Why you need domestic travel insurance
If you’re travelling domestically then you’ve already eliminated the stress of long flights and airport hold-ups. But just like travelling internationally, it’s important to be insured.
Natural disaster cover
Most insurers will cover cancellation and amendment claims caused by natural disasters for both international and domestic travel. Cover will vary significantly so check with your insurer to see if you’re eligible to claim.
Flight cancellation cover
While travel insurance doesn’t always cover cancellations and delays - if there is a natural disaster preventing the plane from taking off, then travel insurance will likely cover it.
Rental car cover
Domestic travel insurance policies usually cover hire-car excess. Insurance can be an affordable alternative that covers more than just the care hire.
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If you’re involved in an accident in your rental car, you’ll likely have to pay the car-hire company for the damages upfront, and then claim them back from your insurer.
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Travel insurance is charged per person, so if there is more than one driver, you will need insurance for each person.
Baggage cover
Domestic travel insurance will cover your baggage, with the exception of some ‘cancellation only’ policies. Make sure you don’t already have ‘portable contents’ cover for specified items under your home contents insurance. If you want to cover expensive items you regularly leave the house with, such as a phone or laptop, you should ensure you’re covered all the time.
Credit card insurance
Credit card insurance typically won’t apply to domestic travel, though some platinum cards can reimburse expenses as a result of flight delays and missed connections.
Pro tip: Inform your bank that you will be travelling because they may detect fraudulent activity if you're making frequent purchases far away from home.
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