Advice for Swiss airlines

[Disco]

Need some advice on a business class ticket P from Bangkok to Madrid on Swiss/ Lufthansa And hoping someone on the forum can assist. We are booked next week. My mum (101 years) who lives with us, fell and broke her arm 2 weeks ago, is in hospital, and we have to cancel trip. Numerous calls and emails to Swiss call centre (based in Fiji) and on-line technical support have told us the only option is to rebook on the highest biz level which is almost double the original fare. Because of longer term implications of mum’s fall, we find it difficult to assess when to travel and would prefer a credit. We have a certificate from the hospital with particulars including all our names. I have cancelled all other bookings , SIA,Iberia, accommodations with straightforward fees and little hassle. Unbelievably, for me, is the amount of stress involved with Swiss. We have travel insurance but because of her age being over 80 years ( by some) they will probably not accept the claim.
any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Quickstatus]

Check the terms and conditions of the airplane fare and also the travel insurance re cancellation conditions.

Most TI covers cancellation for non travelling family illness

Airplane fare - check they website if you are eligible for cancellation and refund or cancellation and travel credit.

 

[Disco]

Check the terms and conditions of the airplane fare and also the travel insurance re cancellation conditions.

Most TI covers cancellation for non travelling family illness

Airplane fare - check they website if you are eligible for cancellation and refund or cancellation and travel credit.

Thank you, apparently not refundable, can rebook, I was wondering about "force majeur " as we are primary carers. TI seems ok but want birth dates for all members and elsewhere in the document state it doesn't apply to over 80 years. Which is a bit odd.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Call the insurance company. They will be able to give you advice.

Can you find P class on Swiss somewhere down the track or next year?

 

[Quickstatus]

Force majeur

Family member illness is not force majure even though it is an unforeseen circumstance and outside your control. This is because you can still travel.

 

[Disco]

Thank you, apparently not refundable, can rebook, I was wondering about "force majeur " as we are primary carers. TI seems ok but want birth dates for all members and elsewhere in the document state it doesn't apply to over 80 years. Which is a bit odd.

Call the insurance company. They will be able to give you advice.

Can you find P class on Swiss somewhere down the track or next year?

I have spoken to the call centre numerous times and they tell me not. I tried online and it only shows me economy fares. Made a complaint to technical support and they referred me back to call centre. Made a call to another Swiss number in Europe and they could see it but not book it and I was referred back to call centre. I will call the insurance co on Monday, thank you for suggestions.

Post automatically merged: Apr 22, 2023

Family member illness is not force majure even though it is an unforeseen circumstance and outside your control. This is because you can still travel.

thank you, saves me the bother of trying.

 

[Quickstatus]

it doesn't apply to over 80 years. Which is a bit odd.

Not odd - they are obviously limiting the risk. Usual life expectancy in Australia is 80-85.

Force majeur would be something like a Bangkok riot over who is more loyal to the king causing disruptions.

 

[Disco]

Not odd - they are obviously limiting the risk. Usual life expectancy in Australia is 80-85.

Force majeur would be something like a Bangkok riot over who is more loyal to the king causing disruptions.

obviously not creating that amount of havoc.

 

[RooFlyer]

isn’t the 80 years TI limitation on the primary insured? If I’m regularly insured, without able to check right now, I thought my policy would allow me a refund if a family member or someone close to me had a condition where I couldn’t travel.

Say I was 50 and my wife was 90 and she had an accident preventing me from travel, I’m pretty sure that my current policy would cover my cancellation. Maybe not hers but mine.

@Disco you might like to read your policy in that light.

 

[Quickstatus]

Say I was 50 and my wife was 90

This is the cancellation cover clause for family emergency for my upcoming CPH trip. The upper limit is 84. And any word in bold is a TI defined term

Using your example, under this TI if the non travelling spouse is 84yrs or older the insured would not be covered for family emergency involving the 84yr spouse.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

ANZ is similar, but 81 years. Included in the general exclusions is:

• the injury, illness or death of any person who is aged 81 years or over at the time you become eligible for cover under International Travel Insurance;

 

[Disco]

ANZ is similar, but 81 years. Included in the general exclusions is:

• the injury, illness or death of any person who is aged 81 years or over at the time you become eligible for cover under International Travel Insurance;

Yes, it is the westpac altitude black TI and I think probably the same. I will give them a call just to confirm but I'm not hopeful. Perhaps call it ageism and discriminatory which won't get me anywhere, I know. Bit annoying to believe you are covered and then find it is not so. However, the cover was not purchased separately so ..thanks for the clarification.

 

[Quickstatus]

Bit annoying to believe you are covered and then find it is not so

That's the thing about anything important - the devil is in the detail.

 

[Disco]

That's the thing about anything important - the devil is in the detail.

So true, but insurance policies and the like are so exceptionally good at inducing sleep

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes, it is the westpac altitude black TI and I think probably the same. I will give them a call just to confirm but I'm not hopeful. Perhaps call it ageism and discriminatory which won't get me anywhere, I know. Bit annoying to believe you are covered and then find it is not so. However, the cover was not purchased separately so ..thanks for the clarification.

Most credit card insurances, if that’s how you are covered, are at least equal if not better than tier paid counterparts. The age restriction is not uncommon. Premiums would be much higher if we had to cover events such as these.

 

[Flyfrequently]

That's the thing about anything important - the devil is in the detail.

And don't we all love trawling through a PDS!.

