Going on a big trip? What travel insurance may not cover when conflict or disaster disrupts your plans
Travel insurance is often sold as peace of mind: buy a policy, pack your bags, and feel protected if something goes wrong. But when major events disrupt travel—such as conflict affecting airspace or extreme weather causing cancellations—the protection you thought you had may not apply in the way you expect.
Recent flight cancellations and lengthy delays linked to conflict in the Middle East have highlighted a reality many travellers only discover after they try to claim: some of the biggest, most disruptive events can sit outside standard cover. Even when airline operations resume and airspaces reopen, the financial impact of delays, rerouting, and replacement flights can linger for travellers who are trying to get to their destination.
The key takeaway is simple but easily overlooked: before you travel, it pays to understand the fine print in your policy, not just the headline benefits. Knowing what is excluded can be as important as knowing what is included.
A traveller’s experience: refunded ticket, but extra costs remained
Wendy learned how exclusions can play out in practice after buying travel insurance for her adult son weeks before conflict escalated in the Middle East. Her son, Christopher, had won a European holiday and was travelling via a connecting flight through Doha.
When he was unable to board his connecting flight, the cancelled ticket was fully refunded. However, Christopher was told he would have to pay the difference for an alternative ticket with another airline. In other words, the refund did not necessarily solve the immediate problem of getting to the destination—especially if replacement flights were more expensive.
Wendy said the situation came as a shock. She understood that war and unrest were serious issues, but she was surprised by how the outcome could still fall under something considered outside a traveller’s control, yet not be covered.
She also pointed to how ordinary the original plan seemed: a transit flight through a major hub used daily by large numbers of passengers. From her perspective, it wasn’t the kind of itinerary that would raise alarm bells at the time of booking.
Why conflict-related claims are commonly excluded
Insurance expert Jodi Bird from consumer advocacy group CHOICE said Wendy’s experience is more common than many people realise. According to Mr Bird, across travel insurance policies there is typically a broad exclusion that prevents claims resulting from war.
He described it as a “blanket ban,” adding that CHOICE is not aware of policies that cover claims resulting from war. In practical terms, that means travellers may find that even comprehensive-sounding policies do not respond when disruption is linked to conflict.
Mr Bird’s explanation was straightforward: travel insurers generally do not like to cover war because it can cost too much money. Whatever the reasoning, the result for consumers is consistent—war is treated as a category that is excluded across most policies.
Importantly, he said paying a higher premium does not necessarily change this. Even the most expensive policies may not provide protection when conflict breaks out overseas. For travellers, that can be counterintuitive: people often assume that upgrading cover or paying more will close gaps, but exclusions can remain the same regardless of price.
Does it matter when you bought the policy?
Another point that can surprise travellers is timing. Some people assume that if they buy travel insurance before a conflict begins, they will be protected if the situation later deteriorates. But the Insurance Council of Australia’s deputy CEO, Kylie McFarlane, said it does not matter when the policy is taken out.
Even if there is no conflict or war at the time of purchase, the fine print can still exclude claims arising from those events. This is a crucial distinction: buying early can be sensible for many reasons, but it may not overcome exclusions that are built into the policy wording.
Natural disasters may be treated differently—but it depends
Not every large-scale disruption is treated the same way as war or conflict. Natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, or bushfires can be handled differently under travel insurance policies.
Ms McFarlane said that extreme weather events may be an inclusion, depending on the level of cover. But she stressed that it comes down to the specific insurance policy and the provider. For travellers who are concerned—particularly those heading into regions prone to severe weather—her advice was to speak directly to the insurer.
The message here is not that natural disasters are always covered, but that they are not automatically excluded in the same way conflict often is. The only reliable way to know is to check the policy wording and clarify with the provider.
If a claim is denied, you may have options
When travel plans unravel, it can be tempting to accept an insurer’s decision as final—especially if the policy wording looks technical or the exclusions appear broad. But Mr Bird urged travellers not to treat a knockback as the last word unless they genuinely agree with the insurer’s reasoning.
