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Aussies take punt on travel insurance

03 September, 2016 By Natali Mansberg

3 September 2016

In the lead up to father’s day thousands of Aussies will celebrate in true blue, sports-mad style. Whether it’s a kick-around in the park, or a backyard cricket tournament, it’s a safe bet we’ll be chomping at the bit to catch a game of some description on September 4.

We’re keen spectators too, says new research by comparison site comparetravelinsurance.com.au. The findings revealed that 19% of us will travel to a sporting event over two hours away from home this year. When it comes to sporting destinations 51% of us consider Melbourne to be Australia’s ‘sports capital’, followed by Sydney, at 20%. And our reigning national sport? AFL, with over twice as many Aussies willing to travel for the sport (17%)than cricket (8%) or NRL (7%).

What’s your bucket-list sport trip?

Comparetravelinsurance.com.au asked our customers “What’s your bucket list sports trip?”

• “The AFL grand final between the West coast and the East coast. Exorbitant flights and accommodation usually make this near impossible though.” Lance Smith, 45.

• “My dream sporting match would be to see Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in London on the day they win the English Premier League.” - Ben Price, 30.

• “Watching Nico Rosberg at the Australian Grand Prix- nothing beats it! Jake Sutherland, 50.

• “Federer playing Djokovic, Murray or Raonic, preferably a slam final. Or a World Cup match between Brazil vs Germany.” - Pratik Chowdhury, 25.

• “Watching Manchester United at Old Trafford.” - Albert Teoh, 27.

• “I would really like to see a dream match between Chicago Bulls (1996) vs Golden State Warriors (2016) at Madison Square Garden stadium.” - Francis Mendoza, 28.

• “Manchester United play the Champions League Final in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. A game of winner takes all versus current cup holders, Real Madrid.” - Jonathan Thomas, 32.

Aussie travel in droves to sporting events

87% of Australians travelled domestically in the last two years, and we sure are a sport mad bunch. Domestically the top six sports attended by Australians were:

• Australian rules football

• Horse racing

• Rugby league

• Motor sports

• Outdoor soccer

• Outdoor cricket

Travel insurance lag for domestic bound travellers

A whopping 4 in 5 of us would give travel insurance a miss if we were travelling to a sports match within Australia, says data from travel insurance company 1Cover.com.au. Packing travel insurance for a local escape may not be common practice, but it should be, says Richard Warburton, Chief Operations Manager of 1Cover.

“A domestic travel insurance policy can save you massive costs, particularly when you’ve invested time and money travelling to a major sporting event. Domestic travellers underestimate the expense that can go into a short trip. Flights, event tickets, accommodation and rental car deposits can amount to a small fortune. If a last minute emergency forces you to cancel your trip, a domestic policy would cover you for these expenses and more.”

Additionally, travel insurance can help you get to your prepaid sports match in the event of a flight delay or cancellation. Only a few insurance companies will cover this benefit when travelling within Australia.

Natalie Ball, director of Comparetravelinsurance.com.au says, “Some insurers such as Budget Direct, Fastcover and DuInsure will pay your additional travel expenses to reach a planned event if your scheduled transport is delayed or cancelled. This can be a real lifesaver when you’re running short on time and risk missing out on your special event.”

Rental vehicle excess cover is another handy benefit of domestic policies. Rental car companies charge a hefty daily fee to reduce the standard excess making domestic travel insurance a far cheaper option. One week’s worth of domestic travel insurance including rental car excess cover with Tick Travel Insurance costs just $35.50. On the other hand, a week’s worth of excess reduction fees from your car rental company can knock you back about $245.

Ball adds, “Travel insurance rates are cheaper than excess reduction or waiver fees and will simultaneously cover you for lost luggage, cancellation and a host of other benefits. As long as you’re diligent and understand any exclusions that may relate to rental car cover, travel insurance can be a far more cost effective way of covering your rental car excess.”

Ball concludes: “We’re often asked whether travel insurance for a domestic trip is really worth it. Absolutely! It’s important to remember that airlines don’t cover you if you need to cancel for circumstances beyond your control, such as sudden illness or injury. When you consider the cost for prepaid event tickets, combined with airlines and hotels notoriously bumping up their prices during major sporting and cultural events, it’s a very small price to pay”.

Cover for all occasions

At home or overseas, a sport-centred getaway is a great idea for a family holiday. You can all join in the cheers and jeers, don your team jerseys and create lasting memories for years to come. Whether you’re a sports nut, a festival fan or just heading out on the road for a spontaneous weekend away, travel insurance can ensure your trip gets you out of the blocks to a spectacular start.

Sports or holidays, why pick a favourite? Just do both!