21-04-2025
Travel trick to avoiding 'airport purgatory' as Aussies stranded by delayed flights
Airport purgatory. Most of us have been there – wandering around bored and forced to buy expensive snacks while waiting for a flight that's delayed again and again.
About one in four of domestic flights were delayed during October 2024. That's according to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics.
Hamilton Island-Sydney was the least punctual domestic route, with the lowest percentage of on-time arrivals and the most delayed departures (46.2 per cent and 51.3 per cent, respectively).
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More cancellations occurred on the Port Hedland-Perth route (7.3 per cent) followed by Townsville-Cairns (5.6 per cent) and Coffs Harbour-Sydney route (5.3 per cent).
But the experts at Compare the Market reckon there may finally be a solution, if you're savvy enough to compare travel insurance policies.
Travellers stranded by delayed flights may be able to access reprieve at the airport lounge thanks to a new travel insurance benefit from Huddle Insurance.
The new Smart Flight Delay feature monitors departures in real-time, so customers can receive up to four passes for an airport lounge when a flight is delayed for an hour or more.
The perk provides access to over 1,400 airport lounges around the world.
I recently caught up with Huddle's co-CEO, Jonathan Buck, who explained that the feature's live flight tracker meant that lounge access could be accessed without having to lodge a claim.
So gone are the days of sitting on the floor of a crammed terminal, getting hungry and stressed.
Innovative policies like this one are a great reminder that travel insurance can be beneficial, whether you have an accident or not.
I personally reckon travel insurance isn't just a 'nice to have' – it's a must for anyone concerned with unexpected cancellations, illnesses, injury and lost luggage while on vacation.
A lot of people take a chance with travel insurance because they don't think anything will go wrong, but the reality is thousands of Australians are impacted by losses when travelling overseas and in Australia every year.
But with weather events like the LA fires causing so much disruption, can you really afford such an expensive mistake?
Compare the Market observed a notable rise in travel insurance quote searches following the recent volcanic eruption in Bali that put holiday plans in a tailspin.
But as soon as something like that happens, it becomes a 'known event', which means many insurers won't cover losses if you don't already have a policy in place.
That's why I encourage people to take out travel cover as soon as the flights are booked to ensure you're covered for unexpected events that occur in the lead up to your holiday as well.
It pays to be prepared.
David Koch is Compare the Market's Economic Director.
