A bumpy ride with Qantas travel insurance

FURTHER UPDATE: On October 20, four months after my incidents, the insurers offered me  $460.17 to cover my taxi, train and hotel costs in Montreal. Fair enough. But they completely ignored my claim for replacement clothing and toiletries when Air Canada lost my bags for a week. The saga continues. 

  

UPDATE: Two months after I lodged my original claim, the insurers got back to me. Insisting that I provide: "Written confirmation from airline providing the reason why the flight was originally delayed". Only now have they decided they need this. Looks like they are trying to make it as hard as possible for me to get my claim paid. They must know how difficult it is to get airlines to answer the phone right now, let alone get them to respond in writing.  And as it is a proven fact the first flight was delayed, why does it matter?   

Qantas, Australia's national airline, has been having a rough time of it recently with a barrage of criticism over late and cancelled flights, lost and delayed luggage and poor customer service.

I have even seen angry customers nastily suggest it change its slogan from "Spirit of Australia" to "Spirit of a Failure."

I'm currently being given the run around by (or more honestly, completely ignored by) Qantas's travel insurance arm, which is operated in collaboration with nib.

While Qantas insists its passengers behave with "courtesy and respect" it adopts the business model of refusing to engage with its customers.

Regular readers will recall that I had a bad travel experience in Canada a few months back involving Air Canada, late and cancelled flights and missing/lost baggage.

While it was stressful, I found peace of mind knowing I had Qantas travel insurance and would be reimbursed for the associated costs of a taxi and a hotel room when left stranded in Montreal, a train replacement for a cancelled flight and some new clothes and replacement medicines.

My expenses were probably just over a grand, but as I had paid $596+ for my travel insurance surely not a big claim.

I advised Qantas Travel Insurance of my issues when they occurred; and a few weeks after I got back from my month-long trip I spent a couple of hours filling in an ultra-complicated claim form clearly designed to dissuade policy holders from making minor claims.

A couple of weeks after sending a batch of receipts and the form by mail, I received an email on August 24 giving me a claim number and saying: "The information you have supplied has been sent to a claims officer who will do their best to respond to you by 31/08/22."

Great. Everything is underway.

Since then I have heard nothing. Zip. Nada.

Perhaps they have a query about my claim? Perhaps something needs to be checked? Perhaps there are ongoing delays? Perhaps my claim has slipped through the cracks?

I emailed Qantas Travel Insurance/nib on September 15 and September 27, politely asking for an update. Still nothing.

I have always been a huge advocate of having travel insurance.

Prior to Covid I had annual policies - on which I never claimed.

Since resuming flying I have had two policies with Qantas/nib and this is my first claim.

I am a Qantas Frequent Flyer and booked my insurance via their website. 

Not happy Alan.