Travel Insurance Analysis: Westpac Platinum
Posted December 7th, 2011 and last modified April 2nd, 2013
If you fly often, either at home or overseas, you should look at using a credit card that offers complimentary travel insurance. Many of these cards will give you access to airport lounges and some have your purchases contribute to frequent flyer points. They are not necessarily good for everyone however at most such cards require you have a substantial annual income as well as a near perfect credit history. This is because they are a speciality credit card that concentrates on making your travels more trouble free than they otherwise would be if something were to go wrong.
Most credit cards that offer travel insurance only allow the insurance benefit to become activated after you have paid 100 percent of your travel costs by using your card. However you don’t want to be satisfied that is all you need do is to obtain the card, pay for your tickets with it and you are fully covered for everything that could possibly go wrong. This might not be so, as some cards don’t cover you for lost items even if you believed that this is the main reason for having the cover. Therefore the only way to determine exactly what you are covered for is to thoroughly examine the offer. Here we look at the Westpac Platinum credit card travel insurance and what it will mean to you as you travel.
Westpac Platinum Credit Cards with Travel Insurance
The main benefits of having Westpac Platinum travel insurance include the following features:
- Damage, or theft of your personal property. You will probably notice first up that although you are covered against losing your property through damage or theft. If you simply misplace it you are not covered. Under a Westpac Platinum credit card travel insurance you can claim for up to $20,000 if your property is either stolen or damaged and your family members are covered for a total of $30,000, although both of these amounts are restricted to $5,500 for a laptop computer and $3,500 for anything else. Theft of cash is also covered to a limit of $500 a person or $1,250 for the combined family. If your baggage is lost you will be entitled to $550 a person for replacement clothing and toiletries up to a maximum amount of $1,250. If your items were taken from a locked car you are eligible to claim up to $2,500. However is you simply left some of your property behind somewhere and were unable to retrieve it you will find you will not be covered.
- Delays in travel arrangements. If you experience a six hour flight delay during travels your Westpac platinum travel insurance will compensate your family for an amount of $500 a person up to a maximum of $1,000. However if you simply missed your connection you will find you aren’t covered.
- Rental car insurance. While overseas Westpac travel insurance will cover your rental car for up to $5,000. This amount will be quite sufficient to cover the highest rental car insurance excess that may be required to be paid as the result of you being involved in an accident.
- Required excesses. Whatever claim you have to make on your Westpac Platinum travel insurance cover you will be required to pay the first $200. This does not apply however to the replacement of any stolen or damaged credit cars, small amounts of clothing and toiletries in lost luggage or the replacement of travel documents.
- Medical claims. If you have to make a claim for medical care while overseas you will find you are covered by what Westpac call ‘reasonable’ medical treatment. In this case ‘reasonable’ means the same level of treatment you would expect to receive if you were in Australia. You will be insured for $100 a day while in hospital although this payment will cease when the total paid out reaches $12,000. You are also covered for emergency dental treatment to a maximum amount of $1,200 if the treatment is for urgent pain relief. You will find that Westpac will consider a medical claim even if you illness can be linked to a pre-existing condition, as long as you made them aware of the condition before leaving Australia, you had paid an assessment fee and any extra premium cost, if that was requested of you.
- Accidental death. If you as the card holder, your spouse, or any of your children, were killed as a result of a transport accident whilst travelling, Westpac would be willing to pay out an amount of $500,000 for each death. However if your family members were also card holders a cap of $1.3 million would apply. If the death was to occur in an accident that was not transport related the cover reduces to $17,500 for the card holder, $12,500 for the spouse and no cover for any of the children. In these circumstances the cover is still valid if the death occurred up to 12 months following the accident.
Westpac Platinum travel insurance covers all members of the same family who are travelling overseas for a maximum of six months. You can obtain an extra month if you have experienced delays that were beyond your control. To activate your cover you have to pay 100 percent of your international airline ticket with your Westpac Platinum credit card or with valid Westpac rewards points. You are not covered if the ticket was paid by somebody else of if you paid by BPAY or direct deposit from your bank. Income protection is not available. You will need to read your policy document to see what you are not covered for but most of these are the usual disclaimers. The most important one to remember here is that you are not covered if you simply lose any of your personal items while travelling. Keep this in mind.
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Will be hiring a car in california usa for 41 days. Do I need to pay for cdw insurance or am I covered if I use my westpac visa or amex altitude platinum card?
Hello Lex,
thanks for the great question!
The Westpac Platinum Visa and American Express card will cover cardholders for up to $5,000 to cover their excess or deductible in the event of a claim. It’s important to note that this isn’t insurance for the car itself, this will still need to be provided as part of the rental agreement, so it may be a good idea to ask the rental company what kind of cover is provided as standard practice.
This policy won’t cover the excess in the event the car is driven on non-public roads, the vehicle is damaged or lost due to a violation of the rental agreement, or for wear and tear. It may be helpful to call the insurance provider for this card, Zurich, on 1800 091 710 to discuss further conditions.
I hope this helps.
If I pay for travel in full, with my Westpac earth platinum American Express card, in January for travel that does not commence until May, am I still covered?
Hi Bruce. Thanks for your question. The cover starts from the departure date on your ticket. Cheers.
Does Westpac Platinum travel insurance cover EMERGENCY EVACUATION?
Hi Phillip. Thanks for your question. Emergency evacuation from a foreign country is covered under the complimentary international travel insurance policy if the local medical services are inadequate or not available. The evacuation must be authorised and arranged by Zurich Assist. We’re not sure if emergency evacuation cover extends to things like conflict zones, but in these cases, your insurance policy will not be valid. Hope this helps.
