It depends. If you cannot collect compensation from your airline, you are generally able to seek reimbursement from your travel insurance for the following reasons:
Response | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 40.29% |
| 2 | 28.96% |
| 0 | 17.63% |
| 3+ | 13.13% |
Generally speaking, you won't be covered if you cancel your trip without justification. Some of the reasons where you would not be reimbursed include:
Below is a table of the travel insurance providers that could pay out the value of your points if you have to cancel your trip.
Brand | PDS wording and frequent flyer mentions | Apply |
|---|---|---|
 | "The value of frequent flyer or similar flight reward points, air miles, redeemable vouchers or similar schemes lost by You following cancellation of the services paid for with those points, if You cannot recover Your loss in any other way." | Bonus |
 | "You have to cancel the Journey (where You cannot rearrange it prior to leaving Home) We will pay You the value of frequent flyer or similar flight reward points, air miles, redeemable vouchers or similar schemes lost by You following cancellation of the services paid for with those points, if You cannot recover Your loss in any other way." | Bonus |
 | "We will pay you the value of any frequent flyer or similar air travel points you used to purchase an airline ticket following cancellation of that airline ticket due to unforeseen circumstances outside of your control, if you cannot recover the lost points from any other source." | |
 | "Your loss of frequent flyer or similar air travel points you used to purchase an airline ticket following the cancellation of that airline ticket, if you cannot recover the lost points from any other source." | Finder AwardBonus |
 | "Frequent flyer or similar flight reward programmes – claims for points lost due to the cancellation of your airline ticket will be reimbursed based on the nominated cash value for those points given by the reward programme operator." | |
 | "Frequent flyer or similar flight reward programmes – claims for points lost due to the cancellation of your airline ticket will be reimbursed based on the nominated cash value for those points given by the reward programme operator. We will not provide cover if the loss of such points or their value can be recovered from any other source." | |
 | "Where an airline ticket was purchased using frequent flyer or similar air points, we will pay you the frequent flyer or similar air points lost following cancellation of your air ticket." | Bonus |
 | "Where an airline ticket was purchased using frequent flyer or similar air points, we will pay you the frequent flyer or similar air points lost following cancellation of your air ticket." | Finder AwardBonus |
 | "Where an airline ticket was purchased using frequent flyer or similar air points, We will pay You for frequent flyer or similar air points lost following cancellation of Your air ticket." | |
 | "The value of frequent flyer or similar flight reward points, air miles, redeemable vouchers or similar schemes lost by You following cancellation of the services paid for with those points, if You cannot recover Your loss in any other way." | Bonus |
 | "[Covers consequential] loss arising from using frequent flyer points or similar loyalty programmes" | Finder Award |
 | "You have to cancel the Journey (where You cannot rearrange it prior to leaving Home) We will pay You the value of frequent flyer or similar flight reward points, air miles, redeemable vouchers or similar schemes lost by You following cancellation of the services paid for with those points, if You cannot recover Your loss in any other way." | Bonus |
 | "The loss of frequent flyer points you used to purchase an airline ticket if the airline ticket is cancelled and you cannot recover the lost points from any other source." | |
 | "The loss of frequent flyer points you used to purchase an airline ticket if the airline ticket is cancelled and you cannot recover the lost points from any other source." | |
 | "If you paid for any part of your trip using loyalty points or similar reward points, the amount we will pay is calculated as follows: the cost of the equivalent class airline ticket, based on the best available advance purchase airfare for the same season of the following year, less your financial contribution towards the airline ticket; multiplied by the total amount of points lost; divided by the total amount of points redeemed to obtain the airline ticket." | |
 | "The value of frequent flyer or similar flight reward points, air miles, redeemable vouchers or similar schemes lost by You following cancellation of the services paid for with those points, if You cannot recover Your loss in any other way." | |
 | "We will pay the value of any frequent flyer or similar air travel points, loyalty cards points, redeemable vouchers or other similar schemes, you used to purchase an airline ticket following cancellation of that airline ticket due to unforeseen circumstances outside of your control, if you cannot recover the lost points from any other source." | |
 | "Where an airline ticket was purchased using frequent flyer or similar air points, we will pay you the frequent flyer or similar air points lost following cancellation of your air ticket." | |
 | "Where the purchase of a Licenced Airplane, Ship, Bus or Train ticket (or part thereof) was done so using membership rewards points or similar points and the loss of such points cannot be recovered from any other source, We will calculate the loss by using the retail price associated with the travel provider of the issued ticket at the time the ticket was purchased." | |
 | "For the value of frequent flyer points, air miles, loyalty card points, redeemable vouchers or other similar schemes lost by you as a result of cancelling the services paid for or obtained with those points, air miles, vouchers or schemes, but only if you cannot recover your loss in any other way." | |
 | "Loss of Qantas Points, we will refund your Qantas Points for any Qantas Frequent Flyer award ticketing or rebooking fees that you may incur for any reason covered by this insurance." | Bonus |
 | "Where an airline ticket was purchased using frequent flyer or similar air points, We will pay You for frequent flyer or similar air points lost following cancellation of Your air ticket." | |
 | "We will pay the value of any frequent flyer or similar air travel points, loyalty cards points, redeemable vouchers or other similar schemes, you used to purchase an airline ticket following cancellation of that airline ticket due to unforeseen circumstances outside of your control, if you cannot recover the lost points from any other source." | |
 | "If you paid for any part of your trip using loyalty points or similar reward points, the amount we will pay is calculated as follows: the cost of the equivalent class airline ticket, based on the best available advance purchase airfare for the same season of the following year, less your financial contribution towards the airline ticket; multiplied by the total amount of points lost; divided by the total amount of points redeemed to obtain the airline ticket." | |
 | "The value of frequent flyer or similar flight reward points, air miles, redeemable vouchers or similar schemes lost by You following cancellation of the services paid for with those points, if You cannot recover Your loss in any other way." | |
 | "For the value of frequent flyer points, air miles, loyalty card points, redeemable vouchers or other similar schemes lost by you as a result of cancelling the services paid for or obtained with those points, air miles, vouchers or schemes, but only if you cannot recover your loss in any other way." |
Note: This information was last updated August 2023
How you'll be reimbursed and how much you will be reimbursed for will vary from insurer to insurer. Often, you'll receive the cost of an equivalent airline ticket. Others will reimburse you the frequent flyer points you used to pay for the ticket.
The amount an insurer will pay is generally calculated as follows
Equivalent class advance purchase airfare = $1,000
Points lost = 5,000
Points redeemed to obtain original ticket = 20,000
Claimable amount = $1,000 x 5,000 divided by 20,000 = $250
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