Travel insurance

On the basis that I've got another trip overseas in the wind, I've done a bit of research as to what is provided under various travel insurance policies, and I'd like to thank those of you who gave me their thoughts on the issue. 

I tell you what it's an interesting exercise and one which is worthy of a PhD thesis.

One of the first and most important things I discovered is, should you purchase your airline ticket using a personal credit card, the travel insurer will immediately endeavour to obtain restitution of fifty per cent of any amount they have to pay out to you the traveler against your credit card's insurer. That's assuming of course, though the majority of banks do, that your finance lender provides an "insurance" element on their credit card and that's irrespective of whether you wish to claim against said card insurance policy or not.

As a result I think that what this suggests is that you should always first and foremost read through your credit card's Product Disclosure Statement to see exactly what is / isn't covered by their insurance policy. 

I further suspect that it's only if your over sixty-five, are proposing to undertake some more adventurous activities such as skiing, will have particularly valuable camera or computer equipment with you, or have some pre-existing medical conditions that there's more necessity to take out travel insurance through someone not connected to your credit card.

Now in saying that, it still pays to read through "whoever's" Product Disclosure Statement, because as I found when I spoke to a representative from Velosure (a cycling orientated insurance company) their travel insurance policy did NOT cover my bike when taken on holidays. In order for it to be covered I had to purchase bike insurance separately. The only problem with that (once again and only because I asked for clarification) is that they would not cover the bike out of Australia for a period of more than sixty days.... IE: Not long enough to cover me for the full duration of The Andes Tour, and that's coming from a cycling affiliated insurer.... 

As a result I'll have to delve a little further to see what I can work out and I'll let you know what I decide in due course....