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Travel Insurance for Unexpected Events - Wars, Strikes, Natural Disasters and More - Best Options for Kiwis

Our definitive guide looks at what New Zealand travel insurance policies actually cover for war, conflict, terrorism, natural disasters, airline strikes, pandemics and other major disruptions so you can make an informed choice before you travel.
Updated 7 March 2026
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Summary
  • When the United States and Israel launched coordinated military strikes against Iran on 28 February 2026, thousands of New Zealanders found themselves stranded or facing cancelled flights across the Middle East. Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi airports closed their airspace, severing the most popular routing for New Zealanders flying to Europe and the UK.
  • Within hours, travellers were asking the same question - does my travel insurance cover this disruption? The answer, in almost every case, was no.
  • However, global events outside of wars - strikes, floods, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, fires and other unexpected occurrences continue to disrupt New Zealand travellers.
  • This guide exists because New Zealanders need a clear, honest explanation of what their travel insurance policies actually cover when unexpected events disrupt their travel.
  • We have read hundreds of pages of policy documents from the four insurers that underwrite virtually every travel insurance policy sold in New Zealand, and we present our findings in plain language to help you make an informed choice about what insurance is best for your travel needs.

Our approach:
  • We analysed the full policy wordings of Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI), Allianz Travel Insurance, Cover­More (Zurich), and 1Cover and TINZ (HDI Global Specialty SE). These four underwriters back every major New Zealand travel insurance brand, including AA, Air New Zealand, AMI, State Insurance, AMP, TINZ, Tower, 1Cover, Mix & Match and Webjet and others. If you buy travel insurance in New Zealand, your policy is almost certainly underwritten by one of these four companies.
  • Our guide covers war and conflict, terrorism, civil unrest, natural disasters, airline strikes, airline insolvency, IT outages, pandemics, and how MFAT travel advisories interact with your insurance.
  • For each event type, we explain what is and is not covered, highlight the differences between insurers, and give you practical steps to take if you are affected.

Results: ​
Advertising Disclaimer: At MoneyHub, we maintain transparency and independence in our reviews and comparisons. While we may have commercial relationships with some insurers featured in this guide, these partnerships do not influence our rankings, recommendations, or the prices you see. Our commitment is to provide New Zealanders with unbiased, trustworthy information to help them make informed decisions based on their needs.
​Our Best Travel Insurers and Why Southern Cross Travel Insurance Stands Out
  • MoneyHub is focused on making travel insurance simple - we read the policies, analyse the drawbacks, compare coverage across event types, and do the hard work to bring you a shortlist of genuinely comprehensive options.
  • After reviewing hundreds of pages of policy documents from the four underwriters covering the New Zealand market, we believe Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) consistently delivers the most robust coverage for unexpected events.

What Our Analysis Found:
  • $100,000 terrorism medical sub-limit - the only New Zealand insurer offering dedicated terrorism medical cover
  • Riot/civil commotion carve-out for travellers already on their journey - genuine on-trip civil unrest protection
  • Clear "unexpected event" framework for natural disasters, strikes and pandemics - transparent cutoff times and consumer-friendly communication
  • Unlimited medical coverage and $25,000 luggage protection - this beats most competitors

Important: No policy covers war. But for everything else - natural disasters, strikes, civil unrest, terrorism injuries, pandemics - the differences between insurers are significant. Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) doesn't cut corners on the events that actually affect New Zealand travellers.

Next Steps This is not about choosing the cheapest option - it is about choosing insurance that actually works when you need it. The few extra dollars you spend on proper coverage could save you thousands in the event of an unexpected disruption.​

The Four Insurers That Underwrite the New Zealand Travel Insurance Market

Before comparing policies, it helps to understand who is actually standing behind your travel insurance. Regardless of the brand name on your policy, one of four underwriters is responsible for assessing and paying your claims. We outline these below:

1. Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI)
  • SCTI is a subsidiary of the Southern Cross Health Society, a member-driven Friendly Society established in 1961.
  • SCTI underwrites and sells its own policies directly, meaning you deal with one company from purchase through to claim.
  • SCTI returns its profits to the Health Society, which uses them to keep health insurance premiums down for its members.
  • Sells directly as: Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI)

2. Allianz Partners
  • Policies are issued and managed by AWP Services New Zealand Limited, trading as Allianz Partners, and underwritten by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company, Limited (MSI). Allianz sells policies directly and also provides the underwriting for several major New Zealand brands.
  • Sells directly as: ​Allianz Travel Insurance
  • Also underwrites: AA Travel Insurance, AMP, Tower, Mix & Match

3. Cover-More / Zurich
4. 1Cover / TINZ (HDI Global Specialty SE)
  • 1Cover NZ Limited arranges insurance that is underwritten by HDI Global Specialty SE, a German-registered insurer operating through its New Zealand branch. TINZ (Travel Insurance New Zealand) uses the same underwriter and substantially identical policy wording.
  • Sells directly as: 1Cover, TINZ (Travel Insurance NZ)
  • Underwritten by: HDI Global Specialty SE

Important: Why we’ve categorised insurers by their underwriting structure

When choosing a travel insurance policy, it’s important to understand the provider and who actually underwrites the policy. The underwriter is responsible for evaluating risk and paying claims, so knowing who’s behind your policy is crucial for making an informed decision.

