business.

“The quote sent through included a price for insurance. At this stage, it was simply a quote and as the consumer you are under no obligation to proceed with the purchase of the product if it did not meet your requirements,” a customer service agent told him in an email exchange.

The agent made the point that the insurance price was itemised and listed separately throughout the quote, saying “if you did not wish to proceed with this product you did not have to proceed with payment”.

They added that he should have called and spoken to FlightCentre about this before completing payment.

The original Flight Centre agent Maaz booked the flight through also stressed these points, saying “I include both travel insurance and the Captain’s Pack in all initial quotes to provide a complete travel package for review. These items are entirely optional, and you were under no obligation to proceed with them.”

The self-exoneration didn’t sit well with Maaz.

“Your message repeatedly implies that as a consumer I should detect undisclosed add-ons myself and contact your agent before payment,” he told the Flight Centre rep.

“That is the opposite of informed consent and inconsistent with your duties when offering financial products and add-ons.”

“Pre-loading optional products and then suggesting the consumer should later detect them contradicts the requirement for transparent disclosure of optional extras and constitutes an unfair sales practice,” he added.

We asked Flight Centre whether it automatically added options to bookings and left it up to customers to notice this and ask that they be removed but didn’t receive a response.

ACCC says adding extras is not illegal

An Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) spokesperson tells us that adding in extra options for customers is not a violation of the ACL as long as the extra cost is included in the topline price shown by the business.

“If a business accurately represents upfront the total single price of a good or service, inclusive of pre-selected extra fees, they will not be in breach of the ACL unless they have otherwise misled or deceived consumers,” the spokesperson says, adding that whether a business has misled or deceived consumers “will depend on the individual circumstances in each case”.

It’s not the first time Flight Centre has been called out for questionable tactics. In 2018, the company copped a $12.5 million fine in a case brought by the ACCC for trying to induce Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Malaysia Airlines to enter into price fixing arrangements.

In 2019, ĚÇĐÄVlog published the results of our COVID travel cancellation survey, revealing Flight Centre to be one of the worst offenders when it came to processing refunds.

Following Maaz Sayed’s complaint, the insurance policy was cancelled and he was refunded for the extras he never asked for.

But he feels he has a duty to let other Flight Centre customers know to check their quotes before paying.

As Maaz explained to Flight Centre, “adding the highest-priced product without discussion is inconsistent with obligations to ensure consumers are not misled or sold unsuitable products”.

The post Flight Centre adding pricey extras without customer consent appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

We’ve reviewed over 100 international travel insurance policies and rounded up our pick of the best travel insurance policies that cover pregnancy and what you need to consider. 

On this page:

• Does travel insurance cover pregnancy?
• Can you travel when you’re pregnant?
• What should you know about travel insurance cover for pregnancy?
• Which travel insurers cover pregnancy?
• Which are the best travel insurers for pregnancy?

Does travel insurance cover pregnancy?

Most travel insurance policies will cover cancellation and a mother’s medical costs as a result of pregnancy complications, up to the gestational period specified by the travel insurer.

Different policies will cover you up to different stages of your pregnancy, so which provider you go with will depend on when you plan to travel (and return home). 

Travel insurance usually does not cover for childbirth or for medical costs relating to your newborn if you give birth while on holiday.

Travel insurance pregnancy cover will protect you in circumstances such as if you need to cancel your trip due to doctor’s advice, or if you are on holiday and incur medical costs that are a result of unexpected complications (something that you weren’t already treated for and had no history of).

Can you travel when you’re pregnant?

As long as your pregnancy is uncomplicated and your general health is good, government advice says it’s fine to travel when pregnant, with the safest time being in the second trimester, as long as you aren’t experiencing complications.

If you’re pregnant, seek your doctor’s advice before you travel and ensure you pick a travel insurance policy that provides the coverage you need.

Make sure you check with your airline before you travel too, because many airlines will only let you fly up to a certain stage in your pregnancy, and may require medical certificates or other documentation before allowing you to board.

If you have an uncomplicated single pregnancy, most travel insurers won’t require you to do a medical assessment, but if you have a history of pregnancy complications, or you’re expecting multiple births, you may need to undergo a medical assessment to get travel insurance that covers your pregnancy.

Best travel insurance for your destination

• Best travel insurance for Bali
• Best travel insurance for Fiji
• Best travel insurance for Japan
• Best travel insurance for New Zealand
• Best travel insurance for Singapore
• Best travel insurance for Thailand
• Best travel insurance for USA
• Best travel insurance for UK

What should you know about travel insurance cover for pregnancy?