Believe under new rules don’t have to pay for airline ticket on card as long as you spend $500A on travel you are covered. Is this correct? This is good if correct with new $A3750 limit cap coming in per month in July?
Hi Marg. That’s not right. You’re referring to complimentary international travel insurance. Thanks.
Thank you for your reply, I am referring to International travel, I usually buy long haul business tickets, more than the cap of $3270 FF points allowed after July on Westpac P. I also buy short haul tickets economy normally in separate transactions for travel while overseas, for around $1000, according to brochure sent to me, this would mean I am covered for insurance, even if I don’t buy the long haul ticket on the Westpac card? Thank you for replying to me, would appreciate your input on this further question
Hi Marg. Sorry about the confusion in my previous reply. Yes, you’re right. If you put at least $500 worth of your prepaid travel expenses on this card, you’ll be covered by the insurance policy. To confirm, the terms and conditions state: ‘Cardholders, become eligible for this Overseas travel insurance when, before leaving Australia on an overseas journey, they have a return overseas travel ticket, and A$500 of their prepaid travel costs (i.e. costs of their return overseas travel ticket; and/or airport/departure taxes; and/or their prepaid overseas accommodation/travel; and/or their other prepaid overseas itinerary items) have been charged to the cardholder’s eligible credit card account’
Let me know if there’s anything else you would like to know. Jacob.
I accidentally left my purchases in the Hotel in Lisbon, recently on our Insight tour,does my insurance cover the postage of it back to Adelaide?
Question Two, our flight from Dubai with Eremites was late arriving in Adelaide by 2 hours, hence our flight to Adelaide was lost.
Do we have a claim , as we hence had to pay 150 dollars for new tickets for two people
Thanks Viv Weston
Hi Vivian.
- Benefit 2: (Pg. 37) Loss or damage to personal property.
‘We insure you, during your journey for the theft and accidental loss or damage to the following property/personal goods that you either take with you or buy on your journey:
baggage, clothing and personal valuables; and portable electrical equipment and binoculars (but we will not pay for scratched lenses); and cameras and associated equipment/accessories (but we will not pay for scratched lenses); and laptop computers and associated equipment/accessories (but we will not pay for scratched screens); and travel documents, travellers’ cheques, bank notes, currency notes, postal orders, money orders, cash credit cards or petrol coupons taken with you on your journey for personal use. Note: Items used for any business purpose or purchased in a business name are not covered.’
- Under benefit 7 – travel delay (Pg. 43):
‘If the departure of any scheduled transport in which you have arranged to travel is delayed for at least six hours due to any unforeseen cause outside your control we will reimburse your reasonable additional meal and accommodation costs.This benefit is only payable when you supply receipts for the expenses incurred and written confirmation from the carrier confirming the period of delay.’
It seems that you have to be delayed for at least 6 hours before benefit 7 applies; however, please confirm this with the insurance provider, Zurich. I’ve sent the policy document to your email. Jacob.
Does westpac platinum give complimentary airport lounge access? If so, does this cover only airports in Australia or does it cover France and Malaysia as well?
Hi Peter. Thanks for your question. There is no complimentary lounge access offered with this card. If you check the frequent flyer comparison page, the lounge access benefit is listed in the card’s review and application page. Jacob.
If travel is booked using Altitude Rewards points is the travel insurance still valid?
Hi Sharyn. Thanks for your question. The insurance cover begins automatically when you purchase your airline international return tickets but you must pay the full cost with your Westpac Platinum card, or Westpac rewards points. You will not be covered if you purchase your flight tickets any other way. Jacob.
I have paid for my o/seas travel on my Visa Altitude Platinum Card. How do I get a copy of the policy, and, if necessary, advise of any pre-existing medical conditions etc?
Hi Michael. Thanks for your question. I have sent the policy document to your email for your to look at. The following is taken from page 18. If your pre-existing medical condition is not automatically covered as shown below you can apply for cover for your pre-existing medical condition. Please phone Zurich Assist. Our team of medical professionals will assess your condition. If Zurich Assist determines to cover your pre-existing medical condition, you will need to pay an administration fee and Zurich Assist will send you a letter confirming that your pre-existing medical condition is covered for the remainder of the period of cover for the journey in question.’
Hello. I am trvelling to the USA with my daughter (17yrs). I have purhcased a full return fare for my self and used FF points for my duaghters flight, however paid the $800 required in additional fees for her ticket with my Platinium card. I also have purchased internal flights for us both with my card. Is my daughter covered as well as myself. Also could you please give the emergency phone numbers I require should i need to contact (i believe its an 1800 number) while away. Thank you
Hi Joe. Thanks for your question. I have sent details to your email. But according to the policy document, ‘Overseas travel insurance is a benefit available to current Westpac cardholders, their spouses and dependent child/children provided that the person is up to and including 80 years of age when they become eligible for the cover as outlined below. Cardholders, become eligible for this Overseas travel insurance when, before leaving Australia on an overseas journey, they have a return overseas travel ticket, and A$500 of their prepaid travel costs (i.e. costs of their return overseas travel ticket; and/or airport/departure taxes; and/or their prepaid overseas accommodation/travel; and/or their other prepaid overseas itinerary items) have been charged to the cardholder’s eligible credit card account.’
If your daughter is travelling with you for the entire return journey and you meet the conditions outlined above.
Jacob.