Travel insurance and volcanic ash

[moonstone1201]

Hello

Just wondered if anyone had any advice for me...

Left Disneyland Paris at 9am yesterday morning with my husband, 3 year old and my in laws. While in the taxi headed for the airport we heard the news about the volanic ash.

On arriving at the airport it was confirmed all UK flights were cancelled. Rather than wait about and see what happened we ran to the train station and ended up getting (I think) the last 5 tickets on the Eurostar. As I'm pregnant and we had a young child with us it seemed a bit unreasonable to hang about the chaotic airport waiting for an update especially as it seems we could still be waiting now.

On arrival in London (FIL having paid £1100 for our Eurostar tickets so far) we had to get another train to Glasgow costing over £400 for the 5 of us. (This has nothing to do with my question but adds to the stress and trauma of the whole thing - my son and I both threw up repeatedly on the second train (I made it to the bathroom, he wasn't so lucky) and had to dig through our suitcases in front of everyone for a change of clothes!)

Anyway I have spoken to our travel insurer this morning and we are unequivocally not covered for additional expenses incurred in getting home. Basically they would pay for the cancelled flight, which I think we are getting back from the airline anyway, plus any medical costs or to replace lost or stolen items.

There probably isn't anything we can do I'm just incredibly stressed after the upheaval yesterday and the fact that we now owe the in-laws about £800 which we don't have! It's not that I think they would hassle us for the money as they're incredibly kind and it's not a huge amount to them, it's just another thing I don't need!

The insurance policy wording is pretty unclear so I just wondered if there were any other ways I could pursue this. I have had a quick look online but no one seems that clear about the position if you get stranded but then make your own return travel arrangements. I probably should have been a bit more clear about the policy to start with but who foresees this kind of thing happening?

Any help much appreciated!

I'm afraid I don't think anyone will reimburse you for the extra travel costs.

However, well done for getting home. DH left it to me to get a eurostar ticket for him online and the earliest I could find was tomorrow morning. He got the last room in his hotel. When he went to the station to pick up his tickets, it was full of distraught people going nowhere. So you made the right decision - you wouldn't have wanted to be stuck in paris with nowhere to stay with kids, and your nice ILs wouldn't have wanted that either so they're probably just happy that they could help you.

Just be glad you got home and were fortunate that you were not stuck in the airport sleeping on the floor with your ds as some people have been...my husband is stuck in Dubai, which is utter chaos and has been told next available flight is most probably Tues or Wedn next week.

Flights that have been cancelled due to Ash.

1. Airlines offer an alternative. Restrictions apply, see airline's own websites.

or

1. Your flight costs will be refunded by the airline if you can not go on the alternatives dates offered. Refund unused segments (in your case the return flight costs including any taxes you paid). So if you flight was a £200 return, you'll should get half the cost ie £100 pp back.
2. How is it refunded?

May take a while to get the refund, it will be paid to whoever paid the airline, so agent, tour operator, or customer directly. The end results is the customer gets the refund, by whomever they paid. May take up to 6 weeks. Make sure you get your money back from whoever you paid. They will be getting the refund on your behalf. Don't be fobbed off.

Holiday Insurance
Read this The Financial Times Ltd

Check your holiday insurance policy wording in detail. Some cover extra incurred costs, but some may say no as it is adverse conditions and not liable. Some offer a delayed expense cover and abandonment of flights for certain length of delays for certain causes of delay (check exclusions). Personally I wouldn't claim for upset or inconvenience, that's has been everyone. Do claim for the financial loss. Keep it short and concise. See the web link above.

For those still stuck...
Check updates on the airlines and airports websites. Add your mobile and contact numbers onto online bookings, using the airline's websites, so they can contact you with updates. Check with the airline before you make alternative arrangements. It's only when the flights are actually cancelled, that more options are given.

Accommodation costs
You should claim back for unused or for additional expenses from your insurance company. Keep receipts. If your holiday insurance company refund you or not depends on your policy and what you are claiming for. You may not get any of it back, but you should still put in a claim.
Alternatively if you have paid by credit card for your accommodation and can't get there as the flights are cancelled, claim a refund from your credit card company for the goods or services you have bought but did not receive.