We’ve categorised insurers into three groups to make this clear:

1. Insurers who are also underwriters
  • These companies, like Allianz and Southern Cross, both sell and underwrite their own policies. This means you’re dealing directly with the company responsible for assessing and paying your claims.
  • Many New Zealanders prefer this arrangement for its transparency and simplicity, as it reduces the layers involved in the claims process.

2. Specialist insurers using external underwriters
  • These providers, such as 1Cover, AA, AMP and Tower, specialise in selling insurance but rely on large, reputable underwriters like Allianz or Zurich to manage the risks and claims.
  • This can offer competitive pricing while ensuring you’re backed by trusted, international firms with strong financial capabilities. However, understanding this relationship is important, as you’re effectively buying from one company but dealing with another in the event of a claim.

3. Web-based insurers using external underwriters
Online insurers like Mixandmatch or Webjet typically use external underwriters to support their policies, making offering competitive prices via their web platforms easier. While their services are convenient and often cheaper, it’s essential to know that a different entity will handle the actual claims process—usually a large, well-known underwriter.

Why this matters to you
By breaking insurers into these categories, we aim to give you full transparency into how each policy is structured. Understanding the distinction between the insurance provider and the underwriter helps you:
  • Make better decisions: You know exactly who you’ll be dealing with at every stage, from purchasing your policy to making a claim.
  • Build confidence in your choice: Choosing a policy from a provider supported by a strong underwriter gives you peace of mind that your claims will be handled efficiently.
  • Understand pricing differences: Sometimes, policies with similar coverage come at different price points due to the involvement of an external underwriter. Knowing this helps you understand what you’re paying for.

Our View: Clarity is key to making informed decisions about travel insurance and ensuring you get the best value for your money. Our focus is on providing transparent and reliable information that lets you choose the best coverage for your needs.

How MFAT Travel Advisories Interact With Your Insurance

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) publishes travel advisories via SafeTravel for destinations worldwide. These advisories use a four-level system, and the level assigned to your destination can directly affect your travel insurance coverage.

The Four SafeTravel Levels
  • Level 1 – Exercise Normal Safety Precautions: No impact on insurance coverage.
  • Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution: No impact on insurance coverage.
  • Level 3 – Avoid Non-Essential Travel: May affect coverage depending on insurer and timing.
  • Level 4 – Do Not Travel: Virtually all insurers exclude claims arising from travel to Level 4 destinations.

What “Do Not Travel” Means for Your Policy
  • Every New Zealand travel insurer we reviewed excludes claims that arise from travelling to a destination subject to an MFAT “Do Not Travel” advisory, where the subject of the advisory relates to the nature of your claim. This is a blanket exclusion across all four underwriters.
  • However, if you purchased your policy and began your journey before the advisory was issued, you may still have some cover for the costs of getting home or for unrelated medical events. Each insurer treats the timing slightly differently, so always check your specific policy wording and contact your insurer directly.
  • Our View: Always check SafeTravel before purchasing travel insurance and before departing. If an MFAT “Do Not Travel” advisory is in place for your destination at the time you buy your policy, you will have no cover for events related to that advisory. Even if you already hold a policy, choosing to travel to or remain in a “Do Not Travel” destination will void your coverage for related claims.

Travel Insurance for War, Conflict and Hostilities

Know This First: No travel insurance policy sold in New Zealand covers claims arising from war, armed conflict, or military hostilities. This is a universal exclusion.

What the Policies Say
All four New Zealand underwriters exclude war-related claims. The wording is remarkably similar across all policies:
  • SCTI: General Exclusion E.5 excludes claims arising from “war, invasion, or civil war (whether declared or not)” as well as “acts involving military operations.” This applies to the whole policy, throughout the period of insurance.
  • Allianz/MSI: General Exclusion covers “any act of war, whether war is declared or not, or from any rebellion, revolution, insurrection or taking of power by the military.” Allianz explicitly confirmed during the March 2026 Iran conflict that customers reconsidering travel plans also have no cover for voluntarily changing plans.
  • Cover-More/Zurich: General Exclusion 4 covers “war, invasion, act of foreign enemy, hostilities (whether war be declared or not), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection or military or usurped power.” The Cancellation Plus benefit also specifically excludes war.
  • 1Cover/TINZ: General Exclusion 20(c) covers “any act of war, whether war is declared or not, or any actions of a foreign enemy, civil war, hostilities, insurrection, invasion, rebellion, revolution or taking of power by the military.” This applies irrespective of when you purchased your policy.

