Amex Explorer travel insurance: what does the card actually cover?

Covers non-refundable deposits, unused travel and accommodation you paid in advance if you cancel, curtail or change an eligible trip, up to $30,000 per Covered Person. A $250 excess applies per Event. The covered-reasons list is broad: injury, illness or death of you, a Close Relative or Travelling Companion, redundancy, jury duty, a Natural Disaster, and a DFAT warning issued after you book. Pre-existing conditions are excluded.

Pays overseas emergency medical and hospital costs on an International trip up to $2,500,000, with repatriation and evacuation inside the same limit. A $250 excess applies. Emergency dental is sub-limited to $1,000 and incidental hospital expenses to $50 a day (max $3,000). There is no cover for treatment in Australia, because Medicare applies at home.

Emergency evacuation and repatriation to Australia are arranged by Chubb Assistance and paid within the $2,500,000 medical limit. The 24/7 assistance line on +61 2 8907 5666 organises transport to the nearest adequate hospital, then home once you are fit to travel. Repatriation of remains after a death is covered up to $15,000. Call the line before arranging anything yourself.

Covers emergency dental treatment to natural teeth for sudden, acute pain that arises overseas, up to $1,000, within the medical section and its $250 excess. It does not cover routine or cosmetic dental, dentures, crowns, orthodontics, or treatment related to decay.

If you are admitted to hospital overseas as an in-patient, the policy pays incidental expenses such as food and toiletries at $50 for each full 24 hours, up to $3,000. It sits inside the medical section and its $250 excess. Treat it as help with day-to-day costs during a stay, not a cash payout for the hospitalisation itself.

If you have to change or cut short a trip for a covered reason, the policy pays reasonable additional travel and accommodation costs up to $3,000 per Covered Person, with a $250 excess. It sits within the Trip Cancellation and Amendment section. The cap is modest, so a long disruption overseas can run past it.

If your scheduled flight is delayed or cancelled by 4 hours or more, or you are denied boarding, the policy reimburses hotel accommodation and meals up to $500, then $350 for each further 24 hours to a maximum of $1,400 per Covered Person. No excess applies. It does not pay for a delay at the airport you first departed from in your home state.

If you miss an onward scheduled flight connection because your incoming flight arrived late and no alternative is offered within 4 hours, the policy reimburses accommodation and meals under the travel inconvenience benefit, up to $1,400 per Covered Person. It covers the wait, not the price of buying a replacement ticket. No excess applies.

On a Long International Trip of 15 days or more, the policy pays up to $3,000 to fly you back to Australia and resume the trip if a Close Relative dies, is dying, or suffers a serious injury or illness. A $250 excess applies. It only covers international trips, and the reason must not have been foreseeable when you booked.

If your checked baggage is delayed more than 6 hours on the way to your destination, the policy reimburses essential clothing and toiletries up to $500, with a further $500 if the delay passes 48 hours. No excess applies. There is no cover for a delay at the airport you first departed from in your home state or territory.

Covers loss, theft or damage to luggage, valuables and personal effects up to $10,000 per Covered Person, with a $250 excess. Per-item sub-limits are tight: $1,000 for a smartphone, $5,000 for a laptop, $1,000 for a camera, and $1,000 for any other single item or valuable. Depreciation is deducted from most items, so an older phone or laptop pays out less than you paid for it.

Covers money and travel documents such as passports, visas and driving licences if they are lost or stolen during the trip, up to a combined $500, with a $250 excess. You must report the loss to police or the issuing authority and get a report where possible. The cap is small, so treat it as help with reissue costs rather than full protection.

Covers your legal liability if you accidentally injure someone or damage their property overseas, up to $2,000,000 including legal costs. No excess applies. It excludes anything involving mechanically propelled vehicles, aircraft, watercraft over 10 metres, firearms, and liability to your own family or arising from a business.

Recommended : A$2,500,000

Pays a lump sum for accidental death or permanent disablement during the trip: $25,000 in general, rising to $300,000 for an accident while travelling as a passenger on public transport. No excess applies. Death from illness or natural causes is not covered.

No loss of income benefit. This benefit is not included with this card. Lost earnings after a travel injury that stops you working are not replaced.

Covers cancelling or cutting short a domestic return trip more than 150km from home, up to $30,000 per Covered Person, with a $250 excess. It applies to prepaid, non-refundable travel and accommodation. There is no cover for a domestic cancellation caused by a COVID border closure or travel warning.

If a domestic scheduled flight is delayed or cancelled by 4 hours or more, the policy reimburses accommodation and meals up to $500, extended by $350 per 24 hours to a maximum of $1,400 per Covered Person. No excess applies. It works the same way as the overseas travel delay benefit.

Covers reasonable extra travel and accommodation on a domestic interstate trip if you have to change or cut it short for a covered reason, up to $3,000 with a $250 excess. It sits inside the cancellation section. There is no domestic medical cover, because Medicare applies within Australia.

Covers loss, theft or damage to luggage and personal effects on a domestic interstate trip, up to $10,000 per Covered Person, with a $250 excess. The same tight per-item sub-limits apply as overseas, mostly $1,000 per item. Depreciation is deducted from older items.

If your checked baggage is delayed more than 6 hours on a domestic interstate flight, the policy reimburses essential purchases up to $500, with a further $500 after 48 hours. No excess applies. It does not cover a delay at the airport you first departed from.