Travel insurance information on the Queensland and New South Wales floods

The following information concerns the recent flooding in Queensland and New South Wales and applies to travel insurance policies issued prior to 30 December 2010.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

• Your policy includes cover for reasonable additional accommodation and travel expenses if transport services have been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled as a result of the flooding or if your accommodation has been declared uninhabitable by the flooding.

• Your policy also includes cover for reasonable additional accommodation and travel expenses if your usual place of residence in Australia has been declared uninhabitable by the flooding and you have had to change your travel plans to return to your usual place of residence.

• Limits apply under your policy, and for full details you should refer to the Product Disclosure Statement you received when you purchased your travel insurance.

• There is no provision to claim under your policy for cancellation or rearrangement expenses for the utilised portions of your travel arrangements or if your travel arrangements are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

• Your policy includes cover for cancellation or rearrangement of your journey (whichever is the lesser), or its unused portions, if your pre-booked transport services have been cancelled, or you are unable to reach your accommodation or destination as a result of the flooding or your accommodation has been declared uninhabitable due to the flooding.

• Your policy only includes cover when scheduled transport services have been cancelled, your accommodation has been declared uninhabitable by the flooding, or you are unable to reach your accommodation or destination.

• All travel insurance policies provide cover for unforeseen and unexpected circumstances only. Due to the extensive media coverage of the flooding, there is no provision to claim for any expenses relating to the flooding for policies issued on or after 30 December 2010.

• We recommend you contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option in altering your trip. Some airlines may provide penalty-free options to amend travel arrangements, so we also recommend you contact your airline for further details.

What next steps should you take?

• You should take all reasonable steps to minimise your expenses and this includes rearranging your journey where possible. Rearrangements to your journey should be consistent with the type and standard of arrangements you originally made.

• If you consider you have a claim, please submit your travel insurance claim to us for consideration.

• We will assess your claim under the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy. If you have a Cancellation Only policy, your policy does not include cover for additional expenses. If you have a Budget policy, please refer to your Policy Wording / Product Disclosure Statement for the benefits covered.

• You will need to submit all receipts for any additional expenses. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses, you will need to submit all documents showing your original planned pre-paid arrangements, as well as receipts and documents showing your new arrangements and the non-refundable portions of the journey.

• Any compensation and/or refunds you receive from a third party for transport, food or accommodation will be deducted from any settlement if your claim is accepted.

• Finally, to help Australians avoid difficulties overseas, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) maintains travel advisories for more than 160 destinations overseas on its website. DFAT’s travel advice provides accurate, up-to-date information about the risks Australians might face overseas, assisting you to make well-informed decisions about whether, when and where to travel. We recommend that you stay up-to-date with its destination-specific travel advisories for the country of your destination as your travel insurance cover may be affected if you travel to high risk areas or situations.

Contact us

If you have any questions or queries, please contact the Mondial Assistance Information Hotline on 1800 012 234. This and any updated travel insurance advisories can be found at www.mondial-assistance.com.au