The March 2026 Iran Conflict: A Real-World Example
When the US-Israel strikes on Iran triggered airspace closures across the Middle East on 28 February 2026, every insurer confirmed the war exclusion applied. Key responses included:
  • SCTI drew a clear line by stating policies purchased before 1am on 1 March 2026 were subject to the war exclusion (no cover for conflict-related costs), while policies purchased after that time received no cover for anything related to the event because it was no longer “unexpected.”
  • Allianz confirmed no cover under any section, and specifically stated that customers who simply wanted to change their plans due to the conflict also had no cover.
  • Cover-More confirmed no cover and noted that even the Cancellation Plus benefit does not apply to war-related events.
  • 1Cover/TINZ confirmed the war exclusion applies irrespective of when the policy was purchased.

What Is Still Covered During a Conflict?
  • An important point that SCTI and Cover-More explicitly confirmed (although it's implied by others) - if you are overseas during a conflict and something unrelated happens to you, such as falling ill with food poisoning, breaking a leg, or having your belongings stolen, those events are still covered under your policy. The war exclusion only applies to claims that arise from the conflict itself.
  • All insurers also confirmed they will provide automatic or free policy extensions if you are stuck overseas beyond your return date due to the conflict.
Our Best Travel Insurers and Why Southern Cross Travel Insurance Stands Out
  • MoneyHub is focused on making travel insurance simple - we read the policies, analyse the drawbacks, compare coverage across event types, and do the hard work to bring you a shortlist of genuinely comprehensive options.
  • After reviewing hundreds of pages of policy documents from the four underwriters covering the New Zealand market, we believe Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) consistently delivers the most robust coverage for unexpected events.

What Our Analysis Found:
  • $100,000 terrorism medical sub-limit - the only New Zealand insurer offering dedicated terrorism medical cover
  • Riot/civil commotion carve-out for travellers already on their journey - genuine on-trip civil unrest protection
  • Clear "unexpected event" framework for natural disasters, strikes and pandemics - transparent cutoff times and consumer-friendly communication
  • Unlimited medical coverage and $25,000 luggage protection - this beats most competitors

Important: No policy covers war. But for everything else - natural disasters, strikes, civil unrest, terrorism injuries, pandemics - the differences between insurers are significant. Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) doesn't cut corners on the events that actually affect New Zealand travellers.

Next Steps This is not about choosing the cheapest option - it is about choosing insurance that actually works when you need it. The few extra dollars you spend on proper coverage could save you thousands in the event of an unexpected disruption.

Travel Insurance for Civil Unrest, Riots and Protests

Know This First: Coverage varies significantly between insurers. SCTI stands out with a specific exception for travellers already on their journey.

SCTI: The Riot/Civil Commotion Exception
  • SCTI’s war exclusion (E.5) contains a notable carve-out: it excludes “riot or civil commotion” from the war exclusion for travellers who are already on their journey. This means that if civil unrest breaks out at your destination while you are already travelling, you may have cover for travel interruption costs.
  • This is a meaningful distinction from other insurers.

Cover-More: On-Trip Disruption Cover
  • Cover-More’s Section 2.5(a) provides cover for additional expenses when your journey is disrupted by events including “civil protest or unrest” – provided the military or armed forces have not seized control.
  • This cover applies to travellers who are already on their trip.

Allianz and 1Cover/TINZ
  • Allianz covers additional expenses and travel delay when transport is disrupted due to “strike, riot, hijack, civil protest” under benefits 3.1 and 3.2.
  • 1Cover/TINZ covers travel disruption from “strike, riot, hijack, civil protest or unrest” affecting your mode of transport, but excludes cancellation claims arising from civil protest or unrest where the military has seized control.

Real-World Examples
Civil unrest events that have affected New Zealand travellers in recent years include the 2024 New Caledonia riots (state of emergency declared, airport closed), the 2023 French riots, and the 2022 Peru demonstrations. In each case, travellers who were already at their destination generally had better outcomes than those trying to cancel pre-departure.

Travel Insurance for Terrorism

Know This First: Most policies exclude terrorism, but there are two notable exceptions that set certain insurers apart.

Where Most Policies Stand
The majority of New Zealand travel insurance policies exclude claims arising from terrorism. 1Cover/TINZ explicitly excludes terrorism from cancellation, additional expenses, and travel disruption sections. Allianz excludes terrorism-related cancellation claims under its Comprehensive plan.

