Topic: Travel Insurance

You crack your tooth on a hard piece of lobster shell while on your cruise and suffer through the next few days before returning home. Once at home you see your dentist and they complete a root canal on the injured tooth. Your dentist bills you $1,900 for the procedure and you claim for the cost under your travel insurance. Can your policy respond?

Fred has routine prostate surgery and then suffers unexpected post-operative bleeding. As a result Fred and his wife are unable to travel to Australia and submit a claim to their travel insurance company for cancellation costs which is declined on the basis of an exclusion clause about pre-existing medical conditions.

Your travelling companion gets a health check-up before you book a cruise to ensure he’s fit to go. You buy insurance and book the trip but before the cruise your travelling companion suffers from an illness and is hospitalised. You cancel the cruise and claim for your non-refundable losses from your travel insurance. Your insurer declines the claim and says that your travelling companion’s illness is because of his general decline. What can you do?

The Complainants wanted a refund for their cancelled cruise, and for the cost of their flights home. Their travel insurer wouldn’t pay for both. What were the Complainants entitled to?

Marcia and Sherlock were on holiday in Thailand. During their stay in Bangkok Marcia and Sherlock were directed by a local guide to a travel agency, Super Tours Thailand (Super Tours), supposedly a government approved agency specialising in local tours and travel.

John and Jacqui booked a round the world cruise beginning and ending in Auckland. A week in to the cruise, Jacqui fell seriously ill and was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.

While on holiday with his family in America Adrian developed a deep vein thrombosis disrupting his travel. Adrian had suffered from a DVT before and had a blood clot following surgery 6 months prior to travel. Adrian’s travel insurer declined his claim, and FSCL investigates.

Donald and Sarah booked a seven week trip to the UK, Europe and North Africa, including a 10 day all inclusive tour in Morocco towards the end of their holiday.

Helen and her partner Brian were travelling in Europe when they received tragic news that Helen’s son, Andrew, had taken his own life. This led to a difficult investigation into whether Helen and Brian were covered under their travel insurance policy for the costs of returning immediately to New Zealand.

If you cancel travel on advice from a doctor, will this mean there will be no cover under your insurance policy?