Travel Insurance For A Trip To New Zealand – Forbes Advisor

Now that New Zealand is open to vaccinated travelers, you may be planning an epic adventure on the islands. This might include visiting the “Lord of the Rings” Hobbiton set on the North Island, hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and cruising through Cathedral Cove.

A trip to New Zealand is pricey and can require many pre-paid, non-refundable deposits to reserve flights, accommodations, tours, excursions and private guides.

Because you have so much riding on your trip, it’s wise to protect your investment should the unexpected derail your plans. The best travel insurance policies include coverage for:

The average cost of travel insurance for a trip to New Zealand is just $260, according to a Forbes Advisor analysis of travel insurance rates. Generally, the cost of travel insurance is 5% to 6% of your trip cost.

Here’s what to look for in a travel insurance plan for a trip to New Zealand.

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Trip Cancellation Insurance for Missing Mud Baths in Rotorua

There’s no way around it: New Zealand is across the world and taking a trip there is expensive. If an unforeseen event causes you to cancel your vacation, you may lose the hard-earned money you spent to secure your trip if you don’t have trip cancellation insurance.

Let’s say three days before your departure your spouse is hospitalized after a car accident. You would likely need to cancel your travel plans. If you have trip cancellation travel insurance, you would be eligible to file a claim and get back 100% of your pre-paid, non-refundable and unused trip outlays.

Reasons that are generally covered by trip cancellation insurance include:

• Death or severe illness or injury to you, a travel companion or immediate family member
• Serious family emergency
• Severe weather

A list of acceptable reasons to cancel will be outlined in your travel insurance policy and can vary significantly from one travel insurance company to the next. Review your policy details so you’re aware of what qualifies as a trigger for trip cancellation benefits.

Cancel for any reason travel insurance for opting out of Auckland

Note that not all reasons for canceling a trip are covered by a standard travel insurance policy. For instance, if a week before your trip you decide to cancel because your childcare arrangements fell through, this would not be a reason covered by your trip cancellation insurance.

For the freedom to change your mind, you can add “cancel for any reason” travel insurance to your standard policy. This upgrade increases the price of your travel insurance cost by an average of 50%. But you can cancel your trip for any reason, as long as you cancel at least 48 hours before your scheduled departure.

“Cancel for any reason” insurance generally reimburses 75% of your non-refundable, pre-paid trip costs. Note that you typically must buy this add-on coverage within 14 to 21 days of making your initial trip deposit.

Related: Advantages of buying travel insurance right after you book a trip

Travel Delay Insurance: Waiting for Wellington

A typical trip from New York to Auckland can take 30 hours and include two or more stops. “The longer the trip, the bigger the chance that you may experience travel delays that force you to pay for additional expenses such as hotel rooms, meals and ground transportation,” says Daniel Durazo, a spokesperson with Allianz Travel Insurance.

An example of a typical New Zealand itinerary could be Baltimore to Los Angeles to Sydney to Auckland. What if your flight from Los Angeles to Sydney is canceled because there’s torrential rain in Southern California, and you need to re-book your flight for the next day? That’s when your travel delay insurance benefits can help pay for associated layover costs.

You can be reimbursed—up to your policy limits—for a hotel stay, meals, a cab ride and a few personal necessities to tide you over until you catch your next flight. Be sure you keep any receipts because you need to submit documentation when you file your claim.

If you miss a pre-paid, guided tour of the foodie laneways of Wellington due to the delay, you can file a claim to be reimbursed for that loss as well.

Be sure to check the waiting period for trip delay benefits. Trip delay coverage kicks in after a specified amount of time, for example, six or 12 hours.

Reasons that will generally be covered by your trip delay insurance include severe weather and airline mechanical issues. If you fall asleep in the airport lounge and miss your connecting flight, you can’t rely on your travel insurance for financial help.

Trip Interruption Travel Insurance for Cutting Out of Queenstown

No one goes on a trip expecting to return home early, but it can happen if an emergency happens back home. You may decide you need to cut your trip short and fly home as soon as possible.

Your comprehensive travel insurance policy with trip interruption travel insurance can be the saving grace that helps you cover the cost of a one-way coach airline ticket home.

You can also recover unused and non-refundable trip expenses you forfeit due to your unexpected departure from New Zealand. If you pre-paid for a hotel in Queenstown, made non-refundable outlays for a wine tour and a chartered boat tour, you can be reimbursed by your trip interruption insurance.

A death in the immediate family, illness or injury to you, a travel partner or a close relative or a serious family emergency are generally covered by trip interruption benefits.

Not all reasons to cut your trip short will be covered by travel insurance. Consider “trip interruption for any reason” travel insurance if you want the flexibility to go home no matter the cause. It’s an optional add-on that reimburses up to 75% of your trip cost. You must typically be at least 48 hours into your trip for benefits to apply.

You usually must buy “interruption for any reason” coverage within 14 to 20 days of booking your trip, and it typically adds 3% to 10% to the cost of your travel insurance.

Travel Medical Expense Insurance for Milford Sound Mishaps

When you travel outside the U.S, your domestic health insurance may not be accepted. The best way to be prepared for any type of international travel is to call your U.S.-based health carrier to see if any global benefits are offered. Also, senior travelers need to know that Medicare isn’t accepted abroad.

Purchasing a policy with travel medical insurance and emergency medical evacuation coverage is vital when traveling to foreign destinations.

If you are boating around Milford Sound, slip on the wet deck and break some ribs, you will need medical attention. Your medical expense insurance covers the cost of medical screening, X-rays, lab work, doctor and hospital visits and medicine, up to the limits in your policy.

If you suffer a severe injury or illness while traveling and need emergency transportation to a facility equipped to treat you, emergency medical evacuation coverage helps cover the cost.

Your travel insurance company can dispatch a medevac and cover costs related to your transport to the nearest medical center that can provide adequate care.

“Medical evacuation costs increase with distance and can reach six figures for lengthy air ambulance trips,” explains Durazo. “Whenever leaving the country, and especially to a destination far away from home, it’s smart to consider a plan with emergency medical benefits.”

Baggage Insurance for When Suitcases Are in the Wop-wops

Baggage insurance provides benefits if your luggage or personal possessions are lost, damaged or stolen. You can be compensated for the depreciated value of your belongings, up to the limits in your policy.

Exclusions apply, so be sure to review your policy so you know what is and isn’t reimbursable. Also, be sure to file a report with your tour operator or the local authorities if a loss occurs. You will be required to present this documentation while filing a claim.

If your suitcases arrive later than you do and you need to buy a change of clothes and some toiletries, you can recoup your costs with baggage delay benefits. Note that baggage delay insurance usually kicks in after a specified amount of time listed in your policy, such as 12 hours.

Sports and Adventure Considerations for New Zealand Travel

New Zealand offers a wide variety of activities and adventure sports. “Everything from hiking, skiing, surfing, diving, white-water rafting to bungy-jumping, cave exploring and repelling,” says Meghan Walch, a spokesperson with InsureMyTrip, a travel insurance comparison website.

She says these activities can be considered risky by insurance companies. It is important to check your travel insurance policy to find out if your benefits apply if injured during one of these activities. Policies may exclude adventure sports or have limited coverage, Walch says.

If you want coverage for high-risk fun, look for a travel insurance company that offers add-on coverage for adventure sports and activities.

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