Worldcare Travel Insurance Blog

Updated travel insurance information about the strike action by Qantas workers and the cancellation of Qantas flights 29 October 2011

Worldcare Admin — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:43:42 GMT

The following information concerns the ongoing strike action by Qantas

workers up to and including the cancellation of all Qantas domestic and international flights effective 5pm (AEDT) on Saturday 29 October 2011. This applies to travel insurance policies issued prior to 13 October 2011.

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the strikes and associated flight cancellations, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses. You must first take advantage of all compensation provided by Qantas, and any such compensation received will be deducted from any settlement should your claim be accepted.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

· If you have not yet departed, your policy includes cover for cancellation or the rearrangement of your journey (whichever is less), or the unused portions of your journey, if your pre-booked travel arrangements are cancelled, delayed or rescheduled by the strikes. You must take advantage of the compensation, reimbursement or rescheduling provided by Qantas before undertaking any new arrangements.

· We recommend you contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option in altering your trip. Some travel providers may provide penalty-free options to amend travel arrangements, and we recommend you contact them for further details.

· All travel insurance policies provide cover for unforeseen and unexpected circumstances only. Due to the extensive media coverage of the strike action by Qantas employees, there is no cover for any expenses relating to the strikes and associated flight cancellations for policies issued on or after 13 October 2011. All customers regardless of the purchase date of their policy are welcome to submit a claim for consideration.

What next steps should you take?

· Any compensation and/or refunds you receive from Qantas for transport, food or accommodation will be deducted from any settlement, if your claim is accepted. Please refer to the Qantas website for further information: http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/disruptions/global/en

· You should take all reasonable steps to minimise your expenses and this includes rearranging your journey where possible. Re-arrangements to your journey should be consistent with the type and standard of arrangements you originally made. For example if you have been using two star or budget accommodation on your trip to date, then we advise that the replacement accommodation you seek should be of a similar standard.

· Please submit your travel insurance claim with relevant supporting documentation.

· 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 any additional expenses. If you have a Budget policy, please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for the precise benefits covered.

· You will need to submit all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses you will need to submit all documents showing what your original planned pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and documents showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.

· Finally, to help Australians avoid difficulties overseas, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) maintains travel advisories for more than 160 destinations overseas via its website www.smarttraveller.gov.au. 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 our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianz-assistance.com.au.

UPDATED Travel insurance information about the flooding in Thailand 28 October 2011

Worldcare Admin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 05:10:20 GMT

Travel insurance information about the flooding in Thailand.

The following information concerns the flooding in Thailand.

This advice updates the advice we provided on 11 October 2011

For policies issued prior to 11 October 2011 for travel commencing prior to 28 October 2011 the following advice applies:

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the flooding or your accommodation has been declared uninhabitable, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

· All travel insurance policies provide cover for unforeseen and unexpected circumstances only. Due to the media coverage of the flooding, there is no provision to claim for any expenses relating to the flooding, for policies issued on or after 11 October 2011.

For policies issued prior to 11 October 2011 for travel commencing on or after 28 October 2011 the following advice applies:

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling to Bangkok and the flood affected provinces of Thailand:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the flooding, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

· If you have not yet departed and plan to travel to Bangkok and the flood affected provinces of Thailand prior to 11 November 2011 (aside from transiting through Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport) and provided your policy was purchased prior to 11 October 2011, your policy provides cover for cancellation expenses as a result of the threat associated with the flooding. This also extends to rearrangement expenses provided the rearrangement expenses are less than the costs to cancel your journey.

· If you plan to travel to Bangkok and the flood affected provinces of Thailand on or after 11 November 2011, we do not recommend that you cancel or rearrange your trip at this stage. A further advisory will be issued prior to 11 November 2011 providing details of your ongoing cover.

· If you have not yet departed and you are not travelling to Bangkok and the flood affected provinces of Thailand, your policy includes cover for cancellation or the rearrangement of your journey (whichever is less), or the unused portions of your journey, only if your pre-booked travel arrangements are cancelled, delayed or rescheduled as a result of the flooding.