Exception 1: SCTI – $100,000 Terrorism Medical Cover
  • SCTI provides up to $100,000 of medical cover specifically for terrorism-related injuries under benefit D.1.1.
  • This is a dedicated sub-limit within the Overseas Medical and Hospital Expenses section.
  • If you are injured in a terrorist attack while overseas, SCTI will cover your medical treatment up to this amount.
  • No other New Zealand underwriter offers an equivalent dedicated terrorism medical benefit.

Exception 2: Cover-More – Terrorism Cancellation Extension
  • Cover-More offers a Cancellation Extension benefit (meaning you pay to add it to your policy) on its Comprehensive and Comprehensive+ plans that provides 75% of cancellation costs (up to $10,000 per policy) for terrorism events. However, this is subject to strict conditions:
  1. The act of terrorism must occur within 7 days before your scheduled departure.
  2. The terrorism must occur within 50km of a destination on your itinerary.
  3. There must be no MFAT “Do Not Travel” advisory in place for that destination.

Important: No other New Zealand travel insurance underwriter offers any form of terrorism cancellation cover.

Our View: Terrorism cover is one of the areas where SCTI and Cover-More differentiate themselves. For travellers concerned about terrorism risk, SCTI’s $100,000 medical sub-limit provides genuine reassurance, while Cover-More’s cancellation extension – though narrow in its conditions – is unique in the market. Allianz and 1Cover/TINZ provide no terrorism-specific benefits.
Our Best Travel Insurers and Why Southern Cross Travel Insurance Stands Out
  • MoneyHub is focused on making travel insurance simple - we read the policies, analyse the drawbacks, compare coverage across event types, and do the hard work to bring you a shortlist of genuinely comprehensive options.
  • After reviewing hundreds of pages of policy documents from the four underwriters covering the New Zealand market, we believe Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) consistently delivers the most robust coverage for unexpected events.

What Our Analysis Found:
  • $100,000 terrorism medical sub-limit - the only New Zealand insurer offering dedicated terrorism medical cover
  • Riot/civil commotion carve-out for travellers already on their journey - genuine on-trip civil unrest protection
  • Clear "unexpected event" framework for natural disasters, strikes and pandemics - transparent cutoff times and consumer-friendly communication
  • Unlimited medical coverage and $25,000 luggage protection - this beats most competitors

Important: No policy covers war. But for everything else - natural disasters, strikes, civil unrest, terrorism injuries, pandemics - the differences between insurers are significant. Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) doesn't cut corners on the events that actually affect New Zealand travellers.

Next Steps This is not about choosing the cheapest option - it is about choosing insurance that actually works when you need it. The few extra dollars you spend on proper coverage could save you thousands in the event of an unexpected disruption.

Travel Insurance for ​Natural Disasters

Know This First: This is the category where New Zealand travellers are most likely to have genuine coverage. All four underwriters provide some form of natural disaster cover, making this the bright spot in an otherwise restrictive landscape.

What Is Covered
Natural disasters including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, flooding, tsunamis and wildfires are generally covered if the event occurs after you purchased your policy and was not foreseeable at the time of purchase. Coverage typically includes:
  1. Additional travel and accommodation expenses if you are stranded or diverted.
  2. Cancellation costs if your journey cannot proceed due to the event.
  3. Medical expenses if you are injured as a result of the event.

The Critical Timing Factor: “Known Events”
  • Every insurer excludes claims for events you knew about (or should have known about) when you purchased your policy. This means if a volcanic eruption is already in the news when you buy your policy, you will not be covered for disruption caused by that eruption.
  • Insurers set specific cutoff times when an event becomes “known.” For example, during the November 2024 Bali volcano eruption, 1Cover set a cutoff of 11:00am NZST on Wednesday 13 November 2024. Policies purchased after that time received no cover for that specific eruption. SCTI and Allianz set similar cutoffs for the same event.

Our View: It's best to buy your travel insurance as soon as you book your trip, not the night or even week before you fly. The earlier you purchase, the more events will be classified as “unexpected” and therefore covered.

Insurer-Specific Notes
  • Cover-More: Section 2.5(d) explicitly covers additional expenses from natural disasters during your trip. Strong wording.
  • SCTI: Exclusion E.3 only excludes natural events that occurred before your journey. Events during your journey are treated as potential “unexpected events” for travel interruption claims.
  • Allianz: Covers additional expenses and cancellation for natural disasters under benefits 3.1 and 2.1, subject to standard conditions.
  • 1Cover/TINZ: Covers disruption from natural disasters affecting your transport. The 72-hour waiting period applies to pre-departure cancellation sections.

