Delayed Flight, reimbursement for expenses.

[jveevers]

Just got back from HKT-PER . Flight was delayed 28 hours due to crew member becoming hospitalised in coughet (or so the FA told me). Ticket was a paid Economy.
Pax. advised by SMS and/or email 4 hours prior to scheduled departure. About 150 pax. effected, many missed connecting or same day on-flights to NW WA.
Virgin does not have office in HKT, only agent.
Had booked out of hotel when received SMS, able to go back for extra night.
Resulting costs, Hotel, Taxis, Meals.
Does anyone have experience of similar and is it thought that VA would reimburse costs?

Note, have Annual Travel Insurance, contacted them in relation to claim under their "flight delays" cover. Quote "Its in the exclusions, no cover if delay due to airline problem">

 

[lovestotravel]

My expectation would be about $200, but my expectations are not always met with Virgin

 

[oz_mark]

Does anyone have experience of similar and is it thought that VA would reimburse costs?

They should do. Crew shortages are within their control.

 

[jveevers]

My expectation would be about $200, but my expectations are not always met with Virgin

Have since heard that some pax. that didnt get the SMS or Email rocked up at HKT for scheduled flight. They where met by VA agent and sent to 4* hotel with all transport,food and beverage costs met. That would have cost them well over $300- per couple/ single so am going to use that info. in my claim to them.

 

[lovestotravel]

Have since heard that some pax. that didnt get the SMS or Email rocked up at HKT for scheduled flight. They where met by VA agent and sent to 4* hotel with all transport,food and beverage costs met. That would have cost them well over $300- per couple/ single so am going to use that info. in my claim to them.

Yep that sounds about right for what they should do, and the simple fact that you took the advice and didn't go to the airport should not mean you are worse off than those that just turned up!

 

[KCMil]

Past experience has shown me that you normally get Reasonable Hotel costs, I believe there is an upper limit paid, though the excess is claimable from most insurance funds. Plus you get meals allowance and your airfare paid is returned in a credit. As I had not travelled to the airport I didn't get transport costs as the expectation is that I would normally have had to pay that anyway. Though if you were at a hotel that VA was placing guests into then you should have had access to whatever bus or other transport they were providing.
Best idea is just to submit "copies" of all receipts for your expenses for that extra day.

 

[Cynicor]

Good luck claiming, let us know how it goes. Please also name your travel insurance provider so we know who to avoid. Lots of delays are due to an airline issue, mechanical/staffing/late inbound etc.

 

[Jousams]

Just out of curiosity what department would handle this ?

If its customer relations, I'd say any expenses within reason would be covered because they seem to treat status passengers fairly well.


Sent from AFF Mobile Edition

 

[Moopere]

Good luck claiming, let us know how it goes. Please also name your travel insurance provider so we know who to avoid. Lots of delays are due to an airline issue, mechanical/staffing/late inbound etc.

I agree. Important to know who to avoid.

 

[mannej]

QBE did not cover for airline delays back in 09/10?

Those that do cover have a minimum delay period of about 6 hours or so.

 

[Sprucegoose]

Who underwrites the annual policy you have at present?

Get as much paperwork as you can

 

[jveevers]

"Travel Insurance Direct" is Insurer underwritten by Lloyds. In fact the "emergency #" goes to a lloyds person in London.

Not so much concerned with Insurance Co. as I reckon Virgin should meet my actual costs due to the delay.
Have completed the on-line feedback/complaint form 3 days ago but no reply yet.
Someone above mentioned "refund ticket cost" but very much doubt they would do that as they did complete the flight albeit a day and a bit late.

 

[Moopere]

Hmm. So the insurer is TID?

I thought that they covered this. Per their web site:

Travel Delay $4,000 $2,000 Meals and accommodation expenses due to transport delay.

$4K for family, $2K for single

and from their PDS:

Section 6: Travel delay
You only have this cover if you choose the
International or Annual Multi Trip plan.
We will pay you up to $2,000 for a single policy
or $4,000 for a family policy (sub limit of $200
per 12-hour delay) for the cost of reasonable
additional meals and accommodation if, for a
reason outside your control, your scheduled
transport from Australia or overseas is delayed
for at least 6 hours, for each subsequent 12
hours (or part of that time) of delay.
You must give us your receipts and written
confirmation of the delay from the carrier.
The maximum amount we will pay for all claims
combined under this section is shown under
Policy Benefits (page 06) for the plan you
have selected.
For what we will not pay in this section, please
refer to Exclusions to Sections 1-23 (page
16) and General Exclusions: applicable to all
sections (page 22).

General exclusiuons is too large to print here, but a scan of it didn't appear to offer relevance to this problem anyway.

