Gary and Sue McGinty from Cairns were on the holiday of a lifetime – a 26-day cruise sailing around Asia, a celebration of their retirement.
But five-days into their sailing aboard the Sun Princess, Mr McGinty starting vomiting blood from what they suspected was a burst stomach ulcer.
“I’d vomited heaps of blood … it was out of the blue, no warning, no nothing,” Mr McGinty told Channel 9’s A Current Affair.
“I took a couple steps and realised that everything was just spinning,” said Mr McGinty. The former pastor then suddenly passed out surrounded by blood.
The situation was so dire that the captain and crew decided that an emergency evacuation was required to save Mr McGinty’s life. But the closest rescue team in Indonesia did not have the equipment to hoist Mr McGinty to their helicopter. The result – an expensive evacuation by the Singapore Air Force.
Mr McGinty spent 10-days in hospital and Mrs McGinty, who was unable to fly out with her husband, had to spend three days on the ship.
When Mrs McGinty was still onboard the ship, she called American Express to find out about the travel insurance she thought, was valid through her husband’s credit card. But to her shock, she found out that they were not covered.
The second blow was when they returned home. Waiting for them was a hefty $100,000 bill – $70,000 of that total, for the Singapore Air Force evacuation.
When Mr McGinty purchased the cruise tickets through his American Express card, he believed he had travel insurance.
Mr McGinty’s credit card was due to expire just prior to the trip. He had called American Express and said a staff member helped him find a new card with lower fees to roll onto.
But American Express claims he cancelled the old card – wiping his insurance.
“Even if I had cancelled the card, I’d paid for the holiday on the card, which I expected they would honour even without the card, because I thought it was a contract,” Mr McGinty said.
He hopes that American Express will honour their card’s previous policy.
American Express maintains Mr McGinty did not hold an active card with travel insurance at the time of his trip.
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I was on that cruise and watched the helicopter. I wondered many times after what happened to the man. I am 90 years old and paid $A . 2500.00 for travel insurance I did not need. BUT, so what? Bills like that teach you a lesson!
Peter
I do not believe ‘free’ credit card insurance covers cruise travel in any case.
I’m sorry, but I agree with majority of prior comments. While receiving such a huge medical bill is shocking, travelling abroad with no “Confirmed” insurance cover is foolhardy to say the least. Should of at least confirmed cover “prior to leaving” and having copy of the policy with you while travelling. This is just as important as having a valid passport. It was a simple question he should of asked AMEX (or whatever travel card he was using) when he changed his credit card etc. Unfortunately they will have to cover the costs out of their own funds. The credit card company is not being unreasonable going on what has been described.
I travelled with a friend in 2018 who took out travel insurance on his American Express card. Unfortunately he died in Hong Kong Airport on the first leg of our trip from DVT . AMeX has refused to pay anything understand because he did not pay for the flights on his card. The executors of his estate can find no paperwork although there is a policy number. The insurance was free. I suppose you get what you pay for.
You shouldn’t assume that you have travel insurance unless you have paperwork to prove it. Always buy a policy that offers the cover you want for the specific trip. No reason why those of us who do the sensible thing should subsidise those who try to save a few bucks by winging it. That is what would happen in reality if insurance companies paid out to people who didn’t bother to get the right cover, as their money comes from their customers, not from a magic money tree.
Everyone who travels should get an additional travel policy insurance like Allianz @ just in case..
It would be clear to most people that the card used to purchase the travel needs to be still valid at the time of travel. AMEX clearly state on Insurance Terms and Conditions that cover will terminate on cancellation of the credit card account. Should have checked.
Surprised the Cruise company did not ask for proof of Insurance before travelling, we always register our trip with our Credit Card company and ask for documentation confirming we are covered.
Barry
I feel sorry for Gary and Sue but there is no way I would ever rely on a credit card insurance offer. There have been so many reports of difficulties it’s clearly a case of you get what you pay for with travel insurance. Budget Direct is one company I deal with at least twice a year. I abandoned credit card insurance 10 years ago!
Seems someone’s made a story for sympathy – which is understandable when they’ve been given such a large cost, but it doesn’t make them right.
Amex cards, like all that I know, have terms saying the policy is cancelled if the card is, which is understandable and I see nothing wrong with that.