Travel insurance cover for pregnancy can vary widely between insurers. There are differences in the pregnancy related costs they do and don’t cover, and the specific wording around what stage of gestation you are covered until can be confusing. So make sure you check your policy before you buy. Here are some basics you should be aware of.

1. Travel insurance pregnancy cover is limited by gestational period

Most policies only cover you until between 23 and 26 weeks gestation, but there are some that will provide insurance up to 30 or 36 weeks.

2. Not all travel insurers cover multiple pregnancies or medically assisted pregnancies (e.g. IVF)

If you’re pregnant with twins or have conceived with any kind of medical assistance, your pregnancy is usually considered to be complicated and therefore not covered by many insurers. 

3. Many travel insurers don’t cover giving birth

Policies that cover pregnancy do not always cover medical costs associated with childbirth or for the care of a newborn.

So if you’re on holiday and you unexpectedly go into early labour, you might not be covered for your medical costs or any associated costs if your child has to be put into intensive care (a likely scenario if the baby comes early). 

Insurers that do cover costs associated with childbirth – such as hospital or obstetrician fees – usually only do so when the birth is caused by accidental injury, but not, for example, if it’s a pre-existing medical condition.

If a policy states that it does cover you for childbirth, this coverage will only extend up to the period of gestation specified in their policy – for example, Southern Cross Travel offers coverage for pregnancy up until 24 weeks, so they will only cover you for childbirth if the child is born before the 24-week mark.

Which travel insurers cover pregnancy?

All of the travel insurers in our comparison cover pregnancy. Below is a snapshot of how many weeks of gestation your cover extends to. This number is inclusive, meaning the policy covers you for that entire week of gestation.

Visit our travel insurance comparison or see below to find out which insurers also cover childbirth costs for the mother or child.

Which are the best travel insurers for pregnancy?

Below, we reveal which travel insurance policies provide the best cover for which gestation, and which companies will cover IVF-assisted pregnancies and neonatal care.

Log in to unlock this members-only content, or join ĚÇĐÄVlog to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.

As a member, you’ll also be able to access our full travel insurance reviews, as well as other reviews that might be helpful if you’re expecting, such as cot, stroller, high chair and portable cot reviews. 

The post What are the best travel insurance policies for pregnancy? appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

Whether you’re chasing adventure, looking to immerse yourself in nature, or planning a road trip to Hobbiton, New Zealand has a lot to offer, and has long been a favourite destination for Aussie travellers. 

The land of the long white cloud often seems like an extension of Australia, so some might wonder whether it’s actually worth buying travel insurance for a New Zealand holiday.    

We explore why you should buy travel insurance before you embark on your trip across the Tasman, and reveal which policies are best for your holiday.

On this page:

• Do you need travel insurance for New Zealand?
• Will travel insurance cover skiing in New Zealand?
• How much does travel insurance for New Zealand cost? 
• Checklist for your New Zealand holiday
• What is the cheapest travel insurance for New Zealand?
• Best value travel insurance policies for New Zealand

Do you need travel insurance for New Zealand?

Travel insurance is essential for Australians travelling to New Zealand. Buy your insurance at the same time as you book your trip so you’ll be covered if you have to cancel before you go. 

Medical costs in New Zealand

New Zealand and Australia have a reciprocal healthcare agreement, meaning that Australian travellers can access New Zealand’s public health service in an emergency, and vice versa. So remember to take your Medicare card with you – you’ll need it, along with your passport, to prove that you’re eligible. But the agreement isn’t a replacement for travel insurance.

You still have to pay some fees for treatment and medication. For example, reciprocal health care does not cover you for free or subsidised care by a GP or ambulance, and if you get seriously ill, medical repatriation is very expensive and only covered by travel insurance.

Accident cover in New Zealand

It’s essential that visitors to New Zealand are covered by travel insurance for repatriation, loss of income, and disruptions to travel plans in the case of an accident. 

For example, if you have a skiing accident you’ll need travel insurance to cover your trip home. Repatriation isn’t covered by the reciprocal healthcare agreement and, even if the accident was someone else’s fault, you won’t be compensated for it.

In New Zealand, accident victims cannot sue a third party for compensation. Instead, the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) covers the cost of medical care within New Zealand.

Because of the ACC fund, CTP car insurance is not compulsory in New Zealand as it is in Australia. However, it’s still recommended and is provided with most rental cars, but it’s important to check before you hire. Travel insurance can reduce the excess on the insurance your car hire company offers you, but only if the hire company has insurance in the first place.  

