S&D and train tickets

[Nemomarge]

Booked train tickets yesterday evening so I can visit a friend for her birthday tonight, stay over and then travel home tomorrow. I was going to drive but my car is playing up and the dealership couldn't and sort it yesterday so I don't want to drive it too far.

Went to bed last night and DH & I have both been up in the night with sickness and diarrhea 🤢 no chance I want to risk going on a train, even if I feel better by later today!

I selected the insurance option on my train ticket but it's asking me for proof of illness with a doctors note or self certification. There's no way I can travel, even later today but I can't get a doctor's note for S&D. How do I do self certification for it, the only form I can find states it's for sickness of over 4 days.

The type of ticket I bought can't just be refunded on my booking. FFS!

My only suggestion is that LNER still offer refunds even on non refundable, cheap advance tickets. Which I know makes no sense. I had to cancel a ticket a couple of weeks ago as I'd bought it the wrong way round (doh) and I received a refund of the ticket cost less a £10 admin fee.

I guess that doesn't apply here?

LNER has a great refunds policy. Most companies are useless (looking at you GWR).

You can usually change the booking and pay the difference in fare and £10 admin per ticket.

Thanks, I'll give them a call!

If no luck with calling get an email address so you can write and plead your case. We had a situation when we all caught Covid (back in the day when it wasn't common place and we had to legally self isolate) when we had train tickets to London. Phoned to get a refund (day before we travelled) to be told that the only way we could get a refund was to go to the station. No matter how much I explained that we weren't allowed to leave the house , the person on the end of the phone was unable to help. One email later and we were issued with a voucher for the full amount.