The "Page 16" exclusions which are relevant for travel delay appear to be these:

11. Delays, rescheduling or cancellation
of scheduled transport services
caused by the carrier or related to the
carrier, including maintenance, repairs,
rescheduling, service faults or industrial
activity other than a strike or corporate
takeover. This exclusion does not apply
to Section 6: Travel delay (page 11),
Section 9: Special events (page 12)

Which sound pretty serious except that they appear to my interpretation to not be relevant with relation to travel delay in section 6 (above) - so, I'd still read this to mean that travel delays are covered for food and board after 6 hours and up to $2000 for a single traveller so long as these expenses are "reasonable".

[edit: An unanswered question would be whether the other PAX that you mentioned who, due to this delay, then missed on-connections would be covered.

Possibly you could cancel forward connections that you knew you would miss and then be covered under cancellation?

We will pay the value of the unused
arrangements, less any refunds due to
you, if you have to cancel any pre-paid
transport or accommodation arrangements
due to any unforeseen or unforeseeable
circumstances outside of your control.

]

 

[jveevers]

Moopere, yes I agree, i read it same as you. The guy at Lloyds said "excluded in general exclusions" but I cannot see it, next step is to call them back.
Even so, requirement is to get a letter of confirmation from VA re. flight delay.
Given that I cannot speak to anyone from VA in Australia and to date they have not answered my "feedback", I think its going to be very hard to get that written confirmation. Now a week since this happened and NIL contact from VA!!

 

[lazybones1987]

Hmm. So the insurer is TID?

I thought that they covered this.

I booked with TID for an overseas trip recently and they specifically told me that any delays and cancellations that were due to the airline's fault was not covered by them; I did look at a few other insurance companies and they were all the same.

 

[Moopere]

I booked with TID for an overseas trip recently and they specifically told me that any delays and cancellations that were due to the airline's fault was not covered by them; I did look at a few other insurance companies and they were all the same.

Seems like we're getting verbals along these lines but I certainly don't interpret their PDS to read that way. I think TID has a presence here ... wonder if they have a view?

Sounds like Lloyds just don't want to pay - I'd press them on it myself and get the specific sections of the PDS they say are excluding the case.

As for contacting VA. I've spoken with them when I've had trouble - just ring the GCC and escalate through to a supervisor - Australia 13 67 89

 

[jveevers]

Seems like we're getting verbals along these lines but I certainly don't interpret their PDS to read that way. I think TID has a presence here ... wonder if they have a view?

Sounds like Lloyds just don't want to pay - I'd press them on it myself and get the specific sections of the PDS they say are excluding the case.

As for contacting VA. I've spoken with them when I've had trouble - just ring the GCC and escalate through to a supervisor - Australia 13 67 89

176789 still goes to some god-knows-where call centre with people trying to be Aussie by greeting you with "g'day"
I have insisted several times that I be put through to A. Australia or B. Supervisor , with no luck, just B***s***.
Wheres Tony Soprano when you need him.

 

[robbie1984]

176789 still goes to some god-knows-where call centre with people trying to be Aussie by greeting you with "g'day"
I have insisted several times that I be put through to A. Australia or B. Supervisor , with no luck, just B***s***.
Wheres Tony Soprano when you need him.

Have you tried calling during Australian business hours? Personally i've found i only get the overseas call centre early morning/late night or on weekends.

 

[Moopere]

176789 still goes to some god-knows-where call centre with people trying to be Aussie by greeting you with "g'day"
I have insisted several times that I be put through to A. Australia or B. Supervisor , with no luck, just B***s***.
Wheres Tony Soprano when you need him.

haha. Yes, I do know what you mean. I think for the most part I'm getting Aussies, but theres a strong hint of Filipino accent in there sometimes too. In any event, just don't put down the phone, hang in there, even though it can get pretty frustrating. The call centres calls are monitored and the CSR's well know it, I've never had one actually hang up on me, so if you have enough time you just keep pursuing your goal and not hanging up, eventually the supervisor appears because you are not going away

Seems right to me to pursue the airline first. But I'd still be tweaking TID in the background as at face value they don't seem to be honouring their own PDS and I'd want that out of the way as well ... if it turns out to be true then I'd not want to stump up another premium with them (and there are plenty here who use them and will be interested in your story).

 

[eastwest101]

Seems right to me to pursue the airline first. But I'd still be tweaking TID in the background as at face value they don't seem to be honouring their own PDS and I'd want that out of the way as well ... if it turns out to be true then I'd not want to stump up another premium with them (and there are plenty here who use them and will be interested in your story).

Totally agree with Moopere - I hope that VA do reimburse you and thats the end of it. But the more concerning thing is TID trying to wiggle out of their own PDS - and as for their 16 pages of exclusions - I think that sort of practice needs to be publicized more so people really understand the full significance of exclusions in the insurance industry.