Travel insurance for trip cancellations

What to do when your trip is cancelled

You’re packed and ready to go for your holiday when you get a call saying your tour has been cancelled because not enough people are going.

Learn how travel insurance may help if you have to unexpectedly cancel your planned trip, allowing you to claim back your non-refundable expenses.

How can travel insurance help if I have to cancel my holiday?

If you have to unexpectedly cancel your trip because of a specified event (as listed in your PDS), we offer cover for the non-refundable costs of your trip and the travel agent cancellation fees, or the costs to rearrange your trip (provided the rearrangement cost is less than the amount you would have incurred had you cancelled your trip).

Some included events are:

• Illness, injury or death: You, a travelling companion, or a close relative or business partner who is a resident in Australia or New Zealand, suddenly falls seriously ill, sustains a serious injury, or dies.

• Cancelled tour:

  • Your pre-paid scheduled public transport services or tour are cancelled or limited by your affiliated company due to severe weather, natural disaster, riot, strike, civil insurrection, or hijacking.

  • The tour operator or wholesaler cancels the tour you were booked on as there are not enough people to begin or complete the tour. (Cover is limited to the pre-paid cost of the transport arrangements to travel to and from the departure and end points of the tour).

• Accommodation uninhabitable: Severe weather or a natural disaster renders your pre-paid accommodation uninhabitable (or destroyed it) and there is no other alternative accommodation available in the vicinity.

• Court duty: You or a travelling party member has been called up for jury duty or to give evidence in court.

• Car, train, rail, air or marine accidents: You’re involved in, or your travel plans are cancelled or delayed by, a motor vehicle, railway, air or marine accident.

• Travel documents: Your passport, travel documents or credit cards are stolen, accidentally lost or damaged.

• Retrenchment: You or a member of your travelling party has been retrenched from permanent employment in Australia.

• Pre-arranged leave cancelled:

  • Your employer cancels your leave and you’re in permanent employment. (cover limited to $1000.00 AUD)

  • You or a member of your travelling party who is a permanent employee of the police, fire, ambulance, or emergency services has their pre-arranged leave cancelled by their employer.

• Cancelled event: The sole reason for your trip was to attend a wedding, conference, pre-paid concert, course, tuition or ticketed sporting event, which has been cancelled before your departure.

• Coronavirus travel costs (Australian Travel Plan, Comprehensive Plan and Annual Multi Trip Plan only): The Coronavirus travel costs section of your policy offers cover for trip cancellation if you are diagnosed with coronavirus - you should note this section has its own benefit limit which will apply to any claims for cancellation and is in addition to any other cancellation benefit limits.

Additionally, our International travel insurance plans also offer cover for cancellation if you’re unable to travel because:

• Natural disasters:

  • You’re unable to arrive at your departure point due to start your trip due to a natural disaster causing road closures. We define natural disasters as “flood, cyclone, tornado, hurricane, typhoon, wild fire, tsunami, earthquake, landslide, avalanche, volcanic eruption.” Natural disaster does not include outbreak of disease, epidemic, pandemic, or any other event that is not specifically included in this definition.

  • Additionally, you’re unable to start your trip due to severe weather or a natural disaster causing damage to your home or business within 72 hours of your trip departure date.

• Attending a childbirth: You’re attending the childbirth of your close relative, provided the conception occurs after you bought your policy.

• Pre-arranged leave cancelled:

  • You or a member of your travelling party who is a permanent employee of the Australian Defence Force has their pre-arranged leave cancelled by their employer.

There are a number of terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions that apply to these events. Check the PDS for the details.

What's not covered for cancellation?

Travel insurance isn’t designed to cover everything – some things we do not cover include:

• If you change your mind about going.

• Any unused pre-paid transport if we’ve had to repatriate you the same or greater distance. If the repatriation was less than your original unused travel plans, we will calculate your entitlement on a pro-rata basis, taking into account the cost of your original ticket.

• Any pre-paid snow sports arrangements IF you did not add the Snow Sports option when you purchased your policy.

• Where you have made a claim for the same costs under multiple sections of the policy.

• Any non-refundable costs for anyone not named on your policy.

• We will not pay more than the cancellation limit per trip that you selected which appears on your Certificate of Insurance.

For more information about what is not covered for cancellation, see your PDS and particularly the 'Cancellation and additional expenses' section exclusions and General exclusions.

The above features and benefits are a summary of cover only. Cover is subject to the full terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions outlined in the Product Disclosure Statement.

nib Travel Insurance Distribution Pty Limited, ABN 40 129 262 175, AR 336467 is an authorised representative of nib Travel Services (Australia) Pty Ltd (nib), ABN 81 115 932 173, AFSL 308461 and act as nib's agent and not as your agent. This is general advice only. Before you buy, you should consider your needs, the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Financial Services Guide (FSG) and Target Market Determination (TMD) available from us. This insurance is underwritten by Pacific International Insurance Pty Ltd, ABN 83 169 311 193.

We are a signatory to the General Insurance Code of Practice developed by the Insurance Council of Australia and enforced by the Code Governance Committee, an independent body whose purpose is to drive better Code compliance and help the insurance industry improve its service to consumers. The Code is designed to promote good relations and insurance practice between insurers, authorised representatives and consumers. The Code sets out what we must do when dealing with you. You can obtain a copy of the Code from codeofpractice.com.au.

*The discount applies to the total nib travel insurance premium and is for customers that currently hold an Australian health insurance product, or an Overseas Student Health Cover product with nib. The discount is not available to customers who hold an Overseas Visitors Health Cover product. Discounts do not apply to the rate of GST and stamp duty or any changes you make to the policy. nib has the discretion to withdraw or amend this discount offer at any time. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or discount.