@Disco sorry to hear of your situation.
In 2015 when looking for TI for my first solo UK/EU trip, (hence not using MrFlyf's CC insurance) I couldn't find any appropriate policy that included cover - with my Dad then being 92 (he was as fit as a fiddle and still going many years later!) but it was a concern something might derail the trip, knew I'd just have to wear it
FWIW my sister used Medibank Private and when her father in law became hospitalised, paid out all expenses/cancellations promptly and got her and the family home.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And don't we all love trawling through a PDS!.

@Disco sorry to hear of your situation.
In 2015 when looking for TI for my first solo UK/EU trip, (hence not using MrFlyf's CC insurance) I couldn't find any appropriate policy that included cover - with my Dad then being 92 (he was as fit as a fiddle and still going many years later!) but it was a concern something might derail the trip, knew I'd just have to wear it
FWIW my sister used Medibank Private and when her father in law became hospitalised, paid out all expenses/cancellations promptly and got her and the family home.

How old was the father in law?

Another thing to watch out for is that even if the family member is under 80, there can be an exclusion of cover if that person has a pre-existing condition.

Another option if you really can’t get insurance is to buy award tickets which are refundable (for example through Aeroplan, $4400 return to europe business class), pay slightly extra for refundable hotels, and travel to countries where medicare has reciprocal arrangements. So UK is ok for example, plus around 10 other countries.

Not perfect, but perhaps better than nothing!

 

[Disco]

How old was the father in law?

Another thing to watch out for is that even if the family member is under 80, there can be an exclusion of cover if that person has a pre-existing condition.

Another option if you really can’t get insurance is to buy award tickets which are refundable (for example through Aeroplan, $4400 return to europe business class), pay slightly extra for refundable hotels, and travel to countries where medicare has reciprocal arrangements. So UK is ok for example, plus around 10 other countries.

Not perfect, but perhaps better than nothing!

I did look for refundable tickets and all accommodation/sia/Iberia were or at least with fees. However, at the time of booking last year, airlines were still hurting from covid and either didn't offer refundable or were so exorbitant I took the less cautious option. Obviously got caught but first time ever so I'll have to average it out. We were really looking forward to Swiss business as haven't flown with them before.

Post automatically merged: Apr 23, 2023

And don't we all love trawling through a PDS!.

@Disco sorry to hear of your situation.
In 2015 when looking for TI for my first solo UK/EU trip, (hence not using MrFlyf's CC insurance) I couldn't find any appropriate policy that included cover - with my Dad then being 92 (he was as fit as a fiddle and still going many years later!) but it was a concern something might derail the trip, knew I'd just have to wear it
FWIW my sister used Medibank Private and when her father in law became hospitalised, paid out all expenses/cancellations promptly and got her and the family home.

Thank you, I am a member of Medibank so I'll check them out for next time?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I did look for refundable tickets and all accommodation/sia/Iberia were or at least with fees. However, at the time of booking last year, airlines were still hurting from covid and either didn't offer refundable or were so exorbitant I took the less cautious option. Obviously got caught but first time ever so I'll have to average it out. We were really looking forward to Swiss business as haven't flown with them before.

Post automatically merged: Apr 23, 2023

Thank you, I am a member of Medibank so I'll check them out for next time?

Medibank membership gets you a discount I believe.

Their policy doesn’t appear to have an age restriction for travel cancellation due to the injury of a relative… but they have other criteria:

Health of other people impacting Your travel
(non-traveller)

This policy has cover if You need to change Your trip due to the health of a Relative or Your business partner who is not travelling. In some circumstances the maximum We will pay is $1,000.

What Is Covered?

We will pay for claims arising from the sudden disabling injury, sickness or disease or death of a Relative or Your business partner who is not travelling if, at the Relevant Time, that person:

a. in the last 12 months, had not been hospitalised (including day surgery or emergency department attendance) for a condition that was in any way related to, or exacerbated by, the condition that gave rise to the claim;

b. was not residing in a facility such as a nursing home, an aged care facility, a residential aged care home, a high and/or low care facility, a privately owned accommodation facility such as Supported Residential Services or Facilities (SRS/SRF) or, a residential care facility);

c. was residing independently at home or in a retirement home or village, including independent living arrangements, and they did not require home care or flexible care services;

d. was not on a waiting list for, or did not know they needed surgery, inpatient treatment or tests at a hospital or clinic;

e. did not have a drug or alcohol addiction; and

f. did not have a Terminal Illness.

 

[Disco]

Medibank membership gets you a discount I believe.

Their policy doesn’t appear to have an age restriction for travel cancellation due to the injury of a relative… but they have other criteria:

Health of other people impacting Your travel
(non-traveller)

This policy has cover if You need to change Your trip due to the health of a Relative or Your business partner who is not travelling. In some circumstances the maximum We will pay is $1,000.

What Is Covered?

We will pay for claims arising from the sudden disabling injury, sickness or disease or death of a Relative or Your business partner who is not travelling if, at the Relevant Time, that person:

a. in the last 12 months, had not been hospitalised (including day surgery or emergency department attendance) for a condition that was in any way related to, or exacerbated by, the condition that gave rise to the claim;

b. was not residing in a facility such as a nursing home, an aged care facility, a residential aged care home, a high and/or low care facility, a privately owned accommodation facility such as Supported Residential Services or Facilities (SRS/SRF) or, a residential care facility);

c. was residing independently at home or in a retirement home or village, including independent living arrangements, and they did not require home care or flexible care services;

d. was not on a waiting list for, or did not know they needed surgery, inpatient treatment or tests at a hospital or clinic;

e. did not have a drug or alcohol addiction; and

f. did not have a Terminal Illness.

Actually Mum makes the criteria although old age and a heart condition might make it a challenge. At 101 bodies are pretty worn out.