Westpac Altitude Black travel insurance: what does it actually cover?

Reimburses your unrecoverable prepaid travel and accommodation with no dollar cap, plus travel agent fees (sub-limit $500 or 15%). It triggers on any cancellation, disruption or rescheduling that was unexpected and outside your control, not a short named-reasons list. A $300 excess applies per claim, and pre-existing conditions follow the auto-covered list or need assessment.

Covers overseas emergency medical and hospital costs with no dollar cap, subject to a $300 excess per claim. Treatment is arranged and approved by the 24/7 Allianz Global Assistance line, and cover for a covered event runs for up to 12 months of treatment. Pre-existing conditions are covered only if they are on the auto-covered list or assessed and confirmed for a $45 fee.

Overseas Emergency Assistance and Evacuation & Repatriation are covered with no dollar cap, arranged by the Allianz Global Assistance team. It includes emergency transport to the nearest suitable hospital, repatriation to Australia when medically necessary, and repatriation of remains with unlimited funeral expenses. A $300 excess applies to evacuation, and the 24/7 line is reachable from overseas.

Covers overseas emergency dental for sudden and acute pain to natural teeth, up to $2,000 per person, with a $300 excess. It is limited to the relief of spontaneous pain, not planned, routine or cosmetic dental work.

Pays a cash allowance of $100 per person per day while you are hospitalised overseas, up to a total of $15,000 per person, with a $300 excess. It is a comfort payment on top of medical cover, not a substitute for it.

Additional Expenses covers reasonable extra travel and accommodation with no dollar cap if your journey is disrupted by a covered event such as injury, illness or an evacuation, subject to a $300 excess. It picks up the unplanned costs of getting back on track after something goes wrong overseas.

Travel Delay Expenses pays for meals and accommodation once your transport is delayed six consecutive hours or more, up to $500 per person and a total of $1,100 for a cardholder travelling with family, with no excess. The delay must be outside your control.

Alternative Transport Expenses reimburses the reasonable cost of alternative transport to reach a destination on time after a covered delay, up to $3,750, with a $300 excess. It applies when a scheduled service fails and you need another way to get there.

Return Home and Resumption of Journey pays up to $5,750 per person and $12,500 for a cardholder travelling with family to fly home and, where time allows, resume the trip after the death of a relative, with a $300 excess.

Luggage Delay pays for essential clothing and personal items if the carrier delays your bags more than 12 consecutive hours, up to $800 per person and $1,600 for a cardholder travelling with family, with no excess.

Luggage and Personal Effects covers theft, loss or accidental damage up to $20,000 per person and $30,000 for a cardholder travelling with family, with a $300 excess. Per-item sub-limits apply: $5,000 for baggage, clothing, valuables and portable electrical equipment, and $5,500 each for cameras and laptops. Items left in a vehicle are covered only up to $5,000.

Covers the replacement of travel documents, transaction cards, travellers cheques and cash up to $550 per person and $1,250 for a cardholder travelling with family, with no excess. It helps you replace what you need to keep travelling after a theft.

Personal Liability covers your legal liability for accidental injury to other people or damage to their property overseas, up to $2,500,000, with no excess. It is the benefit that matters if an accident abroad turns into a claim against you.

Pays a lump sum of $50,000 on the accidental death of a cardholder and $25,000 for a spouse or dependant, up to a family total of $150,000, with no excess. Overseas Transit Accident cover also applies while travelling on public transport.

Loss of Income replaces your verified income at up to $1,000 per week if an overseas injury stops you working after you return, limited to 12 weeks and a total of $12,000, with no excess. It applies to cardholders and spouses, not dependants.

Interstate Flight Inconvenience covers cancellation of prepaid interstate travel up to $3,000, with a $300 excess. It applies when the entire return interstate flight is charged to the card, and cover runs for up to 14 days per journey.

Pays for meals and accommodation after a domestic flight delay of four hours or more, at $125 per person up to a total of $500, with no excess. It is modest cover for an interstate delay, not a full domestic policy.

No domestic additional-expenses cover. The interstate benefit pays for flight cancellation, delay and luggage only, not extra travel or accommodation from a disruption. Those costs on a domestic trip are the cardholder's responsibility.

Interstate luggage cover pays up to $500 for each item and $1,500 in total for loss, theft or damage on a domestic flight trip, with a $300 excess. The per-item cap is low, so a single expensive item is only partly covered.

Pays for essential purchases after a domestic luggage delay of 12 hours or more, at $125 per person up to $500, with no excess. It covers the basics while an interstate carrier still has your bag.