While they’re exhilarating, skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling are highly unpredictable sports, which is why you should consider adding our Snow Sports Boost to your Explorer Plan.
Keen to zig-zag all over Japan's fluffy peaks, Aotearoa New Zealand's ski fields or, closer to home, Perisher Blue? Accidents do happen, though, and snow sports coverage can help with injuries or losses gained from skiing, snowboarding or snowmobiling that regular policies will not provide. Here are some benefits you get when you add the Snow Sports Boost to your Explorer Plan (at an additional cost).
We provide coverage for skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing on- and off-piste, provided you are not going against local advice or warnings.
We provide coverage for heli-skiing and heli-boarding, provided you are on a guided tour with a licensed tour operator.
We can help take the sting off any medical bills you rack up whilst skiing, snowboarding or snowmobiling, as well as cross-country skiing, if your claim is approved.
Only applies to Overseas Explorer Plan
We've made buying travel insurance easier by bundling medical, trip and belongings cover in our single Explorer Plan. Get a quote and buy your policy in minutes.
If you need additional coverage for your trip or favourite gadgets, you can build upon the Explorer Plan by adding any of our Trip Extras.
Last-minute ski trip? Need a rental vehicle or motorcycle for the day? Embrace spontaneity and toggle on additional activity coverage for the days you need it.
We've simplified travel insurance with our bundled Explorer Plan that you can build upon with extra coverage. This way, you only pay for the coverage you need on the days you actually need it.
We provide coverage for overseas medical expenses, including hospital expenses for approvable claims. If things go really wrong, we can help with emergency repatriation or evacuation to bring you home.
Only applies to Overseas Explorer Plan
If you need to amend, delay or cancel your trip, we can help smooth out bumps in your travel plans. You can even increase your cancellation coverage in increments of $1,000 by paying additional premiums.
When things go wrong overseas, travel insurance can be the unexpected hero of your trip. Freely's Overseas Explorer Plan offers coverage for medical and dental, emergency evacuation and repatriation, trip cancellation and amendment, and lost and delayed luggage.
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your death, we will pay your estate the amount (provided your death occurs within one year of the accident).
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your permanent total loss of sight in one or both eyes or the loss of use of one or more limbs, we will pay you the amount shown in the Plan purchased (provided the loss occurs within one year of the accident).
If you become sick or injured while on your trip, we may provide cover for unexpected medical and hospital expenses.
If you need to pay for unexpected dental treatment during your trip, we may provide cover for emergency overseas dental expenses.
If you become sick or injured while on your trip and need emergency repatriation, we may provide cover for that.
Some existing medical conditions are automatically covered by our Explorer Plan (subject to the criteria outlined in the PDS). If your existing medical condition falls outside the criteria or isn’t on the list, we may still be able to provide cover for your condition subject to the outcome of a short medical assessment, an additional premium may apply.
If you become sick or injured while on your trip and need emergency evacuation, we may provide cover for that.
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your death, if approved, we will pay your estate the amount (provided your death occurs within one year of the accident).
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your permanent total loss of sight in one or both eyes or the loss of use of one or more limbs, if approved, we will pay you the amount shown in the Plan purchased (provided the loss occurs within one year of the accident).
If you need to unexpectedly amend or cancel your trip for a covered reason, we can reimburse you for the costs of your prepaid, non-refundable travel arrangements.
If you encounter unexpected accommodation and/or transport costs during your travels because of a covered event, we may provide cover for the additional expenses you incur.
If your pre-booked, prepaid transport is temporarily delayed during the journey for at least 6 hours due to an unforeseeable circumstance outside your control (including a cyber incident), we may provide cover for the related expenses you incur up to $2,000.
If you need to return to Australia while you're on your trip because of the sudden serious injury, sickness, disease, or death of your relative or business partner, we may provide cover for the cost of resuming the journey up to $2,000.
If, due to an unforeseeable circumstance outside your control, your journey would otherwise be delayed – resulting in you being unable to arrive in time to attend a wedding, funeral, 25th or 50th wedding anniversary, or a prepaid conference, music festival or sporting event that cannot be delayed due to your late arrival – we may pay for the reasonable additional cost of using alternative public transport to arrive at your destination on time.
If you become unintentionally legally liable to pay compensation for damage caused to someone, we may provide coverage of up to $3,000,000. Limits, sub-limits, conditions and exclusions apply.
If your luggage or travel documents are lost, stolen, or damaged on your trip, we can reimburse you for your items or for repairing your items. The limit per item is $750.
If your luggage is delayed by a transport provider for more than 12 hours during your trip, we can reimburse you for the costs of several personal items purchased.
We may pay you for the cost of replacing travel documents and credit cards lost or stolen on the journey. We may also pay for your legal liability arising from their illegal use. You must, however, comply with all the conditions of the issue of the document prior to and after the loss or theft.
If your cash, bank or currency notes, postal or money orders are accidentally lost or stolen on your trip, we can reimburse you for the cost of the loss.
