Mystery shop reveal: How to save $377 on travel insurance for your summer vacation
Australian jetsetters flying overseas for a vacation this summer have been urged to avoid the trap of settling for ‘add-on’ travel insurance, following a recent mystery shop which revealed staggering markups of up to 205% between different providers.
The mystery shop, conducted by mozo.com.au, showed that travel insurance purchased from specialist online insurers could be as much as $377 cheaper than the add-on insurance offered through airline or booking websites.
And it was Australian families with children who were found to be the group that could be potentially saving the most, with Mozo Director Kirsty Lamont encouraging them to do their research this holiday season.
“As the group worst hit by travel insurance mark-ups, families with dependent childrenshould be extra diligent in shopping around for insurance with some airlines charging add oninsurance per person regardless of the age of the traveller,” said Lamont.
“A family of four travelling to the US for 15 days have the potential to save up to $377 simply by shopping around online, with one airline quoting a staggering $560 compared to just $183 from travel insurance specialist iTrek.”
The mystery shop also revealed that couples could be saving a bundle by taking the time to compare offers. The research showed that a couple in their late 20’s, heading to Thailand for a week would pay just half the price for travel insurance purchased using an online insurer compared to ‘add on’ insurance through an airline.
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“Our analysis shows that big savings are on offer for travellers heading overseas this holiday season who are willing to do some research beforehand and compare travel insurance quotes online,” said Lamont.
“Holidaymakers should do due diligence before taking out an insurance policy and check the coverage levels and policy features to select the policy that best matches their needs.”
If you’re in midst of making some travel plans of your own this summer, it’s still not too late to find a cheaper travel insurance deal. Head over to the Mozo travel insurance hub and plug in your details to compare a range of options for your own trip.
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