Events Since 2023 - A Very Busy Period
To illustrate how frequently natural disasters affect New Zealand travellers, here is a selection of events from just the past two years that triggered insurer advisories:
  1. The July 2025 Kamchatka earthquake and Pacific tsunami warnings
  2. The September 2025 Typhoon Ragasa across East Asia
  3. Multiple Mount Lewotobi eruptions in Indonesia (2024–2025)
  4. The Vanuatu earthquake (December 2024)
  5. Hurricane Milton in Florida (October 2024)
  6. Cyclone Alfred in Australia (March 2025)
  7. The Myanmar/Thailand earthquake (March 2025)
  8. The California wildfires (January 2025)
  9. The Valencia flooding in Spain (October 2024)

Travel Insurance for Airline Strikes and Industrial Action

Know This First: Coverage depends on which insurer you have and whether you are claiming for cancellation or on-trip disruption.

On-Trip Disruption
If you are already travelling and your transport is disrupted by a strike, most policies provide cover for additional expenses:
  • SCTI: Covers travel interruption from strikes as an “unexpected event” under the standard framework.
  • Allianz: Benefit 3.1(f) covers return home expenses when transport is cancelled or delayed due to a strike. Benefit 3.2 covers travel delay expenses.
  • Cover-More: Section 2.5(a) explicitly covers additional expenses when transport is disrupted by strikes.
  • 1Cover/TINZ: Covers disruption when transport is affected by a strike.

Pre-Departure Cancellation
This is where it gets complicated. Cover-More explicitly excludes cancellation claims caused by “a bus line, airline, shipping line or rail authority” cancelling or rescheduling services – which includes strike action. This means if your airline cancels your flight before departure due to a strike, Cover-More will not pay cancellation costs. You would need to seek a refund or rebooking from the airline directly.

Allianz similarly excludes cancellation for transport provider actions. SCTI and 1Cover/TINZ treat strikes as potentially covered if the event was not foreseeable at the time of purchase.

The Air New Zealand Strikes of 2025–2026
SCTI issued advisories for Air New Zealand strikes in November 2025 and January 2026. These events highlighted an important distinction - strike action by your own national carrier is treated the same as any other foreseeable event. This means that once the strike is announced, new policies will not cover it.
Our Best Travel Insurers and Why Southern Cross Travel Insurance Stands Out
  • MoneyHub is focused on making travel insurance simple - we read the policies, analyse the drawbacks, compare coverage across event types, and do the hard work to bring you a shortlist of genuinely comprehensive options.
  • After reviewing hundreds of pages of policy documents from the four underwriters covering the New Zealand market, we believe Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) consistently delivers the most robust coverage for unexpected events.

What Our Analysis Found:
  • $100,000 terrorism medical sub-limit - the only New Zealand insurer offering dedicated terrorism medical cover
  • Riot/civil commotion carve-out for travellers already on their journey - genuine on-trip civil unrest protection
  • Clear "unexpected event" framework for natural disasters, strikes and pandemics - transparent cutoff times and consumer-friendly communication
  • Unlimited medical coverage and $25,000 luggage protection - this beats most competitors

Important: No policy covers war. But for everything else - natural disasters, strikes, civil unrest, terrorism injuries, pandemics - the differences between insurers are significant. Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) doesn't cut corners on the events that actually affect New Zealand travellers.

Next Steps This is not about choosing the cheapest option - it is about choosing insurance that actually works when you need it. The few extra dollars you spend on proper coverage could save you thousands in the event of an unexpected disruption.

Travel Insurance for Airline Insolvency, IT Outages and Cyber Incidents

Know This First: Most policies exclude claims arising from the financial collapse or insolvency of travel providers.
  • Allianz: Explicitly excludes claims caused by “the financial collapse or Insolvency of any service provider” from both cancellation (2.1.2) and additional expenses (3.1.2).
  • Cover-More: Offers a Travel Services Provider Insolvency benefit (Section 3) covering scheduled airline insolvency. This is unique among New Zealand underwriters.
  • SCTI: Does not have a dedicated insolvency benefit.
  • 1Cover/TINZ: Does not offer dedicated insolvency cover.
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IT Outages and Cyber Incidents
The July 2024 CrowdStrike global IT outage grounded over 5,000 flights worldwide, including services from New Zealand. This type of event sits in a grey area for many policies.
  • Allianz: Includes a specific “Cyber Risk” exclusion that denies cover for accidental death and permanent disability claims arising from cyber events, though medical and travel disruption may still be covered depending on circumstances.
  • 1Cover/TINZ: Excludes claims arising from “a cyber incident affecting any means of transport” from certain travel disruption sections, but their advisory for the July 2024 outage confirmed that travellers already on their journey could claim for disruption under Sections 14 and 15.
  • Cover-More and SCTI: Do not have specific cyber exclusions and would assess claims on a case-by-case basis under standard policy terms.​

Travel Insurance for Pandemics and Epidemics

Know This First: Post-COVID, all four underwriters now provide some level of pandemic medical cover, but the extent varies significantly.

