Middle East Airspace Diversions/Cancellations

[prozac]

Shame!

See I've made a big effort to speak DIL's language

Oh dear, the cross some must bear.

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

Shame!

See I've made a big effort to speak DIL's language

"So long" still seems to be the one that throws the most people off.

I still let it out from time to time but otherwise have managed to master the Australian accent for daily use enough to hide most detections (revealing the truth is always a fun party trick).

 

[Quickstatus]

I suspect the people saying they won't transit the Middle East "ever" again may be more likely to stick than those saying they just won't fly Qatar.

Some might, some might not

the Middle East has never purported to be a bastion of consumer rights (or many rights at all).

No one said that the ME is a bastion of consumer or any rights but that has not stopped people all over the world booking flights with the ME3. One could also say with receipts, by the way, that Qantas is not a bastion of consumer rights too. However, I don't see what this has to do with the current situation. It appears to me that the ME3 is dealing with this issue as well as any airline in their situation.

 

[Quickstatus]

Cons: War

Would you consider a Con to be:

If at the time of your booking and then at the time of your flight, a war was ongoing (whether a war was formally declared or not) and then you needed emergency medical treatment when you were in transit and you were offloaded in DXB. You then find out your travel insurance declined cover because of the general exclusions which include wars.

 

[Seat0B]

"So long" still seems to be the one that throws the most people off.

Had to resort to google for that one. I can throw it in to my next conversation with DIL for bonus points!

 

[IrishPete]

Would you consider a Con to be:

If at the time of your booking and then at the time of your flight, a war was ongoing (whether a war was formally declared or not) and then you needed emergency medical treatment when you were in transit and you were offloaded in DXB. You then find out your travel insurance declined cover because of the general exclusions which include wars.

I would like to meet the regulator that told insurers it is okay to exclude war...

What are people supposed to do when stranded? Not everyone can afford the enormous extra cost of the jacked-up fares that other airlines charge in these circumstances. Plus accommodation costs.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would like to meet the regulator that told insurers it is okay to exclude war...

What are people supposed to do when stranded? Not everyone can afford the enormous extra cost of the jacked-up fares that other airlines charge in these circumstances. Plus accommodation costs.

it’s not the regulator, it’s simple product offering, and cost.

You can buy a bespoke policy that includes war, but at what premium?

When stranded? The EU and the UK requires airlines to provide meals and accommodation and re-routes the passengers at the earliest opportunity, free of charge… so there are no additional costs. Your insurance wouldn’t pay out in those situations anyway given those costs are recoverable by the passenger.

Ex AU, people originating there won’t usually have additional accommodation costs (they just go home), and airlines are re-routing. For those who originated outside Australia and need to fly home… they're potentially going to be up for some extra accommodation, but again they're having flights re-routed.

So it’s a question of actual costs on passengers, and the cost of a policy that included war.

 

[Quickstatus]

What are people supposed to do when stranded

There are other ways to do LIS-AUS which does not include the Middle East.
EU261 provides some cover regarding accomodation and meals and re routing or a refund
The airline would reroute the passenger or provide a refund if the pasenger thinks it is too risky on an individual basis

I would like to meet the regulator that told insurers it is okay to exclude war...

What regulator told the travel insurers that it is Ok to exclude war? You mean to say that insurers should be forced to provide insurance with a war inclusion at no extra cost?. What do you think a War premium is going to be?

 

[IrishPete]

When stranded? The EU and the UK requires airlines to provide meals and accommodation and re-routes the passengers at the earliest opportunity, free of charge… so there are no additional costs. Your insurance wouldn’t pay out in those situations anyway given those costs are recoverable by the passenger.

I'm not sure if you have first hand experience of this, but I can assure you that Qatar Airways offered absolutely nothing, and discouraged making any contact with them. If you have to get back to work/children/pets and are incurring further costs as each day passes (I wasn't, but could have been - no, cancel that, we were incurring parking costs at an airport - $89 for two and a bit extra days, thank you Canberra AIrport), fighting Qatar to make them comply with EU regulations, when they weren't providing a means of contacting them, wasn't really practical.

 

[Quickstatus]

fighting Qatar to make them comply with EU regulations, when they weren't providing a means of contacting them, wasn't really practical.

If the priority is to get back home, then all the passenger can do is to find a way to get back home and then fight that battles later rather than incurring further costs OS