Does my travel insurance cover me for everything?

No, obviously not. Many people seem to assume that once they have chosen and bought their travel insurance, it will take care of them whatever happens. This is not only mistaken, it is a dangerous one.

Am I covered? Well, it depends.

People sometimes get caught out with the following:

Riding a high powered moped or motorbike
Having a camera worth more than the limit the insurance company sets;
Scuba diving deeper than the insurance company set limits;
doing unforeseen adventure sports that they haven't got cover for

You get the idea.

It is vital therefore that you make a list of everything you think you may do on your trip and ensure you 'are covered' for the lot. And before you buy the cheapest policy you can find, make sure you understand what you aren't covered for ... that $50,000 bill might look awfully large by comparison.

Think about it ...

Make a list of all the things you are potentially going to do on your trip. When you come to buy, if in doubt, ask!

Things you definitely need to be covered for

Medical expenses and treatment, repatriation costs, cancellation of trip, third party liability (e.g. you injure someone else), loss of passport and legal expenses. Don't get on a plane without this lot.

Things you may not be covered for

Bungy jumping, jetboating, jetskiing, parascending, Scuba diving, white water rafting, windsurfing and yacht racing.

Things we would suggest you get cover for

Getting your parents flown out in an emergency, cancellation if you think you might have to re-take some exams and being able to make a quick trip home if you need to come back in an emergency i.e. grandparent in hospital.

Things you generally have to pay a bit more for

Travel delay and delayed baggage, missed departure, baggage and belongings cover; plus more 'dangerous'/hazardous sports, e.g. cycle touring, horse jumping, motorcycle touring, parachuting, paragliding, parasailing (like paracending but not attached to the boat) and sky-diving. Just a word of caution, do you really need that expensive new digital camera in the jungle? Would a cheaper one do the job and be less attractive to a robber?

Things you may forget that you need cover for

Money - believe it or not, people often don't insure their cash. Documents, i.e. rail tickets, or even your mobile phone.

Things you may have to ask the insurance company to specifically cover you for

A pre-existing medical condition, eg. Asthma, Diabetes that you wish to be covered for. Typically they will require a medical form to be completed to completely understand the condition and add a suitable cost.

Exclusions

All policies have exclusions. Check them carefully. Here are some of the more common ones to consider:

any activity where you have 'deliberately put your life in danger', and make of that what you will.

any accident you have 'involving alcohol or drugs', not an uncommon occurrence on holiday we would have thought.
parachtuting, skydiving or rock climbing - it seems almost all travel insurance companies have an aversion to any activity using rope.
Bird Flu. Perhaps this is understandable given that all bets are off if a pandemic ever occurs.
Terrorism.
Pregnancy after 26 weeks

Or here are some examples that might give you pause for thought:

Drunk in Mexico

A man fell off a hotel balcony while on holiday in Mexico and fell 7 stories. He survived but the hospital then wouldn't treat him because his insurance was void because he was drunk at the time. Read the full story here

A planned holiday to Sri Lanka

A family was planning a trip to Sri Lanka and had paid over $8,000 in flight tickets. With the violence in the country escalating they decided to cancel the trip and were facing a $2,000 ticket cancellation fee. Their travel insurance won't cover this since it is their choice not to go.

Compare. Buy. Save

Customer Reviews

I have used TID before and found there webste easy to use and they covered everything that I needed for a my trip at a reasonable price. I just want good cover for a fare price. TID offer this. Very fortunately I have not yet had to claim.

Brendan | 29/01/2012

I have always used the same travel insurance company. I was planning to travel to Thailand for 8days so I contacted them for a quote. I advised them that I would be 19weeks pregnant at the time of travel. They provided me with a quote which was more than I had previously paid for 6weeks in Sth America so I set about looking for a comparison quote. A friend recommended TID. Even with my "pre-existing medical condition" the quote came in at 50% less. I was impressed and will use TID for future travel

Sandra | 27/01/2012

I dont get insurance anywhere else. I have used them the past 5 times I have travelled. Well priced. Good coverage. Such and easy process

Noeleen Lechner | 20/01/2012

have used CTI for the last 3 years, last trip had to claim on overnight medical & hospital expenses while in Bangkok,paid once we got back home & sorted out paperwork,also had to claim stolen wallet{pickpocket]in Kuala lumpur.Claimed online, sent police report & claim was promptly paid.We are using them again this year & highly recommend them but they don't cover pre existing conditions which is clearly stated on the policy.

sandra mccartney | 16/01/2012

I have used TID three times for my children and have found the prices very reasonable, the policies easy to chose and the support excellent. When my 16 year old daughter was on exchange and got sick TID were fantastic with their advice and support.

Halina | 12/01/2012

I have used TID on several occacions, three times as a normal policy and I am now onto my secdond year using the twelve month policy. Their rates are better than any I have researched and the prompt service I received when making a claim was excellent.I have recommended them to many of my friends as well as people I have met on my travels.

Janice Sullivan | 11/12/2011

I found the price from TID with comparable coverage, cheaper than any other company and I will definitely use them again.

John | 3/12/2011

After researching several insurance policies TID had everything i needed in a policy and it was quick and simple to organise. The best part was the price....

Linda | 30/11/2011

TID is our first choice in Travel Insurance. We have used them at least 3 times now and would recommend them to anyone as the service is great and their rates are extremely comparable.

Robyn Gill | 19/11/2011

QBE Travel insurance sucks

Don't do it.

My infant daughter had an asthma attack while travelling overseas and needed hospital treatment overnight.

QBE refuse to pay a single cent because they consider that a "pre-existing condition" - even though she's not even 2 years old yet!

Choose a different insurer.

David | 12/11/2011 QBE Australia

I agree with Chris, it doesn't cover much. They should call it medical expenses travel insurance to avoid confusing travellers!

Stephen | 9/11/2011

i have never found buying travel insurance to be so cheap and easy. great work TID

brad | 9/11/2011

I keep coming back to TID as they are great value and easy to work with.

SJC | 8/11/2011

I've been using TID for many years now, and have always been happy with the website, the booking system, the service, the communication and the price!
When I made a claim a few years back after my laptop was damaged and some of my money was stolen, they came through with the goods, and were very communicative and cooperative.
TID is the best : )
Tawfik

tawfik | 3/11/2011

Great post… you’ve posted very informative article. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing with us

Alameda Taxi | 2/11/2011