Travel Insurance Claims Tips

Helpful tips when making a travel insurance claim

Isn’t it great to see the continued growth in travel with more Kiwis visiting friends and families and having a well-deserved break while businesses reconnect after years apart.

Allianz Partners recently provided some tips and tricks for travel insurance claims to assist in getting these completed effortlessly

Delayed or cancelled flights

When a flight is delayed or cancelled by the airline due to a fault of their own, i.e. For mechanical issues or staffing shortages, the onus is on the airline in the first instance to provide the traveller compensation. If, however, it is a weather disruption beyond the airline’s control, there is a provision to claim for the disruption.

For any claims submitted in either case, we require confirmation from the airline of the reason for the delay and the compensation, if any paid. Where an airline is unwilling to provide any compensation, we also require evidence, such as a letter or email confirmation from the airline.

All airline taxes for cancelled or unused flights, other than no-shows are refundable by law, and a claim will not be settled by Allianz Partners.

We understand airlines are also experiencing delays in responding to queries; however, we cannot proceed until they have completed their review and responded.

Lost or delayed baggage claims

First and foremost, you must contact and seek compensation from the airline, including all travellers with travel insurance.

If the airline admits to the loss of checked baggage or if the checked baggage had not arrived at the expiry of 21 days from when it was due to arrive, you have the right to seek compensation from the airline under the Montreal Convention of 1999.

Once you receive an outcome from the airline, if you have not received the total amount they claimed from the airline, you have a provision to claim for the difference. At this point, you should submit a claim with your travel insurers, inclusive of all the relevant documentation from the airline, detailing what was covered and what was not covered, providing receipts and as much proof of purchase as possible.

Proof of purchase/ownership for lost or stolen luggage

For claims relating to lost or stolen luggage and items, we require proof of purchase or ownership. Proof of purchase can be in the form of, but not limited to, receipts, bank/visa statements, warranties, photos etc. It is important to note that photos are not accepted for some items, such as electronic or high-value items – typically goods that have a value in excess of $250.

We understand that you may not have receipts for all items; however, they do need to provide some proof of ownership.

The more evidence you can provide at the time of lodging their claim, the better, as this will help speed up the process and not require us to make additional contact to obtain further documentation.