· If you are transiting through Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport and not leaving the airport, there is no cover for any additional or cancellation expenses unless your pre-booked travel arrangements are cancelled, delayed or rescheduled as a result of the flooding.

· We recommend you contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option in altering your trip. Many airlines are providing penalty-free options to amend travel arrangements, and we strongly recommend you contact them 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. By reasonable we mean appropriate and consistent—for example if you have been using two star or budget accommodation on your trip to date, then we advise that the replacement accommodation you seek should be of a similar standard

· You will need to submit all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses you will need to submit all documents showing what your original planned pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and documents showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.

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

Contact us

· If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

· We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianz-assistance.com.au.

Australian Customs officers' strike action

Worldcare Admin — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:07:31 GMT

Travel insurance information about the strike action by Australian Customs officers and any subsequent strike action.

The following information concerns the strike action by Australian Customs officers from midnight Wednesday 26 October 2011and any subsequent strike action. This applies to travel insurance policies issued before 10.00am (est) 26 October 2011.

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the strikes, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

· All travel insurance policies provide cover for unforeseen and unexpected circumstances only. Due to the media coverage of the strike action by Australian Customs officers, there is no provision to claim for any expenses relating to the strikes for policies issued after 10.00am (est) 26 October 2011.

What next steps should you take?

· Please submit your travel insurance claim with relevant supporting documentation to us for consideration.

· You will need to submit all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses.If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses you will need to submit all documents showing what your original planned pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and documents showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.

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

Contact us

· If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

· We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianz-assistance.com.au.

Chilean ash clouds

Worldcare Admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 04:25:12 GMT

Travel insurance information about the Chilean ash clouds

The following information concerns the Chilean ash clouds commencing on Monday 17 October 2011. This applies to all policies issued prior to the 17 October 2011.

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the Chilean ash clouds there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

· All travel insurance policies provide cover for unforeseen and unexpected circumstances only. Due to the media coverage of the Chilean ash clouds, there is no provision to claim for any expenses relating to the Chilean ash clouds, for policies issued on or after 17 October 2011.

What next steps should you take?

· Please submit your travel insurance claim with relevant supporting documentation.

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

Contact us

· If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

· We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianz-assistance.com.au.

UPDATED Travel insurance information for Qantas strikes 13 & 14 October 2011

Worldcare Admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:18:49 GMT

Travel insurance information about the strike action by Qantas workers and any subsequent strike action.

The following information concerns the strike action by Qantas

workers on 13 and 14 October 2011 and any subsequent strike action. This applies to travel insurance policies issued prior to 13 October 2011.

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the strikes, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

What next steps should you take?

· Please submit your travel insurance claim with relevant supporting documentation.

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

Contact us

· If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

· We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianz-assistance.com.au.

Travel insurance information for Bali earthquake on 13 October

Worldcare Admin — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:06:39 GMT

Travel insurance information about Bali earthquake

The following information concerns the Bali earthquake on 13 October 2011. This applies to travel insurance policies issued prior to 14 October 2011.

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the earthquake, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

· All travel insurance policies provide cover for unforeseen and unexpected circumstances only. Due to the media coverage of the earthquake, there is no provision to claim for any expenses relating to the earthquake, for policies issued on or after 14 October 2011.

What next steps should you take?

· Please submit your travel insurance claim with relevant supporting documentation.

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

Contact us

· If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

· We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianz-assistance.com.au.

Travel insurance information about the flooding in Thailand and Cambodia

Worldcare Admin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:48:03 GMT

The following information concerns the flooding in Thailand and Cambodia.This applies to travel insurance policies issued prior to 11 October 2011.

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the flooding, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

What next steps should you take?

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

Contact us

· If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

· We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianz-assistance.com.au.

UPDATED Qantas Strike 7 & 10 October 2011

Worldcare Admin — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 04:13:34 GMT

Travel insurance information about the potential strike action by Qantas

The following information concerns the potential strike action by Qantas workers on 7 and 10 October 2011. This applies to travel insurance policies issued prior 5 October 2011.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

· If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the strikes, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

· 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

· All travel insurance policies provide cover for unforeseen and unexpected circumstances only. Due to the extensive media coverage of the anticipated strike by Qantas employees, there is no provision to claim for any expenses relating to the strikes for policies issued on or after 5 October 2011.

