Groundhog day for Aussie travellers in Bali as second volcano blows

JUST when Aussies thought it was safe to go back to Bali, another volcano eruption has shut the airport and stranded thousands of travellers.

Instagram photo of the smoke and ash from Indonesian volcano Mount Raung which began errupting last week causing chaos and cancellation of flights to and from Bali due the danger to planes from the ash cloud. Instagram photo by @trianasaputri (triana)

AUSSIES stranded by the latest round of volcanic eruptions in Bali face another day in limbo with Ngurah Rai Airport not due to reopen till nearly midday today.

Ash from the erupting Mount Rinjani continued to blow over Denpasar yesterday forcing the cancellation of 106 flights in total, including 59 international services.

Winds carrying the ash plume are expected to persist today but airport officials are set to make a decision whether to reopen by 11.45am AEST.

Mt Rinjani is the second Indonesian volcano to blow its top since late June when Mt Raung erupted consistently for seven weeks.

Culprit ... Instagram photo of the smoke and ash from Indonesian volcano Mount Raung which began errupting last week. Picture: Tanya Sandow/Instagram

That event disrupted the travel plans of around 20,000 Australians, many of whom spent an extra week or more stranded in Bali in July and August.

Since Tuesday morning, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and AirAsia have cancelled over 30 flights in and out of Bali, due to the Mt Rinjani eruptions.

Ash cloud from Lombok volcano forces #Bali airport to close until Thursday morning https://t.co/LxF45DWh8k pic.twitter.com/onGnTRuEx3

— Channel NewsAsia (@ChannelNewsAsia) November 4, 2015

The one positive to be drawn from the recurring travel nightmare is that travellers appear to have learnt from the Mt Raung disruption.

Travel insurers yesterday indicated more people heading to Bali were taking out insurance in order to cover themselves for “unforeseen events”.

Phil Sylvester from Travel Insurance Direct said hopefully fewer people would be caught out this time.

“Since (Mt Raung) we’ve sold more policies. People seem to have worked out that you do need travel insurance,” said Mr Sylvester.

“This is exactly what it’s for — unforeseen circumstances.”

Pool area of resort Alila Ubud in Bali, Indonesia. Alila Hotels and Resorts re-emphasizes its commitment to sustainable tourism in its new generation Alila Villas resorts, each a model of Alila's longstanding philosophy of blending luxury resort living, the environment and the community.

Allianz Global Assistance Travel and Medical Claims General Manager John White said they had taken over 200 calls from people impacted by the latest eruptions.

“I think there’s definitely a high level of awareness among people travelling to Bali because of the recent ash clouds,” said Mr White.

“It’s visible from the comments we get from customers — they like to ask whether they’ll be covered for volcanic ash disruptions.”

Director of comparetravelinsurance.com.au Natalie Ball said anyone in Bali, or travelling there should have cover if they bought their insurance before midnight on November 2.

“It is important to remember that not all policies cover travel delays or cancellation,” said Ms Ball.

“A basic travel insurance policy is generally medical only coverage and are priced accordingly.”

Volcanic ash has the potential to “melt” aircraft engines and cause other costly damage to planes.

Jetstar and Virgin Australia have apologised to passengers for any inconvenience but insist safety must be their first priority.