Travel insurance pre-paid accom

[albatross710]

I travel with the insurance cover of Westpac Krisflyer platnum included travel insurance. (Terms and Conditions)

Recently I had a flight cancelled such that I couldn't make the first night of my pre-booked hotel. As I didn't give them 24 hours notice they took the first night as a no show payment. I then paid the same rate as booked for the next four nights.

My hotel in the stranded location was covered by the airline as was my overnight meals of dinner and breakfast.

So all up I wasn't out of pocket but I did pay for an unused hotel night ~$160. The excess on the policy is $200.

My feeling is that there is no claim as the benefit is less than the excess. As it is the second time it's happened to me this year where I have forfeited the first night of accom while staying elsewhere at an airline expense I'm wondering if I'm missing something.

Is there a claim for this forfeited accom?

Alby

PS:

From the T&C indicates the following:

We will also pay for any part of your cancelled
accommodation arrangements that:
n you have paid for but are unable to use; and
n which are non-refundable.

and the travel disruption looks to be covered

your arranged travel is cancelled or delayed by the
carrier because of unexpected:
– mechanical breakdown; or

So, I think it is claimable, just that it doesn't exceed the excess.

 

[bPeteb]

I suppose it's a case of you get what you've paid for, or not paid for in this instance.

We've always used Travel Insurance Direct and have always paid the $25 to remove the $100 excess. We bought a yearly policy last September to cover a trip to HK (last November) and US/Iceland/Greenland in Aug/Sept this year. I've since booked a trip to Bali (next month), so three trips now covered. First time we've bought a yearly policy and it was only a very small amount more expensive than five weeks cover for this year's trip.

We've claimed twice previously for small things but last November one of our bags didn't arrive with us in HK. We'd gone to attend a couple of functions that required a bit of dressing up and spent $550 for clothes and missing toiletries. They paid their limit of $500 for delayed bags (it did arrive three days late). Our yearly no excess policy cost just over $400.

Sadly I think you're out of luck. Maybe consider a yearly policy and remove the excess. It sounds like it would have paid for itself with your two claims.

 

[markis10]

A lot of hotels won't hold you to the booking if you ring them ASAP and explain it's out of your control.

 

[Nizar]

I suppose it's a case of you get what you've paid for, or not paid for in this instance.

We've always used Travel Insurance Direct and have always paid the $25 to remove the $100 excess. We bought a yearly policy last September to cover a trip to HK (last November) and US/Iceland/Greenland in Aug/Sept this year. I've since booked a trip to Bali (next month), so three trips now covered. First time we've bought a yearly policy and it was only a very small amount more expensive than five weeks cover for this year's trip.

We've claimed twice previously for small things but last November one of our bags didn't arrive with us in HK. We'd gone to attend a couple of functions that required a bit of dressing up and spent $550 for clothes and missing toiletries. They paid their limit of $500 for delayed bags (it did arrive three days late). Our yearly no excess policy cost just over $400.

Sadly I think you're out of luck. Maybe consider a yearly policy and remove the excess. It sounds like it would have paid for itself with your two claims.

Agree wholly.
My wife and I travel overseas 3+ times a year so beginning last year we starting taking out annual travel insurance with TID. Like you it costs us around $400 a year.

 

[albatross710]

Sadly I think you're out of luck. Maybe consider a yearly policy and remove the excess. It sounds like it would have paid for itself with your two claims.

Thanks for the thoughts and discussion. My successful claims on the 'free' insurances have been about $14K over the past few years and in the year I did take out an annual policy claims were zero.

Actually thinking about it now, both of these disruptions have been on flights form the country's capital to one of their islands, the first a Greek Isle and the latest a Philippines isle.

This discussion is reminding me of a talk I've had with business friends lately. The best thing that an insurer can do is make successful payouts. We decided it's hard for any of us to leave an insurer with whom was have had a successful claims history.

Thanks

Alby

 

[n7of9]

The best thing that an insurer can do is make successful payouts. We decided it's hard for any of us to leave an insurer with whom was have had a successful claims history.

holy cough, that's so true... I've never thought of it that way but it seems so obvious!

 

[Sprucegoose]

Agree wholly.
My wife and I travel overseas 3+ times a year so beginning last year we starting taking out annual travel insurance with TID. Like you it costs us around $400 a year.

And thats really nothing when the real reason you take out travel insurance is to cover full medical and medivac, not cash for shirts and deodorant.

 

[bPeteb]

Thanks for the thoughts and discussion. My successful claims on the 'free' insurances have been about $14K over the past few years and in the year I did take out an annual policy claims were zero.

Actually thinking about it now, both of these disruptions have been on flights form the country's capital to one of their islands, the first a Greek Isle and the latest a Philippines isle.

This discussion is reminding me of a talk I've had with business friends lately. The best thing that an insurer can do is make successful payouts. We decided it's hard for any of us to leave an insurer with whom was have had a successful claims history.

Thanks

Alby

You couldn't be more correct Alby

 

[bPeteb]

And thats really nothing when the real reason you take out travel insurance is to cover full medical and medivac, not cash for shirts and deodorant.

So true Sprucegoose. We've been very lucky with our travels. For years I was the joke of my friends waiting to see what injury I would come home with - broken ribs from a fall beside a pool, split open forehead from trying to go through an unopen sliding door, more bruised ribs when I slipped down a grassy hill in Oban, the list goes on. Luckily, I've never needed treatment while I was away.

We've seen a helicopter medivac a passenger of the ship we were on off the coast of Morocco, another by coast guard boat off the coast of Italy. There but by the fates could have been one of us...