No one plans for disaster to strike on their holiday – in fact, people wish for the opposite. We book holidays to escape the mayhem of life and seek refuge in foreign lands where we can relax.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for all travellers as tragedy can strike at any time. If you have to cut your holiday short to return home due to an unexpected family emergency, you may have cover to return to your trip and pick up where you left off. This cover is the Trip Resumption Expenses benefit, and is included with our Comprehensive, Standard Saver, Snow Sports Plus, Domestic Plus and Frequent Traveller Saver policies.

What are the conditions for me to be able to claim for my trip resumption expenses?

You would be eligible to claim the costs for you to resume your trip if:

• Your close relative in Australia dies unexpectedly or is hospitalised following a serious injury or sickness,

• It’s still possible for you to resume your trip,

• There was more than 14 days left on your travel insurance policy on the date that you returned to Australia, and

• You resume your trip within 6 months of your return to Australia.

Does my close relative need to be in Australia or be Australian?

They do not need to be an Australian resident or permanent citizen, but they do need to be in Australia when the sickness or injury occurs.

Am I covered if my close relative’s death or hospitalisation is due to a pre-existing medical condition?

If your close relative dies or is hospitalised due to a pre-existing medical condition which is on our list of covered existing medical conditions (and meet any conditions for that pre-existing medical condition as stated in the PDS), you would have cover to claim up to the benefit limit for the policy that you have purchased.

If your close relative dies or is hospitalised due to a pre-existing medical condition which isn’t on our list of covered pre-existing medical conditions, or you’re not able to reasonably demonstrate that it wasn’t due to a pre-existing medical condition, then the most we will pay in total is $1,500.

We wouldn’t be able to reimburse you for the costs to resume your trip if you were already aware of the likelihood of your close relative dying or being hospitalised at the time that you purchased your policy.

Can I claim if someone not directly related to me dies or is hospitalised and I’m very close to them?

You would only be able to claim if the person affected is a close relative of yours. In the context of our travel insurance, a ‘close relative’ is any one of the following who is under 85 years of age: you or your travelling companion’s spouse, de facto partner, parent, parent-in-law, daughter, son, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandchild, grandparent, step-parent, step-son, step-daughter, fiancé or fiancée, or guardian.

Am I covered if I shortened my trip because I just wanted to come home and return overseas at a later date?

No, your trip needs to have been disrupted due to a close relative’s hospitalisation or death. We’re not able to cover you if you’re not enjoying your trip or have simply changed your mind about travelling at that time. However, while there’s no cover for you to resume your trip because your return home wasn’t due to a family emergency, you can still resume your trip at your expense, and your policy will still be valid up until the end date of your policy.

What does the trip resumption expenses benefit not cover?

• You will not be able to claim if at the time that you purchased your policy, you were aware of the likelihood that your close relative would be hospitalised or die.

• For more than the amount specified under the Trip Resumption benefit.

Is there an excess if I claim for this benefit?

Yes, there may be. If you have an excess on your policy, then that excess would apply if you’re claiming for Trip Resumption Expenses.

What if I have a Duo policy and one of US needed to go back home but the other traveller is still travelling?

Your DUO policy is still valid if your travelling companion who is covered under the policy needed to return home due to a family medical emergency and you wished to stay on. Your travelling companion’s claim does not affect the cover on your policy. Contact our Customer Service team for more information if you are ever unsure.

 * Exclusions, limits and sub-limits may apply. See our PDS for details.