VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, INDONESIA

INDONESIA’S MT AGUNG - NEW VOLCANIC ACTIVITY - IMPACT ON TRAVEL.

16th September 2017

Indonesia has raised the alert level for the Mount Agung volcano on the tourist island of Bali following an increase in volcanic and tectonic activity.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that the alert has been raised from normal to vigilance.It warned against panic, saying there would be further increases in volcanic activity and changes to the alert level before an eruption.

Mt. Agung was active 99 times between August and September, according to the head of the Karangasem Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Ida Bagus Ketut Arimbawa.

"It is true that for the past month there has been an increase in activity with small rumblings several times, but the condition of Mt. Agung is still normal. It's safe for climbers looking one, to two days ahead. But be careful and vigilant," Arimbawa informed Tribun Bali.

As of today no flights have been reported cancelled and diverted. However in the future the airlines may cancel or divert future flights into and out of Denpasar

Volcanic ash is a serious safety concern for aircrafts, and airlines are to monitoring the situation closely. For a full list of affected flights, check the Air NZ, Virgin , Qantas, Tigerair and Jetstar websites. 

The following information concerns those affected by the Mt Agung volcanic activity.
We will assess all claims in accordance with your Policy Wording and your Certificate of Insurance. Your cover will depend on the type of plan you purchased and your particular circumstances

POLICIES PURCHASED BEFORE 12PM ON 16TH SEPTEMBER 2017: 

IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY TRAVELLING:

• If you have started your journey and your transport is delayed or cancelled or your accommodation is affected due to Mt. Agung volcanic activity, there may be provision to claim for reasonable additional travel, accommodation and meal expenses.
• Limits, conditions and exclusions apply under your policy and for full details you should refer to the Policy Wording and Certificate of Insurance you received when you purchased your travel insurance.
• If you have not yet departed, your policy includes cover for cancellation of your journey, or the unused portions of your journey, as a result of Mt. Agung volcanic activity.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DEPARTED:

• If your pre-booked travel arrangements are cancelled, delayed or rescheduled as a result of the Mt. Agung volcanic activity and you have not yet departed, you may be able to claim for cancellation or rearrangement of your journey (whichever is the lesser).
• We recommend you contact your travel agent or travel provider regarding the best option in altering your trip. Some travel providers may provide penalty free options to amend travel arrangements and we recommend you contact them for further details.

POLICIES PURCHASED AFTER MIDDAY SATURDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER 2017:

• Our policies do not cover claims for losses caused by something that you were aware of at the time of purchasing your policy. If you entered into a policy after Midday (NZ time) Saturday 16th September 2017 we would expect that this was done with an awareness of the latest  Mt. Agung volcanic activity. For these policies, we will not, to the extent permitted by law, pay any claim caused by or arising from or in any way connected with the Mt. Angung volcanic activity

WHAT NEXT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE?

• You should take all reasonable steps to minimise your expenses and this includes rearranging your journey where possible. By reasonable we mean appropriate and consistent—for example if you have been using two star or budget accommodation on your trip to date, then we advise that the replacement accommodation you seek should be of a similar standard.
• We will assess your claim under the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy. If you have a Cancellation only policy, your policy does not include cover for any additional expenses. If you have a Budget policy, please refer to your Policy Wording for the precise benefits covered.

• You will need to submit all receipts for any additional transport, food or accommodation expenses. If you are claiming cancellation or additional expenses you will need to submit all documents showing what your original planned pre-paid arrangements were, along with any receipts and documents showing your new arrangements, and advice from the travel provider indicating the non-refundable portion of the journey.
• Any compensation and/or refunds you receive from a third party (e.g. airline) for transport, food or accommodation will be deducted from any settlement if your claim is accepted.
•  
• To help avoid difficulties overseas, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) maintains travel advisories for more than 160 destinations overseas via its website which provides accurate, up-to-date information about the risks New Zealanders might face overseas, assisting you to make well-informed decisions about whether, when and where to travel. We recommend that you stay up-to-date with its destination specific travel advisories for the country of your destination as your travel insurance cover may be affected if you travel to high risk areas or situations..

If you are currently planning on travelling to Bali or due to fly home soon you should contact your airline as soon as possible. Here are some useful Airline contact details for you.

• Air Asia: +62 21 2927 0999 (Jakarta) or +62 804 1333 333 (Bali)
• Air New Zealand: +64 9-357 3000 (New Zealand) 13 24 76 (Australia)
• China Eastern: +61 2 9290 1148 (Australia)
• China Southern: 0011 86 400 869 5539 (Overseas hotline)
• Emirates: +61 1300 303 777 (Australia)
• Garuda: +62 804 180 7807, +62 21 2351 9999 (Jakarta), +62 361 936 8258 or +62 361 225 047 (Bali)
• Jetstar: +62 803 852 9779 (Jakarta) or +61 3 9645 5999 (Australia)
• Malaysia Airlines: 0011 60 3-7843 3000 (Outside Malaysia) 1 300 88 3000 (Malaysia)
• Silkair: +61 7 4034 9100 (Australia)
• Singapore Airlines: +61 13 10 11 (Australia)
• Thai Airways: +61 2 9844 0999
• Tiger: +61 2 8073 3421
• Virgin Australia: +61 7 3295 2296 (Australia)
• Qantas Airways: 13 13 13

Please also check out various news sites for updates on the latest Volcanic Activity.