COVID-19 and Pandemic Medical Cover
  • SCTI: Covers pandemic-related medical expenses as an “unexpected event” under the standard medical benefit. No dedicated pandemic section, but the effect is similar.
  • Allianz: Provides cover under benefits 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, and 3.1 if you are “positively diagnosed as suffering a Sickness recognised as an Epidemic or Pandemic such as COVID-19” during your period of cover. This extends to the Cruise Pack and Snow Pack optional benefits.
  • Cover-More: Section 23 provides dedicated pandemic/epidemic medical cover. This is the most clearly structured pandemic provision among New Zealand underwriters.
  • 1Cover/TINZ: Policies purchased from 19 November 2021 onward include cover for overseas emergency medical and hospital expenses from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. A general exclusion for epidemics and pandemics remains for all other claim types.

Important Limitations
  • While pandemic medical cover is now broadly available, pandemic-related cancellation cover remains limited. If a new pandemic causes border closures or flight cancellations, your cancellation claim may be excluded. Allianz is the most generous here, explicitly including pandemic-related cancellation under benefit 2.1, while other insurers are more restrictive.
  • The general principle remains - buying your policy early gives you the best chance of cover, as events known at the time of purchase are excluded.

Insurer-by-Insurer Comparison: Coverage for Unexpected Events

The table below summarises how each of the four New Zealand underwriters covers (or excludes) the major event categories discussed in this guide. Use this as a quick reference when choosing your policy.
Event Type SCTI Allianz/MSI Cover-More 1Cover/TINZ
War / Conflict Not covered Not covered Not covered Not covered
Terrorism - Medical $100,000 sub-limit Not covered Not covered Not covered
Terrorism - Cancellation Not covered Not covered 75% up to $10,000 (conditions apply) Not covered
Civil Unrest (on trip) Covered (riot exception) Covered (transport disruption) Covered (if no military takeover) Covered (transport disruption)
Civil Unrest (cancellation) Limited Not covered Not covered (if military involved) Not covered (if military involved)
Natural Disaster (on trip) Covered Covered Covered Covered
Natural Disaster (cancellation) Covered Covered Covered Covered (72hr wait)
Airline Strike (on trip) Covered Covered Covered Covered
Airline Strike (cancellation) Covered (if unforeseeable) Limited Not covered (airline action) Covered (if unforeseeable)
Airline Insolvency Not covered Not covered Covered (Section 3) Not covered
IT Outage / Cyber Case-by-case Cyber Risk exclusion for some benefits Case-by-case Partial exclusion
Pandemic - Medical Covered Covered Covered (Section 23) Covered (COVID-19)
Pandemic - Cancellation Limited Covered Limited Not covered
MFAT Do Not Travel Not covered Not covered Not covered Not covered
Key:
  • “Covered” means cover is available subject to standard policy conditions and the event being unforeseeable at the time of purchase.
  • “Not covered” means the policy contains an explicit exclusion. “Limited” means partial cover may be available depending on circumstances.
  • “Case-by-case” means no explicit clause exists and the insurer would assess individually.

Our View - The Insurer Offering the Best Protection for Unexpected Events

After analysing hundreds of pages of policy documents and tracking how each insurer responded to real-world events, our assessment is:

Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) offers the strongest overall protection for unexpected events. The $100,000 terrorism medical sub-limit is unique in the New Zealand market, the riot/civil commotion carve-out provides genuine on-trip civil unrest cover, and SCTI’s approach to natural disasters and pandemic medical cover is comprehensive. SCTI’s clear, time-stamped cutoff for the March 2026 Iran conflict (1am, 1 March 2026) and its explicit confirmation that unrelated events remain covered were the most consumer-friendly responses we observed.

​Allianz Travel Insurance provides solid standard coverage and is the most explicit about pandemic-related cancellation cover through benefit 2.1. Allianz’s adventure sport add-ons (Adventure Pack, Snow Pack, Cruise Pack) and multi-trip options are market-leading for active travellers. However, the blanket war exclusion with no exceptions and the explicit statement that voluntary plan changes are not covered make Allianz less flexible during conflict situations.

Cover­More deserves recognition for its terrorism cancellation extension (unique in New Zealand), dedicated airline insolvency cover (Section 3), and structured pandemic provisions (Section 23). For travellers with expensive, pre-booked itineraries who are concerned about cancellation specifically, Cover-More’s Cancellation Plus benefit – despite its limitations – adds a layer of protection others do not offer.

1Cover and TINZ provide adequate standard coverage but offers the fewest exceptions or add-ons for unexpected events. The 72-hour waiting period on pre-departure cancellation sections is a notable limitation. The extensive travel alerts archive on 1Cover’s website is useful for understanding how they handle events, but the underlying coverage is the most restrictive of the four underwriters.