Earthquake cover in New Zealand 

Most travel insurance policies should cover medical costs for natural disasters like earthquakes in New Zealand. Comprehensive policies will also cover cancellation, or costs to rearrange your trip. Check your insurer’s travel insurance product disclosure statement (PDS) to make sure.

New Zealand sometimes experiences severe seismic activity. The 2011 Christchurch earthquake claimed 185 lives and levelled much of the city centre.

Safety campaigns in New Zealand advise you to ‘drop, cover and hold’ – drop to the ground, take cover and hold on – in the event of an earthquake. See for more specific advice. 

Do a ‘find’ (Ctrl F) on the PDF file of the policy’s PDS and search for ‘natural disaster’ to check for cover or exclusions. Don’t rely on ChatGPT or other AI tools to do it for you (we’ve tried it, it’s not always right).

Will travel insurance cover skiing in New Zealand?

Many insurers will cover you for standard skiing and snowboarding, but some only offer coverage for these activities as an optional extra and some have special conditions.

Before getting insurance for a ski holiday, make sure it will cover you for your specific skiing or snowboarding destination, as well as for the activities you intend to do. We outline which of the best value policies for New Zealand cover skiing below.

For example, off-piste (backcountry) skiing or snowboarding is often not covered, and when it is covered, it’s usually only if you’re still within the resort boundaries or skiing with a guide. 

The same goes for riding on a snowmobile, which tends to be an optional cover – check directly with insurers as some may only cover riding a snowmobile if you’re using it as a mode of transport rather than recreationally.

How much does travel insurance for New Zealand cost? 

On average, for a 10- to 14-day trip, a single person will pay about $99; a couple about $196; and a family of four around $175. 

The price varies depending on the length of your trip, how comprehensive your cover is, how old you are, how far in advance you purchase your policy and how much excess you’re willing to pay. 

We analysed more than 6600 scenarios for a 10- to 14-day trip covering a variety of scenarios to provide the estimates above.

Checklist for your New Zealand holiday

• Check if your passport is still valid, and if not, .
• Keep a printout of your travel insurance details with you at all times while on your trip. It’s also a good idea to share your insurance details with family or friends before you leave.
• Keep on top of the .

What is the cheapest travel insurance for New Zealand?

We analysed over 20,000 quotes from 63 different policies, covering a variety of scenarios, to find the cheapest insurance policies for a New Zealand holiday. 

Tick Travel Insurance Basic

• Price score for NZ travel: 98%
• Unlimited medical cover; no cover for cancellation; $2000 limit for lost baggage.

Virgin Australia Travel Safe International

• Price score for NZ travel: 97%
• Unlimited medical cover; choose your own cancellation limit; no cover for lost baggage.

Zoom Medical Only

• Price score for NZ travel: 97%
• Unlimited medical cover only.

Bupa International Essentials

• Price score for NZ travel: 95%
• Unlimited medical cover; choose your own cancellation limit; no cover for lost baggage.

Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) Medical Only

• Price score for NZ travel: 94%
• Unlimited medical cover only.

Best value travel insurance policies for New Zealand

Exclusively for ĚÇĐÄVlog members, below we reveal the best value policies for travelling to New Zealand. Unlike other insurance comparison websites, we don’t get paid by any of the insurers we’re comparing. So we only recommend the best insurance policies for you.

Log in or join ĚÇĐÄVlog to see the best value travel insurance for New Zealand and get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.

The post Best travel insurance for New Zealand appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

Medical care in the US is expensive and Australia doesn’t have a reciprocal agreement like we do with some other countries. 

Some travel insurance policies also offer cover for if your travel is interrupted by civil unrest, a natural disaster, losing your passport and credit cards. Another benefit included in most policies is help paying car insurance excess or legal liability if you’re involved in a prang. 

We take you through how to choose a policy that could prevent your magical Disneyland holiday turning into a travel nightmare.

On this page:

• Do you need travel insurance for the US?
• How much does travel insurance for the US cost? 
• Cheapest travel insurance for the US
• Best value travel insurance for the US

Do you need travel insurance for the US?

Travel insurance is essential for Australians travelling to the United States. It’s best to buy your insurance at the same time as you book your trip so you’ll be covered if you have to cancel for some reason before you go.

Medical costs in the US

There is no reciprocal healthcare agreement between Australia and the US, and medical care in the States is expensive. If you need it, you could end up paying thousands of dollars, even for a minor issue. Payment may be required upfront for medical assistance, or you may be asked to show proof of insurance or your ability to pay before receiving treatment.

