What is group travel insurance?
Travelling with more than one adult for your upcoming trip? The good news is you can often cover everyone under a group travel insurance policy. Up to 25 travellers can enjoy the same benefits that they’d receive from a singles policy, with a few extra advantages:
- It can be cheaper. Your travel insurance policy may be cheaper than a singles policy if the insurer offers a discount for groups.
- Less paperwork. The paperwork required to get everyone insured is cut down considerably with group policies. One person can make all the arrangements for the whole group.
- An identical level of cover. Everyone gets the same level of cover, which means everyone knows what activities they can and cannot take part in.
Benefits of group travel insurance
It’s important to track down group travel cover that suits the needs of all travellers in your group. Luckily, these types of policies typically cover what’s most important.
| Group cover benefits | Details |
| Cancellations and delays | Cancelled/delayed flights and tours were the most common reason people needed to claim on their travel insurance, according to a survey from Smart Traveller. So, it makes sense for the whole group to protect themselves against this risk. This is especially important if you’re all travelling from different locations. |
| Emergency transportation | More than half of the respondents to the same survey believe our government pays for citizens to get home in medical emergencies overseas1, but they’re wrong. Luckily, most group travel policies cover ambulance, airlift via helicopter, and repatriation costs. |
| Lost or stolen luggage | Lost luggage and/or personal effects can ruin a trip. With the right insurance, you can claim back money on this event, and start enjoying your holiday again with the rest of the group. |
| Medical expenses | If you’re hospitalised, fall ill or get injured, you should be able to claim back on your medical expenses. This is important, as the Australian government does not pay for overseas medical treatment or medication costs. |
| Emergency assistance | Most group travel policies provide emergency phone based assistance for one or all members of the group. Finding a suitable doctor or the nearest hospital or dentist can be difficult when you are travelling without this assistance. |
| Personal liability | When you injure someone or damage their property, you may be liable for reparation costs. Luckily, group travel insurance policies can cover these costs. |
| Rental vehicle excess | If a vehicle you hire is damaged or stolen, you’ll have to pay your hire car company’s excess. But if you have travel insurance, this excess may be covered by your policy. |
While your insurance does protect you in many situations, be mindful that it doesn’t cover everything (or everyone). If you’re injured while participating in an activity that’s not covered by your policy, you won’t be able to make a claim for any injury costs. For example, adventure sports like mountain biking or rock climbing might not be commonly covered by policies.
Additionally, certain individuals may struggle to get insured for their trip under a group policy:
- Pregnant women
- Older travellers (aged 60+)
- Those with a pre-existing medical condition
Some insurers cover the above travellers but may charge higher premiums or require the customer to provide a medical certificate.
N.B. Exclusions and restrictions vary per insurer and policy.
Read more about common travel insurance exclusions.
Who should consider group travel insurance?
Here are the types of travellers who should consider this type of cover:
- Students travelling for a class trip
- Professionals travelling on a business trip
- Members of a wedding party travelling overseas
- Groups of friends & family holidaying together
Basically, if you’re travelling in a group of three or more adults, and plan to follow the same itinerary, it’s worth taking a closer look at this product.
Most families will not need a group travel insurance policy as most family travel insurance policies cover two adults and any dependant children who are travelling together.
How to compare and buy group travel policies
If you’re thinking of travelling with a larger group, make sure you consider this type of cover early. It’s an easy way for you to make sure that (a) everyone is covered by a policy, (b) you can save as much money as possible before taking off and (c) you can cover all members of the group quickly and simply under one policy.
One person organises all the policies (make sure you buy them a beer as a thank you). They need to know everyone’s full name, date of birth, and any pre-existing medical conditions. Once this person has applied for a policy, they’ll receive one certificate of insurance for the entire group.
If you’re interested in seeing what this kind of policy covers, and how much it would cost, try our comparison service. We’ve made it easy to compare and buy group travel policies without fuss.
Do you need a different type of travel insurance? We can help with that too.