Our View: We suggest you consider buying your travel insurance the moment you book your trip.
  • The earlier you purchase, the more events will be classified as “unexpected” and therefore potentially covered.
  • Every hour you delay increases the risk that a breaking news event will turn your unforeseeable loss into a known event that is excluded from cover.
  • This single action – buying early – gives you more protection than any other decision you can make.

Credit Card Travel Insurance vs Buying a Standalone Policy Unexpected Events

Credit card travel insurance can be a convenient (and free) option, but when it comes to unexpected events like natural disasters, airline strikes, civil unrest and pandemics, the coverage gap between a credit card policy and a standalone policy becomes significant.

Most credit card travel insurance policies were not designed with large-scale disruptions in mind. They typically offer narrower coverage limits, stricter activation requirements and fewer provisions for the types of events discussed in this guide. For these reasons, many cardholders of platinum and gold bank-issued credit cards purchase a standalone travel insurance policy alongside their card benefit, particularly for trips involving expensive bookings, long-haul destinations or regions with elevated risk.

A standalone policy from a dedicated insurer like Southern Cross Travel Insurance or Allianz can cover a wider range of disruptions, including cancellation due to natural disasters, medical expenses from pandemic-related illness, travel delays caused by strikes and additional expenses when civil unrest disrupts your journey. Credit card policies rarely match this breadth of cover.

Important: Before relying on credit card travel insurance, we suggest considering the following limitations specific to unexpected events: credit card policies almost universally exclude war and terrorism claims and lack the terrorism-specific benefits offered by standalone insurers like SCTI and Cover-More. They typically have lower caps on disruption costs if you are stranded by strikes, volcanic eruptions or airspace closures, and many still carry blanket epidemic exclusions that standalone insurers have since updated.

Activation requirements mean your cover may be invalid if you did not pay for enough of your trip on the eligible card, trip duration caps of 30 to 90 days can leave you uninsured if an event extends your travel, and coverage for travel companions beyond your immediate family is often limited or excluded. Credit card policies also tend to lack clear guidance on how MFAT travel advisories interact with your coverage, unlike standalone insurers who published detailed advisory-level guidance during events like the March 2026 Iran conflict.

​Our View: For trips where unexpected events could cause significant financial loss, particularly long-haul travel, expensive bookings or destinations in regions with elevated risk, a standalone policy offers meaningfully stronger protection than credit card travel insurance. The price difference is often modest relative to the additional cover you receive.

Next Steps: Our guide to Credit Cards that provide travel insurance has more details.

Making a Travel Insurance Claim

If something has gone wrong, it's a straightforward process to claim on your travel insurance policy. You'll need to know the excess fee on your policy and be prepared to answer any follow-up questions the claim assessor asks. If you do need to claim, our 5-step process is a proven approach:

Step 1. Contact your insurer immediately (or as soon as you can) to make a claim
You'll have all the information and can gather more details if requested. Do not wait until you get home to make claims. The quicker you submit a claim, the quicker it will be assessed and paid out. 

Step 2. If you are planning to claim for non-urgent medical treatment, get your insurer to accept it BEFORE you go any further
Call your insurer and discuss the medical treatment and whether it is covered by your policy. For example, if your bags are lost and you have essential medicines inside them, make sure they cover them. Also, make a note of who you spoke with so there is less chance of a rejected claim later. If it's an emergency, don't delay any treatment. 

Step 3. If you've had something stolen, inform the police
The more evidence you have of a loss, the better your chance of success in your claim. Don't hesitate to report the theft and get the police report and/or crime reference number details to include in your claim.

Step 4. Keep all of your receipts
Whatever type of problem you experience, if you need to buy anything, make sure you keep all the receipts. This includes food and drinks for delayed flights, new clothes for delayed bags, and so on. A credit card statement may suffice, but itemised receipts make a claim much smoother. 

Step 5. If your claim is rejected, appeal and complain
Facebook is full of complaints from travel insurance policyholders who have been rejected. If you have been rejected and think it's unfair, appeal it. Jump on the phone and explain why your claim meets the T&Cs of the policy you bought. If they don't agree, you can lodge a complaint with the Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme, which resolves disagreements between customers and their insurers. Their free-of-charge service will make the final decision about your claim and order the insurer to pay out if they find it in your favour. ​

Frequently Asked Questions

Does travel insurance cover war or armed conflict?

No - every travel insurance policy sold in New Zealand contains a blanket exclusion for war, armed conflict and military hostilities, whether war is formally declared or not. All four New Zealand underwriters confirmed this during the March 2026 Iran conflict when Middle Eastern airspace closures stranded thousands of New Zealand travellers.