If you have a pre-existing condition, read the fine print of your policy to make sure you understand if you’re covered in the event you need medical treatment for that condition while in the US.

Minor conditions are often covered if you haven’t required treatment in the previous 12 months, but some insurers will only cover pre-existing conditions for an extra fee and pending a medical assessment. For these reasons, it’s vital to read your product disclosure statement (PDS) before taking out a policy.

Travel insurance policies also tend to cover personal liability and sometimes legal expenses, which may be useful if you end up being liable for someone else’s medical costs.

Hiring a car

What better way to see the US than driving between destinations in a big American car? 

Many travel insurance policies cover collision damage excess cover, so you don’t need to pay the insurance excess reduction that the car hire company charges. 

If the car hire company hits you up for damage, you’ll need to pay that to the car hire company, and then claim it back on your travel insurance.

Natural disasters

Due to the large size and diversity of the US landscape, the natural disasters you might face while travelling can vary from tornadoes to blizzards to wildfires.

Thankfully, cover for natural disasters is pretty common in travel insurance policies, but it’s still important to research possible dangers in the areas you’re travelling to, follow government travel warnings, and read your travel insurance PDS to make sure you’re covered for medical treatment and travel cancellation for natural disasters.

How much does travel insurance for the US cost? 

For a 10- to 17-day trip, a family will pay on average about $478 for their travel insurance.  Insurance for a similar trip will cost travellers under 60 years an average of $262 as a single and $478 as a couple, while travellers aged over 60 will pay around $552 as a single person, or $881 as a couple. 

The length of your trip, how comprehensive your cover is, your age, how far in advance you buy your policy and how much excess you’re willing to pay will all affect the price of your travel insurance policy. 

We looked at nearly 9000 varied quotes for 10- to 17-day holidays to the US, which we used to calculate the estimates above.  

Cheapest travel insurance for the US

We used our database of nearly 30,000 quotes for US holidays that cover a huge range of scenarios to find the cheapest insurance policies for a US holiday. 

These policies only provide medical cover and cover for medical repatriation. They don’t provide cover for things like cancellation costs, lost baggage or missed connections. 

Zoom Medical Only 

• Price score for US travel: 100%
• Provides unlimited medical cover only.

1Cover Medical Only

• Price score for US travel: 92%
• Provides unlimited medical cover only.

Southern Cross Travel Insurance Medical Only

• Price score for US travel: 91% 
• Provides unlimited medical cover only.

Things to keep in mind

• Buy your travel insurance as soon as you start booking your holiday – that way you’re covered, even if you have to cancel early.  
• If you’re going skiing or snowboarding, or doing any other adventure sports, make sure you’re covered. 
• If you’re hiring a car, look at the excess cover for car hire.

Best value travel insurance for the US

Exclusively for ĚÇĐÄVlog members, we’ve also listed the best value travel insurance policies for travelling to the US.

If you’re not yet a member, join ĚÇĐÄVlog to see the top-rated policies for travelling to the United States. Unlike other insurance comparison websites, we don’t get paid by any of the insurers we’re comparing. So we only recommend the best insurance policies for you.

The post Best travel insurance for the United States appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Do you need travel insurance for Thailand?
• Will travel insurance cover scuba diving in Thailand?
• Checklist for your Thailand holiday
• How much does travel insurance for Thailand cost? 
• What is the cheapest travel insurance for Thailand?
• Best value travel insurance policies for Thailand

Our experts have sifted through thousands of quotes and the fineprint of more than 65 travel insurance policies and found the policies that give you the best value cover for your trip to Thailand. 

Do you need travel insurance for Thailand?

Travel insurance is a must-buy for Australians heading to Thailand. Travel insurance provides cover for things that you’ll need if something goes wrong, like medical care in case of an accident, alternative accommodation if something interrupts your travel, and cancellation costs if your trip needs to be cancelled or cut short. Medical evacuation, for example, can cost tens of thousands and is not something you want to hesitate about if you need it. 

Medical cover

The standard of Thailand’s medical care varies across the country. Hospitals often need to confirm your insurance before treating you, otherwise they may require cash payment upfront, which can be very expensive. In the case of serious accidents and illness in more regional areas, you may need to be transferred to hospitals with better facilities in Bangkok and other large cities, so cover for medical repatriation is essential.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, read the product disclosure statement (PDS) to make sure you understand whether you’re covered if you need medical treatment for the condition while in Thailand. Some insurers will only cover pre-existing conditions for an extra fee and pending a medical assessment.

