11 December 2019

A volcano erupted on White Island, New Zealand on 9 December 2019. Tragically, this has resulted in loss of life.

If you are travelling near the affected area, we recommend that you contact family and friends to confirm you’re safe.

If you are concerned for a family member or friend, we recommend you attempt to contact the traveller by phone, email and/or social media to confirm they’re safe. If at first you can’t make contact, stay calm, be patient and keep trying. Services may be affected. For further information on the situation, please see https://www.civildefence.govt.nz/.

The following is advice for customers who are currently travelling or with upcoming journeys.

As a provider of assistance services, it is always our priority to assist our customers where possible and within our ability to do so.

  • Please consider your safety first and follow advice from local authorities.
  • If you have been affected as a result of events in New Zealand and require medical assistance, please contact our Emergency Assistance team on 0800 778 103 or speak to your local operator and ask to be put through reverse charge to +61 7 3305 7499.
  • If your travel arrangements have been affected by this event, we firstly recommend contacting your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option for altering your trip. Some travel providers may provide penalty free options to amend travel arrangements.
  • If your pre-booked travel arrangements have been affected and you have a travel insurance policy that provides coverage for delays or cancellation of travel arrangements, you may be able to claim for additional travel, accommodation and meal expenses. Please ensure you keep all receipts and proof of purchases to submit with your claim.
  • Please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement and/or Credit Card complimentary insurance booklet for the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply.
  • If you have any queries about your policy benefits, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.
  • Keep up to date on advice from travel providers by visiting their websites directly.
  • Please make yourself aware of the advice issued by DFAT via its website gov.au. Always monitor the media and other sources about possible new security risks.
  • If your pre-booked travel arrangements are cancelled, delayed or rescheduled as a result of the White Island Volcano and you have a travel insurance policy that provides coverage for delays or cancellation of travel arrangements, you may be able to make a claim for cancellation or re-arrangement of your journey (whichever is the lesser). Please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement and/or Credit Card complimentary insurance booklet for the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions that apply.
  • We recommend you contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option for altering your trip. Some travel providers may provide penalty free options to amend travel arrangements and we recommend you contact them for further details. Contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154 if you would like to clarify your policy entitlements.
  • If you entered into a policy after 12pm AEST, 11 December 2019, we would expect that you would have an awareness of the White Island volcano eruption and the possibility of issues arising which could affect travel.  For these policies, claims that arise due to the White Island volcano eruption (for example, flight delays or cancellations) will be assessed in accordance with your policy wording, but exclusions or limits on cover may apply, depending upon the circumstances.
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  • Policy coverage and benefits vary based on individual circumstances. We encourage travellers to read their travel insurance Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and/or Credit Card complimentary insurance booklet to understand what they are covered for, and any limits and exclusions that apply.
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  • We will assess all claims in accordance with your PDS and Certificate of Insurance. For complimentary travel insurance, we will assess all claims in accordance with the current information booklet for your credit card.

Keep all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses you incur. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses, you will need to submit documents showing what your original pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and documents showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.

Where possible, ensure any replacement accommodation and additional expenses are of a similar standard to that which you had planned and pre-paid.

Please note that any compensation and/or refunds you receive from a third party (e.g. airline) for transport, food or accommodation, will be deducted if your claim is accepted.

Make your claim online at www.travelclaims.com.au

  • If you have any general queries, please contact our Allianz Global Assistance Information Hotline on 1300 725 154.