A getaway in Dubai
Marko and Janice travelled from Melbourne to Dubai for a well-earned break. The plan was simple: time together, some sunshine, and a chance to get away from it all.
Stuck when conflict broke out
Then the situation across the Middle East changed, and it changed fast. Conflict spread across the region, airspace was closed and flights were grounded.
From their window, Marko and Janice watched a missile cross the sky.
In that moment, their holiday took an unexpected turn. Their focus shifted from enjoying their time away to understanding whether it was safe to remain, how long the disruption might continue, and what steps they needed to take to get home.
One call, and they weren’t alone
Marko and Janice called PassportCard. From that first call, they had a team in their corner.
Our 24/7 Australian-based team checked in with them, kept them updated as the situation changed, and started working on a safe way out of the region. Instead of trying to navigate closed airports and cancelled flights on their own, the couple knew what was happening next, and when.
Every stage of the journey was coordinated for them, including security escorts, until they were on their way home.
The journey home
War is generally not covered. We helped anyway.
Travel insurance generally excludes war. Even so, PassportCard coordinated the evacuations, including security escorts, and covered costs up to customers’ safe departure back to Australia.
Marko and Janice weren’t the only ones. PassportCard made evacuation options available to all its customers in the affected region, including customers who travelled from Israel to Jordan by coach and then flew on to Athens.
“We understand this is an uncertain and challenging time for all Australians including our customers in the region,” said Peter Klemt, CEO of PassportCard Australia. “PassportCard’s ethos has always been to help travellers in their time of need.”
Home safe
Today, Marko and Janice are back home in Melbourne.
Most trips go exactly to plan. But when one doesn’t, it matters who picks up the phone. For Marko and Janice, it was the difference between being stuck and getting home.