To ask you to stop giving false info about travel insurance?

[Libre2]

Every time there is a thread (of which there are increasing numbers now) about a flight being cancelled, several people will pipe up and say "claim on your travel insurance". 99 times out of 100 this situation is not covered under travel insurance.

It wastes everyone's time if claims are put in for this, yours and the travel insurers.

Generally (unless you have VERY expensive insurance), unless it's a weather issue, a strike or a mechanical issue, the airline cancelling is the responsibility of the airline, not of the travel insurer.

I know it's dull, but check your wording before submitting a claim. Yes, I might be a trifle weary from working in the industry over the last two years.

The EU compensation still applies!

www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays/

I've claimed this pre-Brexit from the airline concerned.

However, I don't know whether airlines routinely compensate for flights that are cancelled, whether they give vouchers, whether they rearrange or whether they do nothing.

For anyone flying into or out of the EU, compensation may be paid by the airline for delayed or cancelled flights, except in exceptional circumstances beyond their control. I was given the option of a higher value voucher or lower value cash payout for a flight delay of about 4h.

EC 261, Europe's comprehensive air passenger rights

Just been in contact with my insurers this morning to check if they will cover the rest of the holiday cost in this circumstances (hotel plus hire car) and they have said they will. If the plane is cancelled I’ll be looking to EJ to pay me all the compensation I’m entitled to, but I’m not going to have an argument with them about consequential losses. That’s why I pay for insurance.

Just had my flight cancelled last week, first thing I did was call travel insurance and like the OP says, they only cover this if it was things like a natural disaster, terrorism, etc…

they don’t compensate for any other loss incurred either (I asked about the £50 penalty the car rental company charged me).

thankfully, I had booked the whole holiday as a package and the travel company reimbursed me in full.

I’m not booking a holiday separately again (I have in the past).

also, because of the short notice (flight cancelled 6 hours before schedule) the airline are compensating us €400 per passenger.

@Leftbutcameback , would you mind sharing the name of your insurer?

Mine was Staysure and they said no.

It really does depend on the wording of the policy, otherwise all policies would cost the same for the same risk! (but everyone should claim for the flights from the airline, and see MSE for what you’re entitled to)

You also need to check that if traveling to see family and staying with family that cover applies. Some only cover of you have paid accommodation.

Also need to check for airline failure cover - if booking separate elements of the holiday.

I have a very standard bank account travel insurance and cancellations by the airline or supplier is very much covered. I think it depends on your insurance.

I would start with airline and then if issues go to my travel insurance which has this included.

@YetAnotherNam that's interesting and I feel the same way. We were going to book separately this year however won't be now. This situation is going to continue and I'm wondering what tricks companies will use to get out of paying, afterall we now know there is a risk. My experience with insurers is that they will do anything to get out of paying. I simply don't want the stress of having to chase insurers, credit card companies etc.

I know very much what quite a lot of insurance covers for and I can assure you that a lot of insurance does NOT cover if an airline cancels for anything other than strike, inclement weather or mechanical failure.
Ryanair paid us compensation when we were delayed due a mechanical fault with the plane.

Have to agree somewhat with the OP. Twice I have had to claim for losses with travel insurance and we got very little back , both times .
The policy wording basically gets them off the hook for almost everything . I really couldn’t quite believe it .
An example would be when our passports were stolen when our villa was broken into . Basic wording said passports were covered. Small print said they were only covered if stolen from your person ……..as opposed to a villa/ hotel .
Now we have an expensive policy with no excess etc but I really don’t rely on it . In fact I assume that whatever it is WON’T be covered and anything after that is a bonus !
Even IF you read the policy very carefully you’ll often find that when something happens that you won’t be covered .
Here on Mumsnet everyone seems to think travel insurance covers you for all losses . I am in Ireland so began thinking maybe you have different , better insurers over there …….

I agree that it very much depends on the insurer and the policy level as to what is covered, but its quite likely that, unless you already have cover, the price of policies that include consequential loss like non refundable accommodation, hire car etc is increasing and might become uneconomical.

For anyone who's flight is cancelled, it's worth reading up on your rights and, if you still want to travel, see if you can get alternative flights with the same or another airline (I think they have to pay for this, but it might not be possible for short trips or at busy times when most flights are full).

Have a look at Moneysaving Expert and work through it all:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/05/flight-cancelled-delayed-tui-easyjet/

Another avenue that a lot of people overlook is credit card. If you pay for something on a credit card, this makes the card company liable too. Not quite the same situation, but we got the cost of our lost flights when Monarch went bust 2 days before we were due to fly with them and the extra cost of the new more expensive flights refunded from the credit card. Plus, having a card available makes it easier to make new bookings without needing to wait for the old one to be refunded.

As they are legally required to do so and nothing to do with your insurance company.

It's a good job I can't afford a holiday I'm still confused. Basically if I do go anywhere I need to read the T&C each time for the insurance.

I'm guessing a lot of people aren't bothering with insurance to try and cut costs.

We buy insurance to cover medical costs and possible repatriation if one of us becomes ill or has an accident abroad.