What next steps should you take?

· Please submit your travel insurance claim to us for consideration.

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

Contact us

· If you have any questions or queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

· We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website: www.allianz-assistance.com.au.

Qantas Strike 30/09/2011

Worldcare Admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 04:37:23 GMT

Travel insurance information about the potential strike action by Qantas

The following information concerns the potential strike action by Qantas on 30 September 2011 and applies to travel insurance policies issued prior to 28 September 2011.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you are currently travelling:

» If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled due to the strikes, there is provision to claim for reasonable additional food, accommodation and travel expenses.

» 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 they are operating as scheduled.

If you have not yet departed:

» If you have not yet departed, your policy includes cover for cancellation or the rearrangement of your journey (whichever is less), or the unused portions of your journey, if your pre-booked travel arrangements are cancelled, delayed or rescheduled by the strikes.

» We recommend you contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option in altering your trip. Some travel providers may provide penalty-free options to amend travel arrangements, and we recommend you contact them for further details.

» All travel insurance policies provide cover for unforeseen and unexpected circumstances only. Due to the extensive media coverage of the anticipated strike by Qantas employees, there is no provision to claim for any expenses relating to the strikes for policies issued on or after 28 September 2011.

What next steps should you take?

» You should take all reasonable steps to minimise your expenses and this includes rearranging your journey where possible. By reasonable we mean appropriate and consistent—for example if you have been using two star or budget accommodation on your trip to-date, then we advise that the replacement accommodation you seek should be of a similar standard.

» 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 any additional expenses. If you have a Budget policy, please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement for the precise benefits covered.

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

» You will need to submit all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses you will need to submit all documents showing what your original planned pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and documents showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.

» Finally, to help Australians avoid difficulties overseas, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) maintains travel advisories for more than 160 destinations overseas via its website www.smarttraveller.gov.au. 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 our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.

» We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website:

www.allianz-global-assistance.com

Hurricane Irene

Worldcare Admin — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:37:59 GMT

The following informationconcerns Hurricane Irene and applies to all policies issued prior to 9am (EST) Friday 26 August 2011.

We will assess all claims in accordance with your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), and cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased. The following advice relates to Comprehensive travel insurance policies.

What do you need to know about your policy?

If you have not yet departed:

» Your policy includes cover for cancellation of your journey, or the unused portions of your journey, when as a result of Hurricane Irene:

– your scheduled transport services have been cancelled

– your accommodation has been declared uninhabitable

– you are unable to reach your accommodation or destination.

If you are currently travelling:

» Your policy includes cover for reasonable additional travel and accommodation expenses when as a result of Hurricane Irene:

– your journey is disrupted

– scheduled transport services have been cancelled, delayed, shortened or diverted.

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

» If you need medical advice or emergency medical assistance please contact our 24-hour Emergency Assistance team on +61 7 3305 7499 reverse charge or 1800 010 075 free-call within Australia.

General information

» There is no cover for cancellation, rearrangement or additional expenses for policies issued after 9am (EST) Friday 26 August 2011 if the cancellation or rearrangement arises as a result of Hurricane Irene.

What next steps should you take?

» If you wish to cancel or amend your pre-booked travel arrangements as a result of Hurricane Irene, we recommend you contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option in altering your trip. We understand some airlines are providing penalty-free options to amend travel arrangements, so we also recommend you contact your airline for further details.

» To help Australians avoid difficulties overseas, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains travel advisories for more than 160 destinations overseas via their website www.smartraveller.gov.au. Their 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 their 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.

» You should take all reasonable steps to minimise your expenses and this includes rearranging your journey where possible.

» It is important to read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) you received when you purchased your travel insurance policy. This will give you more information about what your policy provides cover for and what it does not.

» If you have a claim, please submit a claim form with all relevant supporting documentation to us for consideration.

» 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 your journey.

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

Contact us

» If you have questions or queries, please contact our Information Hotline on 1800 012 234.

» We will publish this and any updated travel insurance advisories on our website:
www.allianz-assistance.com.au.