Should you tick the insurance box when booking flights?

I fly domestic reasonably often. I live in the North Island, and most of my family is in the deep south. And I’ve been lucky enough to take an international holiday in recent years.

When I’m booking flights, I always wonder if it’s worth ticking the airline’s insurance box or better to organise my own. Turns out others in the Consumer office had the same debate. So, we looked into it.

Both Air New Zealand and Jetstar offer travel insurance as an add-on to their domestic and international flights.

We’ve compared the two airlines’ domestic and international policies, making it easy to see if they’re a good option for your trip. We’ve found some have exclusions and limits that will mean you might not be covered – and should organise your own insurance instead.

Should you buy domestic travel insurance from Air New Zealand or Jetstar?

Our survey of domestic travel insurance policies found they usually weren’t worth buying.

For lost bags, delays within the airline’s control and emergency medical treatment for injuries, you’ve already got a whole range of protections thanks to the law and our health system.

Domestic travel insurance could be worth it if:

• you’re hiring a rental car and have a large excess

• you want cover for delays caused by weather or events outside of an airline’s control

• you've booked a big trip where a delay could derail the whole holiday

• you don't already have contents insurance and are travelling with valuables

• you want cover in case you need to cancel unexpectedly.

We’ve broken down everything you’re entitled to if your flight is delayed or cancelled or you’ve got issues with delayed or lost baggage.

Choose the right travel insurance

It's your safety net if anything goes awry overseas. Find out what to look for when choosing travel insurance and what's covered, then compare a range of comprehensive policies.

More on travel insurance

Air New Zealand and Jetstar domestic travel insurance – what you get for your money

We reviewed Air New Zealand and Jetstar’s domestic policies to find out what cover looks like for one person travelling return.

There are sub-limits, exclusions, conditions and definitions contained in each policy, so it’s important that you read them to make sure you know what you’re signing up for.

Should you buy international add-on travel insurance from Air New Zealand or Jetstar?

When it comes to international trips, our insurance expert and Consumer research lead, Rebecca Styles, says getting insurance is a no-brainer.

“It’s your safety net for overseas travel, where you won’t have many of the protections you would have at home, such as our health system.”

But whether you should buy direct from an airline when you book tickets or organise your own international travel insurance will depend on the policies and what they cover.

“It always pays to check the cover. What’s standard cover in one policy may be an optional benefit in another – or may not be covered at all,” Styles says.

With Air New Zealand and Jetstar’s add-on international travel insurance, there’s one policy only and you can’t choose the level of cover you want, such as basic or comprehensive. You might not be able to adjust your excess, either.

You might save time using an airline’s add-on insurance offering, compared to having to organise it yourself. After all, it can be tough work reading through all those policies.

That’s why we survey popular international travel insurance policies, including a different Air New Zealand insurance product, so you can easily compare cover and premiums.

Our advice? Shop around, read the policies and don’t sacrifice cover for convenience.

Air New Zealand and Jetstar international add-on travel insurance – what you get for your money

We reviewed Air New Zealand and Jetstar’s policies to find out what cover looks like for one person travelling return internationally.

There are sub-limits, exclusions and definitions contained in each policy, so it’s important that you read them to make sure you know what you’re signing up for.

The two travel insurance companies New Zealanders like the most