Cancelled flights - Travel Insurance?
 

Flight to Timaru ex Wellington was cancelled tonight due to the WXX. I had been staying in Whanganui, and had driven down to catch the flight home. Managed to get rebooked for tomorrow evenings flight, as the morning one is fully booked. Had to rent a car and book a motel up in the Hutt Valley as the CBD was booked out.

my question is, the weather tomorrow looking even worse then today, Air NZ still have no obligation to accommodate me for the night correct? Its gonna get a bit expensive if I have to do this a second night :) I have no Travel Insurance, but is that something I could buy now just in case? Haven't had anything to do with it, will TI cover my acommodation tomorrow should the flight be cancelled again?

thanks heaps!! :)

Highly unlikely as it is a known event, just like buying TI to Bali when the volcano was erupting, this was not covered.

You will need to read the policy document carefully. Most policies will include a waiting period or exclude any covered issue which exists or is known to exist at the time of purchase for exactly the reason you want to purchase it. If you wait until it is likely that the insurer will have to pay, it is a bad economic proposition for the insurer.

When you read the document, read it from the perspective of a reasonable neutral outsider and not looking for a way to include yourself.

NZ has a policy, it seems, to not pay out for instances where there are disruptions due to weather. Does anyone even offer domestic travel insurance?

You can buy it from Air NZ or other carriers when purchasing tickets.
AMEX platinum edge has domestic insurance but I think a lot of cc have international travel insurance.
Maybe some other multi trip travel insurance from another provider.

Policy or not, from my experience Air NZ would only talk about accommodation and alternate arrangements if you are already mid journey. So if you are departing from origin, you will get rebooked but all other expenses will be covered by insurance (watch for policy wording - some have minimum delays). A reminder to make sure to organize alternate arrangements yourself if you choose to accept re-routes

+1
most CC do not have domestic trips covered..... I learnt it the hard way.. kind of...

Correct. Like insuring a vehicle with a ding in it. Duty of Disclosure.


I think domestic travel insurance is worthless. Covering a hotel once in a while far out weighs the premium you will pay....... Main priority of a insurance policy is the medical and contents, which is not required internally.