We're less bothered about whether we're covered for cancellation, baggage loss etc. Our holidays generally aren't that expensive (around £1k for flights, transfers, SC accommodation and luggage for 2 of us) and we don't have anything of particular value so would just replace phones, kindles etc if these were lost or stolen and turned out to be uninsured.

The circumstances under which airlines have to refund or compensate you are laid down in law & easily found. The airline is not going to compensate you for other expenses. That's why in the current climate it's probably best to book a package.
Flight refund/compensation = airline unless you cancel through illness etc
Accomodation costs/car hire etc = insurance policy

cancellations by the airline or supplier is very much covered and they claim from the airline

Alos worth noting that should a company book the flights they claim the compensation - you aren’t automatically entitled to it.

Op was saying (you can read it in my quote) that Insurers would ONLY pay for (inter alia) mechanical failure.

What the government could do is insist that airlines pay promptly, where refunds or compensation is due. No reason why it cannot be done within 48 hours to the card you paid your flight for.

By insist I mean make it a condition of being allowed to operate in and out of the UK, and be prepared to act if this does not happen.

I agree travel insurance covers the insured persons, should they need to cancel under the terms of the policy, not the commercial company or airline they have chosen to book with. That being said travel insurance is essential, should you need medical care or repatriation whilst abroad. Paying by cc gives more consumer protection too.

firstly claim on eu261
Secondly I can claim on my travel insurance for cancelled flights and have so successfully many times (Amex and NatWest)

We got our flight costs back eventually (either airline or insurance - sorry cant remember). But that didnt cover the massively increased cost of car hire and the ferry - which was the alternative we chose to get home. At that time there was no indication when flights would be able to start again - luckily we had our own accommodation but the local food costs were much greater than home. It was interesting finding out exactly when you were likely to be covered and when you werent! But as my dad was brought home from abroad to the UK in an air ambulance after an accident, I will never travel without insurance.

@YetAnotherNam that is interesting - mine is also Staysure! I thought from reading the policy wording it wasn't covered so I asked in the live chat and they confirmed it would be. I have a transcript of the chat as I'm sure they will be an argument.

I remember the frustrations of doing your job, OP.

The flight cancellation/delay aspects of Insurance is to cover for such things as volcanic eruption, hurricane, flood plague of locusts, yes really, engines falling off on the tarmac, etc - but not for what the airlines term 'operational reasons' or companies going bust. Insurers aren't there to prop up shit personnel policies or inadequate financial husbandry; liabilities for those are covered by law.

From those blurry 19 hour days of handling claims in my past, the advice I'd give is;

Don't assume that because your GP says 'have a lovely time, a holiday's what you need' he means you're fit to fly and Insurers will cover it. They say that to everybody - including people who are so ill that they end up being resuscitated mid flight. Check the wording, declare the condition, have cover confirmed in advance.

Don't assume that because your appointment at the hospital is six months away that you'll be covered. Declare it. Because Sod's Law dictates that whatever it is you're on the waiting list to be seen about will suddenly worsen after you cross the gate. And then you aren't covered.

Don't assume that having a shit time means the Insurance company will give you all your money back to make you feel better. Loss of enjoyment of your holiday is not an insurable risk. particularly when the entire coach trip party is claiming for a full refund of the holiday because they got seasick and panicked once out of the bay because a really big boat went past

Don't get pissed and fall over. The hospitals tell us. Not too traumatic financially when it's a simple sprain, but if you've broken your ankle, need emergency surgery and to stay for another fortnight until you're safe to fly, the fact that you'd done it whilst performing the Macarena on a six foot high wall means you're going to have a very large bill. And if you go anywhere near the water or climbing balconies when under the influence, your next of kin could have far, far worse to deal with.

Pregnancy is not a reason in itself to cancel a holiday. If there's a complication and the doctor confirms that it is not safe for you to fly or you're outside the airline safe/legal weeks for travel, no problem. But get the insurance before you get a BFP. You do not want to be the parent of a preemie in the US when you only bought the insurance the day before you travelled at 35 weeks - or if you've got twins on the way, 31.

Don't put anything up anybody's arsehole or your fanjo. Just DON'T DO IT. And if you do, don't try and claim for a bout of cystitis. We will know.

Use sunblock, wear a hat and don't fall asleep for four hours on the beach. You're going to hate the rest of your holiday.

Other than that, don't pack expensive/fragile stuff in your suitcase, don't carry food or big bottles of sunblock in there and whatever you do, don't leave your camera and all your jewellery under a beach towel and go off for a swim. Or try claiming for a Louis Vuitton suitcase, £3.27 above the total sum insured for baggage in clothes and a pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunnies when your suitcase cost a tenner from the market.

It's easier and quicker for the person dealing with the claim to pay it than have you shouting at them down the phone. And most of us that have handled claims don't particularly like telling you that you're not covered, especially when we could have just been on a call to a distraught 89 year old whose husband has just died and went over our allocated time for a call (which we will get into trouble for) because she needed to hear a friendly voice explaining what we needed to be able to get the payment authorised - but then get you and you're shouting about your socks being covered in Ambre Solaire.

They can't pay what isn't covered or isn't evidenced - give them a chance to do the easiest thing.