Cancelling holiday

[Tevion28]

Ds has decided he isn't going ahead with his holiday to Greece in 3 days time. I know I know what on earth is he playing at. Anyway its been up in the air since the day they booked it with some of his mates dropping out etc and then some not having been vaccinated. Anyway ots down to 3 of them and they have lost the enthusiasm for it now. It is questionable now if ds should have gone anyway due to a ear infection and feeling unwell he is on antibiotics etc. Ds had taken out travel insurance which starts on the 2nd the date he is meant to go. Do you think he can get his money back through that because of the ear infection or would insurance only cover for something more serious.

Only he can know by reading his insurance policy.

But I would think you'd need a doctor's letter saying he couldn't travel (it will say in the policy).

You need to be insured from when you book your trip. Not as it starts.

He needs to read his policy.

Looked at the policy but it doesn't seem very clear

The terms and conditions will provide greater precision than mumsnet

I've been looking at a lot of insurance policies. Mine certainly states that it won't cover for pre-existing conditions/illnesses that pre-date the policy start date/the trip being booked, whichever is later.

So if his policy doesn't start until 2nd, then I don't imagine it would cover the ear infection. Which is why it's important to have insurance in place from the point of booking the trip itself in case of things arising in the interim that prevent travel.

Insurance must be booked the minute after the trip is booked. The minute after. I very much doubt his insurance will cover the ear infection - unless it’s some premium package that covers lots of things (I have a pretty good annual policy and still wouldn’t be covered by that if the insurance wasn’t valid at the moment of booking the trip).

Is his accommodation refundable? Which airline does he fly with, can he move the flights to next year?

I would contact insurance company and tell them that he has an ear infection and isn’t able to fly, which should be acceptable and see if they will settle insurance claim. You may have to get a doctors letter and that would be charged.

Am I the only person that is thinking that's a pretty shitty way to behave towards two of your mates? Or is he dropping out because they are ALL cancelling and not going ahead?

If his insurance doesn't start until the 2nd, he won't be covered for the ear infection - he's not insured until the 2nd, and he's already got the ear infection, it's a pre-existing condition.

But it'd be REALLY unusual to book a holiday and not insure it from the date you booked... you've lost 50% of the value by then, it's only going to cover things that happen whilst you're away, and in current times, most of the risk is before you get there...

So I'd double-check that he has chosen to have it start on the 2nd, but if he has, he's unlikely to be covered even with a doctor's note.

I'm sure most insurance policy's cover you from the date you took it out until the date you return from the holiday. He maybe getting confused. I'm

If the insurance doesn’t start until the 2nd the ear infection is pre-existing and I doubt they’ll cover cancellation due to it. Any claim that close to the start date of the policy will attract extra attention and they’ll be likely to ask for a form to be completed by the GP. You can try and claim as it could depend on the terms and conditions but be prepared for the claim to be declined.

Let him look into it, OP. Will be useful experience for him.

Lots of posters are getting this sooo wrong ! Pre existing means you had the condition before the insurance was booked not before the holiday start date! Otherwise no one would ever be covered to cancel due to illness lol, unless they were struck down on the very morning of travel.

So for instance if I had a back problem that flared up from time to time , and then it prevented me travelling, it wouldn’t be covered by insurance unless I had paid a premium and declared it as a preexisting condition.

I once had to cancel a holiday at 4 days notice because I had a break-in and my passport and holiday money were stolen. It wasnt covered by my insurance so I went to my GP and told him I was having panic attacks and did not feel well enough to travel in the circumstances. He simply wrote me a sick note. I eventually got my money refunded by the holiday insurance. Took about 6 weeks.

@PlumpCushion

Lots of posters are getting this sooo wrong ! Pre existing means you had the condition before the insurance was booked not before the holiday start date! Otherwise no one would ever be covered to cancel due to illness lol, unless they were struck down on the very morning of travel.

But it sounds like the insurance has been timed to start on the date the holiday starts. Highly unusual but maybe op is wrong about that.

If he’s old enough to go on holiday in his own/with mates he’s old enough to sort this out himself. Tell him to read the policy and call the insurance company tomorrow.

If he can’t claim on insurance it will be a very expensive mistake.

Ear infection maybe an acceptable reason not to travel, due to risk of burst ear drum, but insurers will require evidence that it would be against medical advice to travel. The crucial point here is when he booked the travel insurance? It is always recommended to book travel insurance when you book your trip. So you are fully protected. I used to work in travel insurance and liaise with underwriters on a daily basis.

Single trip cover always starts when the policy is booked for cancellation purposes, even though you book the policy for the dates of your trip.

@knittingaddict
That’s why I’m saying they’ve got it wrong- when you buy a policy you give the travel dates anyway. It just means that your ‘on location’ claims relate to those dates. That’s how insurance works. Unless you have an annual policy and then you have a ‘start date’. Literally no one could ever cancel due to illness if the scenario outlined by some posters applied !

If an adult if able to go on holiday alone, they should be able to read their own insurance policy - or call and check with the company if its not clear?

@simitra

I once had to cancel a holiday at 4 days notice because I had a break-in and my passport and holiday money were stolen. It wasnt covered by my insurance so I went to my GP and told him I was having panic attacks and did not feel well enough to travel in the circumstances. He simply wrote me a sick note. I eventually got my money refunded by the holiday insurance. Took about 6 weeks.

Insurance fraud...brilliant...

Single trip cover always starts when the policy is booked for cancellation purposes, even though you book the policy for the dates of your trip.

This is correct.

Whether your GP will agree he is not fit to travel, is another matter.

You need to call the insurance company, but I would have thought that you'd at least need a doctor's note saying your DC can't fly due to the ear infection.