Travel Insurance for Infant & Adult Travelling Separately

jolee3 on 22/01/2023 - 23:56
Last edited 23/01/2023 - 15:41

We are travelling overseas in March as a family of 4 and need to buy additional travel insurance.

My credit card has complimentary cover for spouse and dependents, but unfortunately I don't think my husband will be covered (he doesn't meet the condition of travelling with me for 50% of the trip as he is joining us later), and I have just realised my daughter won't be either (she doesn't meet the condition of $500 prepaid travel as infant fare was $200).

SCTI has travel insurance for kids free with an adult cover, but condition is that the child is travelling with the adult (my daughter won't be with my husband for the whole trip). Is my only option to buy two separate covers for them? Are there prepaid costs I'm not thinking of, to bring my daughter's prepaid travel costs to $500? We won't be booking any tours, and accomodation I plan to pay on 28 degrees.

EDIT: Have called the insurer and they advised that as a supplementary card holder, my husband is covered independently as a card holder so does not need to meet the conditions as spouse of main card holder.

They also advised that as a complimentary insurance product, it cannot be modified so there is no way to add my daughter to the policy even if we pay. The only way would be to increase her prepaid spend to $500 - but we won't be booking accommodation on this credit card, nor do we need tours, so not sure we can do this. Her luggage will be inside mine so the only thing we'd potentially need to claim for her is probably medical, in which case we might have to just get a separate policy and hope any costs are separately billed so it won't get too messy if trying to claim on her insurance as well as ours for us. As with any insurance, we're hoping we won't need to look at it again after buying it!

Thanks everyone.

Travel Insurance Travel Insurance

Comments

  • Thatbargainhunter on 23/01/2023 - 07:35
    +1

    I think you will find that is $500 total costs. Not just those associated with the infant. Like what proportion of a hotel room can be attributed to an infant and what to the adult.

    • boomramada on 23/01/2023 - 07:41

      This could be it, but not sure about flying separate part as per OP.

    • jolee3 on 23/01/2023 - 15:31

      One of the conditions under the group policy for spouse/dependents is "have used this card to spend at least A$500 of each traveler's prepaid travel cost". We won't be using the card for accommodation (will use something without international fees and better exchange rate), so the only cost attributed to her is just the flight cost so far.

      • Thatbargainhunter on 23/01/2023 - 15:57

        Surely the savings from using another card, would not outweigh the cost of purchasing additional insurance.

        • jolee3 on 23/01/2023 - 15:59

          Maybe. I'll have to spreadsheet it. Her insurance I had quoted around $115 so it'll depend on the cost of the accomodation - it's 4 weeks. The CC is Westpac which generally has really terrible exchange rates and fees.

          • Thatbargainhunter on 23/01/2023 - 16:02

            @jolee3: But you wouldn't have to put all the accommodation. Just.some of it.

            • jolee3 on 23/01/2023 - 16:06

              @Thatbargainhunter: True. Guess it depends how complicated the insurer wants to make it - can $300 accommodation costs be attributed to her prepaid costs, or do they divide it up on how many people are staying? In which case $300x4 needs to be paid on the card? Perhaps I am over complicating it but insurers are notorious for technicalities.

              Thanks, I'll look into it before I buy her anything separate.

  • boomramada on 23/01/2023 - 07:39
    +1

    Look like you already gone through the insurance PDS, If that what it says, that what it is. Better get your own travel insurance.
    If you want to make a claim, they going to ask all the supporting documents and their decision is based on that.
    Alternatively chat to someone from credit card insurance company.

  • seanfoite on 23/01/2023 - 09:40
    +4

    I will point out that if you do have to make a claim for the whole family, it will be super painful to have to do two separate claims on two insurers. If your gonna have to buy insurance separately anyway, might as well get good cover that does everyone on the one policy.

  • darvian22 on 23/01/2023 - 10:16
    +1

    Call the issuer of the insurance of your card and speak to them. The team there will be able to advise best regarding the card insurance. Often they will also be able to issue additional policies that could connect your whole family.

    Most insurers will offer free coverage for a child as long as they are travelling with an adult for the full duration. As pointed out in another comment, it could get messy if you need to make claims, so best to start by calling.

    • jolee3 on 23/01/2023 - 15:34

      Thanks. I've called them and as it turns out my husband is covered as a card holder as he holds a supplementary card, so he doesn't have to meet the requirements as a spouse of main card holder. However they have said as it is a complimentary policy, there can be no modifications so my daughter won't be covered unless we meet the $500 prepaid travel costs requirement for her.

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