Ski and Snowboard Travel Insurance
Going skiing or snowboarding? On-piste or off, Travel Insurance may help your snow adventure stay on track. Travel Alert: Cover is not available for loss arising from government restrictions including travel bans, border closures and broadly imposed quarantine requirements, or failure to follow government advice. If your travel is affected by government restrictions, we have options available if you no longer need your policy. See our travel alerts.
What is ski and snowboard travel insurance?
Arrived at the mountain ready to hit the slopes but there’s no snow? While we can’t guarantee the weather, amount of snow, or your skiing ability. Our optional Snow sports cover on our Domestic Plan is designed to help cover:
- Ski lift passes: The costs of ski lift passes when you’re injured or become ill during your trip and can’t ski.
- Hire equipment when yours is lost, damaged or delayed: If your own equipment is lost or delayed in transit or damaged, our optional Snow sports cover may help cover the costs of hire equipment so you don’t miss out on all the fun.
- Compensation if the weather closes the slopes: yep if the weather is so bad they close the slopes we’ll pay for your inability to go skiing, although daily and maximum benefit limits apply.
- Baggage: If your equipment is permanently lost, or irreparably damaged, you may also be able make a claim under the luggage and personal effects section.
- Cancellation due to illness: If you have to cancel or defer your ski tour holiday because you or a family member is medically certified unfit to travel, your non-refundable pre-paid travel costs for ski tours may also be covered.
Benefit limits apply to all these sections and you should remember if you haven’t added the Snow sports cover option when you purchase your travel insurance policy, then these benefits may not be covered.
Do I need ski and snowboard travel insurance?
Every year, tens of thousands of us go overseas to hit the slopes in the colder parts of the world. From ski schools in Canada to the wide-open runs of France, Australians can be found on pistes all around the world.
Zooming down an icy hill on planks is much riskier than lying by the pool in the sun all day.
Each ski season, we receive hundreds of claims about broken bones, torn ligaments and dislocations from skiing accidents overseas. Injuries sustained from snow sports can be serious and the cost of staying in hospital in some countries, such as America or Japan, can be sky-high.
While medical is not included in our domestic cover due to Medicare, our optional Snow sports cover may be able to help with cancelled skiing due to bad weather, hire equipment when your own goes missing, or lost ski passes.
What Snow sports are covered?
Our policy covers common and not-so-common snow activities, on and off-piste. For most of them, you'll need to have booked the activity through a guided tour provider or a licensed operator to be covered. For instance, if you and some friends decided to ride snowmobiles in an area marked as dangerous, without a guide, and you have an accident, you may not be covered. The types of Snow sports included are:
- On and off piste skiing and snowboarding
- Backcountry skiing and snowboarding
- Snowmobiling
- Cross country skiing
- Tobogganing
- Telemark skiing
Ski and snowboard travel insurance FAQs
What happens if I don’t take Snow sports cover?
Your policy won’t cover you for any claims arising from your participation in Snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding. We may cover you if you have an accident building a snowman though, depending on where you build it. Of course, cover is available other things as per your PDS.
How do I make sure I have Snow sports cover?
You must add the Snow sports cover option when you purchase your policy – once you’ve chosen your plan, you will options available to customise your cover – select Snow sport cover at this point which will add it to your policy and it will be shown on your Certificate of Insurance. This mean you have additional cover available under the policy for injuries, equipment and any time lost because you couldn't get out on the slopes.
Already left home and decided to go skiing unexpectedly?
While we can’t add additional cover to a policy once it has been issued, if you’re on a longer trip and are only spending a few days in the snow, you might consider buying another policy including cover for Snow sports just for those days.
For claims arising from participating in Snow sports, you’ll only have cover for arrangements during the dates the Snow spots option is in place - Including if you have to cancel the remainder of your trip following an injury on the slopes.
Please note: If you buy a policy whilst you’re travelling, a 72 hour waiting period will apply to most sections of the policy. Contact us if you have more questions.
Is Snow sports cover just for medical expenses?
The Snow Sports option may allow you to claim a benefit to compensate you for piste closure; lost lift passes; ski school; and hiring replacement ski gear if yours is lost, stolen or damaged (provided your claim payable under the terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the PDS).
Losses arising from injuries obtained in the course of skiing or snowboarding may be covered under our International plan’s emergency Medical assistance section – for our Domestic plans,expenses are not included as Medicare in Australia will often provide assistance in these circumstances.
What Snow sports do you cover under the Snow sports cover option?
When you’ve purchased a policy including the Snow sports option, your policy provides cover for claims arising from your participation in the following Snow sports:
- snow skiing and snowboarding (on and off piste);
- backcountry skiing and snowboarding;
- snowmobiling;
- tobogganing;
- cross-country skiing; and
- telemark skiing.
What Snow sports and activities aren’t covered?
Regardless of whether or not you’ve purchased the Snow sports cover option, we won’t cover any claims arising from your participation in:
- any activities on ice or snow other than the ones described as a Snow sport in the policy such as
- bobsleighing/bobsledding;
- luge;
- skeleton;
- tubing;
- ski acrobatics;
- ski jumping;
- skijoring;
- snow kiting;
- snow biking;
- snow rafting;
- ice hockey;
- ice climbing;
- any activities on frozen lakes and rivers;
- any professional sporting activities;
- any form of racing (other than on foot);
for full terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions read the PDS and consider if the product suits your needs.
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