Natural disaster cover in Thailand

Flooding and storms may interrupt travel around Thailand, particularly during the wet season (May to October). Thailand also experiences occasional earthquakes. so make sure you check travel advice sites like before travelling. Most travel insurance policies cover medical expenses related to natural disasters, but you should make sure you check that your policy covers cancellation and travel delays for natural disasters too.

Civil unrest

Smartraveller warns that the security situation in Thailand is unpredictable and can turn violent with little warning. This particularly relates to tension in border areas and the potential for protests in Bangkok. At the time of writing, the Australian Government advice is to reconsider your need to travel to the three most southern provinces of the Thailand-Malaysia border.

Beware that travelling to areas the government recommends you avoid will affect your travel insurance cover. So keep across government warnings and get in touch with your travel insurance provider if you need personalised advice.

A travel insurance policy’s PDS will outline the cover in case of civil unrest. Watch out that you’re at least covered for medical and cancellation costs in the event of civil unrest.

Scooter and motorbike cover

Most insurers only cover you for riding scooters and mopeds if you have an Australian motorbike licence, and many require you to wear a helmet and protective clothing.

Motorcycle accidents in Thailand are common, and if you just have a regular car licence, chances are your insurer will reject your claim for not being licensed to drive the vehicle.

Make sure you think about how you’re going to get around the country and read the fine print of your policy documents if you need cover for scooter, moped or motorbike riding. 

Will travel insurance cover scuba diving in Thailand?

Many insurers will cover you for scuba diving with some special conditions; for example, to a certain depth with licensed operators only. Many offer further cover as an optional extra for an additional fee and with some special conditions.

Before getting insurance for a diving holiday, make sure it will cover you for the specific dives you intend to do by reading the PDS or getting in touch with the insurer. We don’t review these products, but you can get specialised diving insurance from organisations such as the Divers Alert Network that may cover diving activities not covered by regular travel insurance policies. But make sure you check their PDS to ensure you understand what they cover and what they don’t.  

Decompression chambers are located near popular dive sites in Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok.

Checklist for your Thailand holiday

• Complete a Thailand Digital Arrival Card () within three days in advance of your arrival in Thailand. It must be submitted online through the Thailand Immigration Bureau website. 
• Use our guide below to buy a travel insurance policy that suits your needs. 
• Check if your passport is still valid, and if not, .
• Keep a printout of your travel insurance details with you at all times while on your trip and share them with family or friends before you leave.
• Keep on top of the .

How much does travel insurance for Thailand cost? 

A couple will pay around $267 for a 10–14-day trip to Thailand. A single person or family will pay roughly $238 or $147, respectively.

How comprehensive your cover is, your age, how long your holiday is, how far in advance you buy travel insurance and how much excess you nominate will all affect the cost of travel insurance.

We analysed more than 4000 quotes for 10–14 day trips to Thailand to provide the estimates above.

What is the cheapest travel insurance for Thailand?

We analysed a database of over 112,000 quotes for Thai holidays, covering a variety of scenarios to identify both the cheapest insurance policies for a trip to Thailand, and those that provide the best cover. 

Note that medical-only policies provide medical cover and cover for medical repatriation. They don’t provide cover for things like cancellation costs, lost baggage, or missed connections. 

Tick Travel Insurance Basic

• Price score for Thailand travel: 100%
• Includes unlimited medical cover; no cover for cancellation; $2000 limit for lost baggage.

Zoom Medical Only 

• Price score for Thailand travel: 97%
• Includes medical cover only.

Tick Travel Insurance Budget

• Price score for Thailand travel: 94%
• Includes unlimited medical cover; $5000 cancellation cover; $2500 limit for lost baggage.

These may be the cheapest policies, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they offer the best value. Below for members we share the best value travel insurance for Thailand.

Best value travel insurance policies for Thailand

Below, we reveal the best value policies for a trip to Thailand, as recommended by our travel insurance experts. Log in to unlock this members-only content, or join ĚÇĐÄVlog to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.  Unlike other insurance comparison websites, we don’t get paid by any of the insurers we’re comparing. So we only recommend the best insurance policies for you.

The ĚÇĐÄVlog Expert Rating is calculated using the Thailand-specific price score combined with the policy cover score to find policies that give the best return on your investment. All policies have unlimited cover for medical expenses and repatriation, and allow you to choose your limit for cancellation cover. 

The post Best travel insurance for Thailand appeared first on ĚÇĐÄVlog.