If You Buy Travel Insurance After a Strike Hits the News, It’s Already Too Late to Claim

Money & Insurance Once a strike, flood or eruption is public news, Australian travel insurers won't cover it, and buying a policy the day it hits headlines is too late. By Laxman Rawal · Sep 25, 2026 Read the full story

If you buy travel insurance the same week a strike makes headlines, you have almost certainly bought it too late to claim on that strike. That is the known-event exclusion buried in most Australian travel insurance policies, and this month's stoppages at… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What is a known-event exclusion, and how does it decide your claim

A known-event exclusion means an insurer won't pay a claim for a disruption that was already public knowledge before you bought the policy. "It's essential to purchase travel insurance as soon as you start making payments towards your trip," says Natalie… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Did the Sydney Airport strikes actually trigger this exclusion this month

Yes, twice over. On September 24, roughly 400 Certis security screening staff walked out for two separate two-hour stoppages, 7:30—9:30am and 6—8pm, while Qantas Ground Services staff at two freight subsidiaries stopped work for a full 24 hours. A further… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

How many Australians are already flying with zero cover

About 14% of Australians took their most recent overseas trip with no travel insurance at all, and among under-30 travelers that rises to 23%. Of the people who went uninsured, 65% say it was a deliberate choice — 31% judged their destination safe enough to… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What this means if you already have a flight booked this month

What this means for you Check the date on your policy schedule against the date each strike was first reported, not the date it actually happens — that comparison is what decides your claim. If you haven't bought cover yet and nothing is currently in the news… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Common questions about travel insurance and strikes

Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Does travel insurance ever cover strikes?

Yes, but only a strike that wasn't already public when you bought the policy. A comprehensive product bought early enough can cover extra accommodation, meals, alternative transport, missed connections and some prepaid costs the strike causes. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

What if I bought my policy weeks before the strike was even threatened?

That is exactly the scenario the exclusion is designed to still pay out on. The test is whether the disruption was public knowledge on your purchase date, not whether you personally knew about it. Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Does the same rule apply to trekking insurance in Nepal?

Yes. A named-peril or known-event clause works the same way regardless of country: a flood, a strike or a border closure that has already made news before you buy is excluded from that policy. Buy trekking insurance when you book your trip, not the week… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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