Ways to check status of flights

Updates on the Airport's and Airline's websites
Use Twitter or Facebook for updates (direct from the airlines). Good time to join and use #ashtag for updates.
Add a contact number and mobile number onto your flight booking via the airline's websites.

The ash cloud caused by a volcanic eruption in Iceland continues to cause disruption. UK airspace remains closed until 0000 GMT (0100 local 17 Apr).

There will be more in the press no doubt in the next few days.

Some useful info and airline tel numbers here at www.gatwickairport.com

"Alternatively if you have paid by credit card for your accommodation and can't get there as the flights are cancelled, claim a refund from your credit card company for the goods or services you have bought but did not receive."

We tried doing precisely that this morning from Visa, for hotel costs paid in advance. Visa's answer was, forget it, unless you're a super-duper gold platinum first-class premium cardholder.

A few hours later we got a call back from the hotel (one of the Mercure chain in Germany), who have decided to refund us the money anyway, apparently a decision made at top management level, presumably once they realised that they were going to get plenty of extra trade from all the people stranded in that city anyway.

Ryanair are issueing refunds or change of travel arrangments on their website, click on the cancelled flight and follow through to either change the date of the flight or claim a refund, no refunds at the customer service desk all must be done on line. Hope this helps.

BlauerEngel did they really say "only platinum first-class premium cardholder" That's a fobb off, nothing to do with what type of card holder you are. Not heard of that one before, they will try anything to get out of it.

The law makes clear that the credit card company is jointly responsible so there?s no 'first point of call'.

If you are claiming from the card company, be firm but polite, and request a claim form. Again, on the claim form state it is a claim under "Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act".

www.moneysavingexpert.com

Suspension of all flights now until 07.00 Saturday 17 April
Will be reviewed again at 20.30 today on www.gatwickairport.com/

Oh my... rubyrubyruby. Some hotels are offering discounted rates to help stranded passengers. Some are ripping them off. If he booked direct, he should see if he can negotiate a better rate. Its' not like the rooms will be full. There will be no-one flying in or out! he could try and check in to a cheaper hotel maybe. Rome won't be cheap, but he could do a quick search around the block?

Gahhh I have a paid-for very nice hotel room in NYC that I can't get to.

Insurance won't pay out, I wish i could find a way to flog it (cheaply) to someone stuck in New York.

Will be trying to claim back from my credit card though, thats a good tip thanks for posting that.

Just spotted this blog [blog.world-first.co.uk] - with very useful information on Insurance.

Link: My flight?s been cancelled by volcanic ash ? will my insurance cover me?

Bah. So my travel insurance is underwritten by Aviva. Bastards.

YOu need to really check the fine print of your insurance all policies are different. However yes you will get a refund on your airline tickets. Then check to see if you have delay/ diversion cover - As you might be able to claim for that.
Some policies do cover for abnormal weather/ circumstances but generally this covers to get you back to the UK only NOT onto your home so in this case back to London but not the additional travel expenses back to Scotland.
If you only have the basic cover sheet saying what you are covered for try to get a copy of the whole policy.
It goes without saying that Insurance comps after having to cough up due to teh snow this winter will try every which to wriggle out of things but Good luck.

Thought this would be the case. Been watching the story unfold and hearing about other people's experiences so now I am just feeling extremely lucky to have got home at all!

I work in travel and I know many people are not British Airways fans (after strike fiasco), but ... they have been fantastic at providing customer information, help, and advice. I can't say the same for Virgin Atlantic.

I just checked the HSBC site and theres a notice saying that they've extended the coverage of their travel insurance and it does now cover the latest ash problems.

So i hope this means they're overriding the underwriters Aviva statement that they wouldn't be covering it....

HSBC, first direct and M&S policies to cover volcanic ash disruption

RBS have said the passengers that bought insurance through Direct Line, Churchill, NatWest and RBS will be able to make a claim for accommodation that cannot be cancelled or used as long as they have written evidence to support it.