Of course, they’re not in the business of just giving freebies away so if you’re not covered by something they won’t give it to you. But if you comply with terms, which are reasonable, then you will be covered.
We were on the same cruise and saw the helicopter lift this unfortunate man. I really hope they get some help with their insurance issue. The ship continued on after he was airlifted to Singapore. Four days later we arrived in Cambodia , a place where no Cruise ship should take their passengers, due to the port town being knocked down an rebuilt by Chinese investors,the place is a death trap. Roads and pavements broken with heavy machinery everywhere,the rubble and dust was a complete death trap even to able bodied people. I ended up in the ships hospital ward for 38 hrs suffering from severe breathing difficulties, caused no doubt by the foul air in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. I am in the process of claiming an exorbitant amount of nearly $7000 for treatment by the ships doctors, from my travel insurer. I had covered myself for allergies and allergic reactions, so I ‘assume ‘ all should be ok. My reason for comment here is that Princess Lines should not be taking guests to places like Cambodia if there is any health risks. Just taking large amounts of money from people and transporting them by bus when the passengers can not get off because the place is too dangerous to walk around and the air is totally polluted with dust. I have complained to Princess Lines but they will probably take no notice.
One night in ships hospital, 35 day cruise to Hawaii $ 2.5 K.HCF travel insurance covered cost.
One has to wonder if Gary McGinty explained he had paid for his cruise and received the card insurance when he rang American Express and changed to a lower card. Surely paying the fees for another year on is old card would have been the obvious thing to do. I have no sympathy as feel this was all rather stupid.
My husband and I travel overseas a lot and always take out travel insurance through our CBA credit card. We have claimed 3 times without any problem. However, I don’t “believe” or “assume” or “think” we have travel insurance. I actually print off and make a note of our insurance policy number – and read the small print because the insurance company they use can change. You have to do your homework before you go.
With these sorts of cards they always have to be valid for the entire time of your trip.
So many people just assume they are covered without actually double checking the details. I mean “ignorance” is not an excuse if you’re caught drink driving so why should it be allowed now. I have no sympathy for anyone that travels without comprehensive insurance and especially for anyone that has not checked and triple checked that they are covered an what they are covered for. Yes the previous card had travel insurance but they chose a different card that does not have travel insurance so that is where I would have started questioning. I would be on their side if they changed cards to another one that also offered insurance and the claim wasn’t honored but in this case, NOPE.
as all phone conversations are recorded (unless you request that they not be) then Amex could play said recording to fill in all the missing details of this story. Anyone that goes to ACA clearly has questionable version of an event. I am of the impression if you plan to claim any insurance, the TOC’s will state the card needs to be valid for the entire claim period.
Could you take it up with an Insurance Ombudsman or similar?
John Whittle is correct. Insurance companies actually rely on the fact very few people study or even read the contract terms. That way the companies can insert many ‘Gotchas’ into the document to make if difficult if not impossible to claim under the terms ‘you thought’ you were getting. Guess what, you have paid all your premiums, they have your money.
Insurance is not trivial, either Life, TPD or other insurance.
Spend some money to get clear, unbiased (not an insurance brochure) advice.
oh BTW try and sue Amex for possible misrepresentation by the staff or others.
J don’t agree!!! We had travel insurance through our bank credit card and my husband took I’ll in Argentina while on a cruise ship- after a week in a basic clinic there we were both flown to Santiago in Chile and he had surgery there-and was in ICU for five weeks- result was a massive claim of 1/4 of a million dollars which the insurance paid back to us in full- all of my hotel expenses meals plus the full cost of his hospital expenses- so I’m sorry for these people but he should have had an insurance activation with paperwork etc – you can’t assume anything
Looks like a lesson for all traveling to different parts of the world. Never rely on any insurance that any financial institutions offer.
They do their best in not honouring any claim.
Avoid banking institutions like the plague.
They are a pack of thieves.
My sympathies to that couple but never rely on credit card travel insurance,especially when you are in the mature years incl myself. I have a pre existing medical condition so make sure you have one that covers you for that ,might cost a bit more but look what can happens .
Seems Amex are just trying to get out of it. Regardless of the fact he purchased it on his old card, he still should have been covered.