Flight cancelled and alternative too expensive

[Pantspangles]

Holiday booked for July- flights and accommodation booked separately.

The airline has cancelled the outward leg of the journey, London Stansted to La Rochelle. The only other option to get to La Rochelle on the same day leaves from Bristol, meaning that my car would be miles away in London.

It's also got awful flight times meaning we would arrive at our accommodation (about 40 mins drive from the airport) at about 22:30, and the reception is only manned until 10.

The only vaguely similar flights are about £250 per person more expensive and I just can't afford it for me and 3 kids.

Does holiday insurance normally cover not being able to afford the alternative? I'm just reading through the policy document but it isn't jumping out at me.

In these circumstances I would expect a refund directly from the airline rather than having to go via your insurance?

Have a look for alternative flights with another airline. You don't have to fly with the same airline - they should refund you if their own alternatives don't work for you.

If you can't get different flights, can you cancel your accommodation and re-book a holiday elsewhere instead?

This happens all too often and why I would never, ever book non-refundable accommodation if I was booking holiday elements separately. You're just not covered for disruption to the travel. Exception being the odd Premier Inn or Travelodge night that wouldn't break the bank to lose.

I doubt your insurance would cover it, but the airline that have cancelled the outbound leg should also let you cancel the return if they were booked together, so you could fly both out of and back to Bristol?

At least they will happily refund the flights- the problem is that I will get £600 back and to rebook on an alternative route with either them or another airline it will cost £1600 when I factor in transfers (either train or car hire) :(

We are going with friends who are driving from another part of France so the whole point of the holiday is to go together.

I am sure there is a solution but I can't bloody see it at the moment!

I assume OP means will insurance cover the cost of accommodation booked if she can’t get there due to flight cancellations.

https://www.comparethemarket.com/travel-insurance/content/does-travel-insurance-cover-flight-cancellations/?manageCookies=true

OP This article suggests that you may also be entitled to compensation which may cover the cost of the more expensive flight. Might be worth checking the criteria. Otherwise it looks like it is dependent on your specific insurance policy.

Could you get the train and drive? Definitely cheaper than £1600.

This happened to us a few years ago. We changed the flights three times before we left...then our inbound flight was cancelled while we were away and we had to rebook.

I would also look at ferry and driving as at least that shouldn't be cancelled.

@fruitbrewhaha and @mewkins my car is not reliable enough to take on that sort of journey sadly. What a bloody shit show. I have been saving so hard too!

Although have just checked prices from Bordeaux and they don't look bad so hope is not lost :)

Could you get a flight the day before (if cheaper!) and stay somewhere cheap overnight?

EasyJet or BA? They are notorious for cancelling/changing fights.

https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/cancellations/

Why wouldn't you insist that the airline arranges a replacement flight as per this link?

This is the problem with booking flights and accommodation separately unfortunately. The airline has to refund the cost of the flight but you are liable for the cost of booking a new one.

Could you hire a more reliable car?

EasyJet did this and paid for my new flight with another airline?

The new flight was about 6x as pricey

I didn't know about the possibility that they might be liable to re-book for me with another airline so I have already requested a refund :( They told me that it could take up to 20 working days to process so I felt like I had to make a decision quickly as even doing it today could take up until 19th June, and as holiday was supposed to start on 8th July I was worried that leaving it any longer would just be too close. It feels tight enough as it is. I haven't got the money lying about to re-book immediately and just recoup when the refund lands, I need the refund in my bank before I can re-book.

Could you look at the train? La Rochelle is only about 3 hours from Paris now, and will be less from July.

Thanks @Montgomerystubercles - that's a great option that I didn't know of. Will add it to my list to investigate :)

Brexit has reduced the protection that we used to have with cancelled flights, but the latest is here

https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/cancellations/

If that doesn’t help you, The train is often not a cheaper option, but it’s a lovely journey down to Rochelle. But you will need to cross Paris when you change trains. Through ticket details are available on the Eurostar website

As a last resort and if you can go another time, contact the accommodation provider, maybe they will let you amend dates even though you have book no cancellation, sometimes they can be sympathetic, especially with evidence of your flight cancellation.

I did this too but then I rang them and cancelled my refund request. They paid it anyway but also paid the new flight with refund deducted? Is it easyJet? If so I can pm the email I used

I got in a right tither about it but they were actually helpful. I put the new flight on credit card and had the refund back in time