It's easy to assume that travel insurance is only necessary for overseas holidays – but travelling domestically within Australia's borders carries many of the same risks! Freely offers coverage for all domestic travel: from the bustling hubs of Sydney and Melbourne to more regional, nature-based destinations such as Tasmania and the Gold Coast.
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your death, we will pay your estate the amount (provided your death occurs within one year of the accident).
If you suffer an injury caused solely and directly by violent, accidental, visible and external means (as opposed to being caused by sickness or disease) that results in your permanent total loss of sight in one or both eyes or the loss of use of one or more limbs, we will pay you the amount shown in the Plan purchased (provided the loss occurs within one year of the accident).
If you need to unexpectedly amend or cancel your trip for a covered reason, we can reimburse you for the costs of your prepaid, non-refundable travel arrangements.
If you encounter unexpected accommodation and/or transport costs during your travels because of a covered event, we can provide cover for the additional expenses you incur.
If your pre-booked, prepaid transport is temporarily delayed during the journey for at least 6 hours due to an unforeseeable circumstance outside your control (including a cyber incident), we can provide cover for the related expenses you incur up to $2,000.
If you need to return to Australia while you're on your trip because of the sudden serious injury, sickness, disease, or death of your relative or business partner, we can provide cover for the cost of resuming the journey up to $2,000.
If, due to an unforseeable circumstance outside your control, your journey would otherwise be delayed – resulting in you being unable to arrive in time to attend a wedding, funeral, 25th or 50th wedding anniversary, or a prepaid conference, music festival or sporting event that cannot be delayed due to your late arrival – we will pay for the reasonable additional cost of using alternative public transport to arrive at your destination on time.
If you become unintentionally legally liable to pay compensation for damage caused to someone else's property or for the injury or death of someone, we may provide coverage of up to $200,000.
If your luggage or travel documents are lost, stolen, or damaged on your trip, we can reimburse you for the cost of replacing or repairing your items. The limit per item is $750.
If your luggage is delayed by a transport provider for more than 12 hours during your trip, we can reimburse you for the costs of several personal items purchased.
If your cash, bank or currency notes, postal or money orders are accidentally lost or stolen on your trip, we can reimburse you for the cost of the loss.
Build on your Explorer Plan by adding Trip Extras to get greater protection for your personal belongings, and enhanced delay and cancellation coverage. You can also toggle on Daily Boosts to get coverage for certain activities, from motorbike riding to adventure sports – and toggle them off when your plans change!
Regardless of how experienced you are, snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding carry a range of risks. If the worst happens and you need medical assistance up the mountain, travel insurance can help get you to safety and may lend a hand when it comes to covering the cost of treatment.
Freely’s Explorer Plan doesn’t automatically cover snow activities, so if you’re planning to ski, snowboard or snowmobile on your next adventure, you need to add our Snow Sports Boost (at an additional cost to the base policy). Best of all, it can be toggled on in real time – even while you’re away! That means you can embrace last-minute snow trips and only pay for extra cover on the days you actually need it.
Regardless of which provider you choose, the majority of travel insurance policies do not automatically cover snow sports. Freely is no exception: our Explorer Plan alone does not cover skiing or snowboarding – as these high-risk activities attract a higher premium.
If you plan on doing snow sports on your next overseas holiday, it’s a good idea to consider taking out travel insurance with specific snow sports coverage (such as our Snow Sports Boost) on top of your baseline policy to make sure you have coverage when you’re on the mountain. Not doing so can be risky and could leave you having to foot a hefty medical bill if you get injured.
You can add our Snow Sports Boost to your Explorer Plan before your trip or in-real-time while you’re away. Simply use the Freely app to toggle it on and pay for the days you need it.
There are many steps you can take to reduce the risks associated with snow sports like skiing and snowboarding. Beginners are strongly encouraged to get a lesson to ensure they are learning correct techniques and don’t present a danger to themselves or anyone else on the mountain. Helmets and wristguards are a good safeguard against injuries, especially when you are learning, going off-piste or trying your luck in a terrain park.
It’s a good idea to always ski or snowboard in pairs, as that way you’ll have a buddy if you get lost or hurt yourself. As tempting as it is to soundtrack your ride, wearing headphones can seriously impair your ability to hear other riders, announcements and the world around you. If you must have music, leave at least one ear free. Lastly, although lots of ski resorts serve alcohol in the daytime, save the booze for afterwards. It’s called après-ski for a reason!
Here are some helpful tips to consider ...
This will ensure you learn how to stop properly, which keeps you and other riders safe. It will also prevent you from accidentally adopting incorrect techniques and bad habits, which increase the risk of injury and strain and can be very tricky to unlearn later down the track.
Broken wrists are a common injury for beginner snowboarders, so put on a pair of wrist guards for at least the first few weeks of learning. If you’re riding in the terrain park or going off-piste, your risk of collision and injury is much greater simply because there are more obstacles. Given that snowboarders and skiers can clock speeds of roughly 16-32km an hour, wearing a helmet could save your life.
Late afternoon is the time when most injuries tend to happen. Not only are riders starting to get tired, but unless there’s been a fresh dump of powder, the snow can get icy and slushy from people shredding it all day: prime conditions for accidents.
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