Benefit 5: Trip Cancellation Expenses

This benefit reimburses You for Your non-refundable pre-paid Trip bookings (e.g. flights, accommodation or tours), as explained below.

Important Cover Conditions

Cover under this benefit is subject to the following conditions:

This benefit is only available on Our Comprehensive, Standard Saver, Snow Sports Plus, Domestic Plus and Frequent Traveller Saver Policies.
You must make a reasonable effort to recover any refundable tickets or any other pre-paid costs.
Once a claim is made under this benefit for the cancellation or rescheduling of Your Trip prior to departure, all benefits will be exhausted and You will need to purchase a new Policy for a new Trip. However, if You are already on Your Trip and You have to shorten Your Trip, Your benefits are exhausted once You return Home, unless You meet the conditions for cover under Benefit 7: Trip Resumption Expenses.
Wherever claims are made by You under this benefit and Benefit 6: Trip Disruption Expenses for cancelled or alternative travel arrangements for the same or similar expense, We will pay for the greater of the two amounts, but not both.
If We have accepted or paid for any expenses under Benefit 4: Overseas Emergency Medical Evacuation and Repatriation, We will not pay for any costs under this benefit for the same or similar expense.
Refunds or credits You receive will be deducted from the amount payable on Your claim.
This benefit does not provide cover for claims that Arise from COVID-19. The cover We provide specific to COVID-19 is found under Benefit 27 and Benefit 28.

Up to the limits set out in the Benefit Summary above, for the reimbursement of the cost of Your cancellation, rescheduling and lost deposits for travel and accommodation that You have paid in advance and cannot recover in any other way, if You are required to:

   a) Unexpectedly cancel or reschedule prior to the commencement of Your Trip, or
   b) Unexpectedly shorten Your Trip, or
   c) Unexpectedly cancel any remaining pre-paid travel and accommodation costs during Your Trip,

as a direct result of circumstances which occur after the issue of Your Certificate of insurance, are outside of Your control and neither reasonably intended nor expected by You prior to the issue of the Certificate of insurance.

For clarity, We will pay the cost of:

Your cancellation, rescheduling and lost deposits for travel and accommodation arrangements that You have paid in advance and cannot recover in any other way. We will pay the lesser of cancellation or rescheduling costs. Where Your cancellation costs are recovered (i.e. a refund or credit), We will pay the difference between the recovered amount and the new rescheduling costs.
The travel agent’s cancellation fees up to $1,500 where all monies have been paid or the maximum amount of the deposit has been paid at the time of the cancellation. However, We will not pay more than the level of commission or service fees normally earned by the agent, had Your Trip not been cancelled. We will require written evidence of the travel agent’s fee.
Your cancellation, rescheduling and lost deposits for travel and accommodation arrangements that You have paid in advance and cannot recover in any other way if You, Your Close relative or Travelling companion are a member of the armed forces, police, fire, nursing or ambulance services and You must stay in Australia because of an emergency or You are posted Overseas unexpectedly. We will pay the lesser of cancellation or rescheduling costs. Where Your cancellation costs are recovered (i.e. a refund or credit), We will pay the difference between the recovered amount and the new rescheduling costs.
Your cancellation, rescheduling and lost deposits for travel and accommodation arrangements that You have paid in advance and cannot recover in any other way due to the unexpected Sickness, Injury or death of Your Travelling companion, where You can reasonably show that You were not aware of the likelihood of their Sickness, Injury or death at the time You purchased Your Policy.
Your loss of frequent flyer or similar air travel points You used to purchase an airline ticket following the cancellation of that airline ticket, if You cannot recover the lost points from any other source. We calculate the amount We pay You as follows:
- the cost of an equivalent class airline ticket based on the quoted retail price at the time the ticket was issued, less Your financial contribution; multiplied by:
- the total value of the points lost, divided by the total number of points used to obtain the ticket.
Your cancellation, rescheduling and lost deposits for travel and accommodation arrangements that You have paid in advance and cannot recover in any other way due to the unexpected Sickness, Injury or death of Your Close relative, and You were not aware of the likelihood of their Sickness, Injury, or death at the time You purchased Your Policy and the Close relative meets the Close relative conditions.
Your non-refundable claim expenses up to 25%, or up to a maximum of $2000, whichever is the lesser, if You need to cancel or reschedule Your Trip due to an unexpected Sickness, Injury or death of a Close relative who does not meet the Close relative conditions. The most We will pay under this provision and Benefit 6: Trip Disruption Expenses is 25% of Your non-refundable claim expenses or up to a maximum of $2000, whichever is the lesser. Wherever claims are made by You under this provision and Benefit 6: Trip Disruption Expenses for the same or similar expense, We will pay for the greater of the two amounts, but not both.

For any claims related to COVID-19 except as described in Benefit 28: COVID-19 Trip Cancellation and Disruption.
For any claims directly or indirectly related to or Arising from the death, Injury or Sickness of any person not named on Your Certificate of insurance, except as specified under ‘We will pay’ for Your Close relative or Travelling companion.
For any claims directly or indirectly related to or Arising from the death, Injury or Sickness of Your Close relative except as specified under ‘We will pay’.
For any claims directly or indirectly related to or Arising from the death, Injury or Sickness of Your Travelling companion except as specified under ‘We will pay’.
If You were aware of any reason, before Your Period of insurance commenced, that causes Your Trip to be cancelled or rescheduled.
As a result of You or Your Travelling companion changing plans or deciding not to continue with the intended Trip.
If Your claim relates to the Financial collapse of any travel agent, airline or other Carrier, tour or accommodation provider.
As a result of a tour operator or wholesaler being unable to complete arrangements for any tour because there were not enough people to go on the tour.
For any claim or loss Arising out of any business, financial, employment, educational or contractual obligations, commitments or reasons. This exclusion does not apply to claims where You or Your Travelling companion are made redundant from full-time employment in Australia provided You or they were not aware that the redundancy was to occur before You purchased Your Policy.
As a result of cancellation, delays or rescheduling by a bus line, airline, shipping line or rail authority unless it is due to a strike, riot, hijack, civil protest, severe weather or Natural disaster.
As a result of the breakdown of any means of transport.
As a result of an act or threat of Terrorism.
If You can claim Your additional travel and accommodation expenses from anyone else.
For costs which You have paid on behalf of any other person, unless that person is also an insured person named on Your Certificate of insurance.
For a return flight Home if You did not have a prepaid return flight Home when the unexpected event occurred.
For alternative travel arrangement costs if We have paid Your cancelled or unused pre-paid costs.
For travel or accommodation that was upgraded to a different nature and/or class that You originally booked, unless approved by Us.
For any rescheduling costs incurred after Your Trip has already commenced.
For more than the applicable limits set out in the Benefit Summary above.

Please also read General Exclusions that apply to all benefits.