He recommended starting with a complaint to the insurer and asking them to revisit the claim. If the response is not satisfactory, he said the complaint can be escalated to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
That process may not change outcomes where an exclusion clearly applies, but it can be important where there is uncertainty about how the policy should be interpreted, or where the traveller believes the claim has not been assessed properly.
Why exclusions can still catch careful travellers off guard
Wendy’s experience also highlights a more subtle problem: even people who buy travel insurance in good faith may not realise how far exclusions extend. She said the insurer directed her to a clause stating that war or unrest made any claims null and void.
From her perspective, it wasn’t something that was raised clearly at the beginning. And even if she had looked at the exclusions at the back of the policy, she felt it still would not have occurred to her that a normal transit route could become affected in a way that left her family paying out of pocket.
This is why experts often advise travellers to read beyond the top-line benefits displayed on websites and marketing material. The attractive list of inclusions can be real, but it is only half the story. The exclusions define the boundaries of the cover.
What to read before you buy: the “general exclusions” section
Mr Bird recommended a practical starting point for travellers who want to understand what they are actually buying: locate the “general exclusions” section in the product disclosure statement.
He said this section can provide a clearer understanding of what a policy may or may not cover, including major events such as war, pandemic, terrorism, and civil unrest. For many travellers, reading this part first can be more revealing than focusing only on the benefit limits and add-ons.
While policy documents can be lengthy, the general exclusions section often contains the kinds of terms that determine whether a claim is possible at all. If an event is excluded, no amount of paperwork after the fact will change the basic position.
Travel insurance can still be worth it—especially for medical costs
Despite the limitations highlighted by conflict-related disruptions, Mr Bird emphasised that travel insurance remains worthwhile, particularly for medical costs. He described it as worth it “basically all the time” for overseas travel.
His reasoning is that medical and repatriation costs can be financially devastating if something goes wrong overseas and a traveller is not covered. These are the situations where people can “really get into a lot of trouble financially,” he said.
In other words, the value of travel insurance may be strongest in areas where costs can escalate quickly and unpredictably—such as health emergencies—rather than in every possible travel inconvenience or disruption scenario.
Health preparation is part of travel planning too
Alongside insurance planning, doctors have advised travellers to use the lead-up to a trip to check vaccinations, pack health essentials, and take basic precautions such as mask-wearing in crowded areas.
While these steps are not a substitute for insurance, they are part of a broader approach to reducing risk while travelling. Being prepared can help travellers avoid some common problems and make it easier to manage issues if they arise.
What Wendy wants other travellers to know
In Wendy’s case, the family could not recover the additional costs of buying a more expensive flight to get Christopher to Europe. They also could not cover extra costs associated with travelling from a different city to his intended destination.
Her message to other travellers is a cautionary one: even if you fully pay for your trip, prepare carefully, and buy travel insurance, you may still need to cover costs yourself if something goes wrong—particularly when the disruption falls into an excluded category such as war or unrest.
A practical checklist before your next big trip
Read beyond the headline benefits: marketing summaries are not the contract; the policy wording is.
Find the “general exclusions” section: it can quickly show whether events like war, civil unrest, terrorism, or pandemic-related issues are excluded.
Don’t assume paying more removes exclusions: higher premiums may not change blanket bans on certain events.
Ask your insurer about extreme weather cover: natural disasters may be included depending on the policy and provider.
If you disagree with a denial, challenge it: complain to the insurer first, then consider escalating to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority if needed.
Prioritise medical and repatriation cover: these costs can be among the most financially risky parts of travelling without insurance.
Understanding what you’re buying
Travel insurance can be an important safety net, but it is not a promise that every disruption will be paid for. Conflict-related events, in particular, are commonly excluded, and timing or premium size may not change that.
For travellers planning a major trip, the most useful step is often the least glamorous: read the exclusions, ask questions before you buy, and plan with the possibility in mind that some scenarios—however unlikely they seem at booking—may leave you funding the solution yourself.