Know This: If a war disrupts your travel, your insurer will not cover cancellation costs, additional expenses or travel delays arising from the conflict. However, unrelated events that happen to you during a conflict period - such as a broken leg, food poisoning or theft - remain covered.

Does travel insurance cover terrorism?

Most policies exclude terrorism, but there are two exceptions worth knowing about. Southern Cross Travel Insurance provides up to $100,000 of medical cover specifically for terrorism-related injuries - no other New Zealand underwriter offers this.

​Cover-More offers a Cancellation Extension benefit on its Comprehensive plans that provides 75% of cancellation costs (up to $10,000 per policy) for terrorism events, subject to strict conditions, including the act occurring within 7 days of departure and within 50km of your destination. Allianz and 1Cover/TINZ do not provide terrorism-specific benefits.

Does travel insurance cover natural disasters?

Yes - this is the category where you are most likely to have genuine coverage. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, flooding, tsunamis and wildfires are generally covered if the event occurs after you purchased your policy and was not foreseeable at the time of purchase. All four New Zealand underwriters provide natural disaster cover for both on-trip disruption and pre-departure cancellation, though 1Cover/TINZ applies a 72-hour waiting period to pre-departure cancellation sections. The key is buying your policy early - once an event is in the news, new policies will not cover it.

What happens if MFAT issues a "Do Not Travel" advisory for my destination?

Every New Zealand travel insurer excludes claims arising from travel to a destination subject to an MFAT "Do Not Travel" (Level 4) advisory, where the advisory relates to the nature of your claim. If you purchase your policy after the advisory is issued, you will have no coverage for related events.

If you already hold a policy and choose to travel to or remain in a Level 4 destination, your coverage for related claims will be voided. Always check SafeTravel before purchasing insurance and before departing.

Does travel insurance cover airline insolvency?

Most policies do not. Allianz explicitly excludes claims from the financial collapse of any service provider, and SCTI and 1Cover/TINZ do not have dedicated insolvency benefits. The exception is Cover-More, which offers a Travel Services Provider Insolvency benefit (Section 3) covering scheduled airline insolvency - a unique feature among New Zealand underwriters.

When should I buy travel insurance?

As soon as you book your trip. Every insurer excludes claims for events that were known or foreseeable at the time you purchased your policy. The earlier you buy, the more events will be classified as "unexpected" and therefore covered.

Know This: Buying travel insurance the night before you fly means any event already in the news - a brewing cyclone, an announced strike, escalating tensions - will be excluded. Buying at the time of booking gives you maximum protection, including cancellation cover for events that arise between booking and departure.

What does travel insurance usually cover?

Standard travel insurance policies usually provide cover for the following:
  1. Cancellation and travel delays: This includes pre-departure cancellations due to illness, delayed flights and delayed luggage
  2. Medical expenses: The costs of visiting a doctor and/or having medical treatment and all related medicines
  3. Personal liability: This is to cover damage you cause to a person and/or property
  4. Emergency evacuation: If you need medical treatment or aftercare back in New Zealand, this is the cost of flying you home. 
  5. Baggage and personal belongings: This covers you if your bags or items are lost, stolen or damaged. 

Expert tip: When purchasing a policy, check that it covers more than just medical - the difference in cost between policies not covering baggage and travel cancellation/delays and those that do cover them is often very little.​
Our Best Travel Insurers and Why Southern Cross Travel Insurance Stands Out
  • MoneyHub is focused on making travel insurance simple - we read the policies, analyse the drawbacks, compare coverage across event types, and do the hard work to bring you a shortlist of genuinely comprehensive options.
  • After reviewing hundreds of pages of policy documents from the four underwriters covering the New Zealand market, we believe Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) consistently delivers the most robust coverage for unexpected events.

What Our Analysis Found:
  • $100,000 terrorism medical sub-limit - the only New Zealand insurer offering dedicated terrorism medical cover
  • Riot/civil commotion carve-out for travellers already on their journey - genuine on-trip civil unrest protection
  • Clear "unexpected event" framework for natural disasters, strikes and pandemics - transparent cutoff times and consumer-friendly communication
  • Unlimited medical coverage and $25,000 luggage protection - this beats most competitors

Important: No policy covers war. But for everything else - natural disasters, strikes, civil unrest, terrorism injuries, pandemics - the differences between insurers are significant. Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) doesn't cut corners on the events that actually affect New Zealand travellers.

Next Steps This is not about choosing the cheapest option - it is about choosing insurance that actually works when you need it. The few extra dollars you spend on proper coverage could save you thousands in the event of an unexpected disruption.
Related guides
​Important: Too many New Zealanders take the risk and travel without it. Our Compare Travel Insurance guide helps you find affordable coverage from trusted insurers with a history of paying claims. We also compare by country to help you make finding what you need easier: 
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