Ms. Lai was notified by the airline that her scheduled flight back to Hong Kong in the morning was cancelled due to a mechanical breakdown, and that another flight had been arranged for her on the evening of the same day. However, Ms. Lai wanted to stay one more night and chose to change her flight to the following morning. She also booked an extra night for accommodation, because she believed that her travel insurance would cover the extra expenses caused by the flight delay. However, the insurer eventually replied that her situation was not covered.
Note to Policyholders
Generally, if the scheduled flight is cancelled, according to the policy terms for trip delay, the insured person must return to Hong Kong on the next available flight arranged by the airline. The insured person cannot choose another flight on their own. No additional transportation and accommodation expenses incurred by choosing another flight on their own are covered under the policy terms.
Mr. Lee and his wife travelled to Taiwan for four days and checked the local weather forecast two days before departure to plan their itinerary. However, the weather forecast predicted that a typhoon would hit Taiwan during their visit. Realizing that he had not yet purchased travel insurance, Mr. Lee took out a policy on the same day. Later, Mr. Lee’s flight from Taiwan to Hong Kong was delayed for more than 24 hours due to the adverse weather caused by the typhoon. He filed a claim for compensation for the flight delay with the insurer, but his claim was rejected.
Note to Policyholders
Most travel insurance policies compensate the insured person for flight delays up to a specific number of hours, and adverse weather was covered under Mr. Lee's travel insurance policy. However, his loss was caused by pre-existing or predictable conditions that existed before he applied for the insurance. Mr. Lee was aware of the approaching typhoon and could anticipate its impact on his itinerary when he purchased the policy. Consequently, the insurer refused to provide compensation.
Policyholders should be aware that pre-existing conditions (including natural factors such as weather conditions) are commonly excluded from travel insurance. Travellers should purchase insurance as soon as the airline tickets and itinerary are confirmed. If they purchase the insurance before the typhoon announcement, the insurer will accept a claim for travel delay.
During a trip, Ms. Chan experienced stomach pain and diarrhoea after dinner. She purchased medicine at a pharmacy, but her symptoms didn’t improve after she took the medicine. Two days later, she sought medical treatment after returning to Hong Kong, and filed a claim for medical expenses with her insurer. Her claim was rejected.
Note to Policyholders
The insured person must seek medical consultation from a local registered doctor for an accident or illness at the travel destination, which is required for medical benefits in travel insurance in general. Since Ms. Chan did not seek local medical consultation, she was unable to prove that she was sick and required medical treatment during her trip. Therefore, the insurer rejected her claim for medical expenses incurred during travel and follow-up medical expenses after returned to Hong Kong.
Mr. Cheng fell and sprained his hand while participating in a marathon in the United Kingdom. After being bandaged by a local doctor, he was discharged from the hospital and hoped to return to Hong Kong as early as possible. He called the insurer's 24-hour emergency assistance hotline to inquire about arranging a medical evacuation, but eventually his request for this assistance service was not approved.
Note to Policyholders
Emergency medical services are available for the insured person only when it is a true emergency and a necessity. The medical team of the insurer's authorised emergency assistance service provider will consult with the attending physician and assess the insured person's condition to determine whether evacuation or repatriation is needed. The emergency assistance service is not decided by the insured person. After assessment, it was determined that Mr. Cheng's situation was not an emergency that required immediate repatriation, so the assistance service could not be arranged for his return to Hong Kong.
Mr. Wong and his two friends went on a self-planned trip to Australia and rented a car. However, upon their return to the parking lot after sightseeing, they found that the doors and windows of the rental car had been broken and that valuables such as cash, clothes and laptops had been stolen from the back seat. They immediately reported the theft to the local police. Mr. Wong submitted his claim after returning to Hong Kong, but the claim was rejected by the insurer.
Note to Policyholders
Mr. Wong and his friends were not in the car when the incident happened. According to the terms in Mr. Wong’s policy, the insurer will not cover the loss of property or non-personally carried cash left unattended in an unguarded vehicle. Therefore, the insurer rejected his claim. Policyholders should read the policy terms in detail and pay attention to the coverages and exclusions.
The above fictional cases are for reference only. The claim results of individual cases depend on specific situations and policy terms. For the coverage, exclusions, benefit limits and premium levels of a specific travel insurance plan, please refer to the relevant policy terms.