Rail strike- travel insurance refusal to assist

[Clippityclops]

Hi, hoping someone can advise where I stand with travel insurance and upcoming rail strikes. I'm currently on holiday with my family, using interail tickets and will be travelling back from Paris on Eurostar on Friday 1st September. We were then travelling onwards to our local station. As there has now been a rail strike called, we won't be able to complete our journey home to the Midlands, rail company has said we can travel the following day as they are running a reduced service. I called our insurance company yesterday to see what support they could offer, and have basically been told there is no cover as I already know about the issue in advance. They originally told me I wasn't covered as strike action wasn't covered on the policy, however I challenged this as the policy only says that strike action isn't covered if you booked a trip with prior knowledge of industrial action (we booked in March, strike announced after we had left UK). They accepted what they had told me about strikes was incorrect, but still say there's no cover as I already know about the issue. I expected we would at very least get help with overnight costs, and have always expected if anything like this happened that's what insurance would be there for and they would offer support. Can anyone offer advice either way? The wording isn't overly clear on the insurance document, but I expected the section on delays to cover us for something. Policy here https://www.nationwide.co.uk/-/assets/nationwidecouk/documents/current-accounts/insurances/flexplus/p3349-flexplus-worldwide-family-travel-insurance-policy.pdf?rev=36f0446831874d1fa00b78b672e8590d Insurance staff current stance is help would only be available if the delay/cancellation occurred on the day/whilst we were travelling. TIA for any advice.

Placemarking as I lost out due to a strike. My onward train was cancelled due to a last minute strike but because the first train was still running and I used that part of my ticket, thinking hey at least I will get 45% of my travel done, I was refused any compensation for my onward train by both the train company and travel insurance. Same as you, except I had to rebuy train tickets for onward train the following day as if it were a brand new separate journey and cover the cost of the delay. Which was horrible as hundreds of us were stranded there and all fighting to get taxis to local hotels.

Grr. If anyone has a solution I’d like to know too!

What rail company do you need on the Saturday? Some are running a reduced service on the Saturday. Is that what they have told you or did you mean a reduced service on Sunday? I have had to travel on these days before and it has been ok but very slow. You may be able to travel.

Sorry - bit confused but you booked the uk ticket london-home before you knew about the strike? So you should be covered?

Or just booked eurostar and now are going to be stuck in london?

Can you get a coach?

Sorry I wasn't clear. We have interail tickets which were booked in March; so the London to Derby portion is within that following on from the Eurostar. Now there is a strike, we will be stuck in London on the Friday 1st. EMR have said they will honour the ticket and we can travel on the Saturday, it's being stick overnight that I had hoped the insurance would help with. All travel/accommodation planned and booked in advance- insurance say it's irrelevant as I now know about the issue, despite that I can't do anything to remedy it other than book overnight accommodation/get a taxi. I looked at coach travel but didn't work out.

The RMT are striking on Saturday

@anotheranotheranotheranother Yes, but EMR are running a reduced service on our route that day (saturday), hourly instead of twice hourly, so we will be able to travel on the Saturday. Friday there is no service at all, I imagine for most if not all routes.

I can't see insurance covering it unfortunately but good luck

I looked at your policy and the wording says
*We won't pay for

• Any claim arising from a strike, any form of industrial action or possible delay that had started before you opened your Nationwide Flex plus account or booked your trip, whichever is later*

So I would quote that at them given you booked months ago (and I'm assuming took out the insurance policy in advance of the announcement of strikes) and ask them to quote the exact wording from your policy that they are using to justify not paying the claim. It also doesn't come under "Anticipated events" as that also states any event that you knew could happen or could reasonably expect to happen at the time you became an insured person or the date you booked your trip.

The only grey area I can see is that I can only assume you would be claiming "delay benefit" and that doesn't mention delays due to industrial action.

Although on this website is does say if you have more than two weeks notice you won't be able to claim so as you aren't travelling until 1st September that will probably be why.
moneypeopleonline.co.uk/travel/does-travel-insurance-cover-strikes#:~:text=Ticket%20Cancellation%20Insurance%20works%20to,reasons%20including%20illness%20or%20redundancy. moneypeopleonline.co.uk/travel/does-travel-insurance-cover-strikes/#:~:text=Ticket%20Cancellation%20Insurance%20works%20to,reasons%20including%20illness%20or%20redundancy]]

@lavenderlou thanks for looking and advice. They have now admitted they were wrong to say strikes aren't covered, but have also said delay benefit wouldn't apply as that would be for if I was delayed once checked in for a flight for example (they did at one point say I could claim this, then a supervisor said I had been advised incorrectly). They have said there is no applicable cover in this situation, and specified it is due to prior knowledge, ie. I know now as opposed to finding out on the day of travel, which i think is ridiculous reasoning seeing as I'm already travelling. I found out yesterday so not over two weeks prior either. Do you think the wording of the section for missed, delayed or abandoned departure covers my situation? It specifies under the reasons for missed departure or connection that it applies to both outbound and inbound journeys, but I feel the wording is a bit unclear.