Travel insurance question

[SeatBackForward]

This is a generally hypothetical question. If you have travel insurance and a flight gets cancelled or delayed with the offer being a flight several days later..but you need to be there for say an appointment.

Can you a) book flights with other carriers and be entitled to claim the full cost of these flights?

And b) if the only availability on the next available flight (regardless of carrier) is in a higher fare classes eg. Business only, will you be able to claim the full cost or only up to an equivalent of your original fare?

 

[Cynicor]

Unfortunately, it will depend on your PDS, and also how good the insurance company is. Ask the TID rep maybe; they were active in one of the threads.

 

[RooFlyer]

Agree with Cynicor ... policy dependent.

 

[SeatBackForward]

It's more likely to be buried in the fine print I gather, rather than part of the insured amount for cancellations..

 

[opusman]

Here's an example from the old Westpac Earth card insurance PDS (a few years old now):

5. Special event

If your journey is interrupted by any unexpected cause
outside of your control and as a result you are going to
miss a special event which can not be delayed, we will
pay the reasonable additional costs of using alternative
transport to arrive at the special event destination in time
for the special event.

Where "Special event" is defined as:

“special event” means a wedding, funeral, pre-paid
conference, pre-paid sporting event or pre-paid concert,
which before you left Australia you had planned to attend.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This is a generally hypothetical question. If you have travel insurance and a flight gets cancelled or delayed with the offer being a flight several days later..but you need to be there for say an appointment.

Can you a) book flights with other carriers and be entitled to claim the full cost of these flights?

And b) if the only availability on the next available flight (regardless of carrier) is in a higher fare classes eg. Business only, will you be able to claim the full cost or only up to an equivalent of your original fare?

the answer is almost certainly 'no' - with the exception of 'special events' as mentioned by opusman.

Most insurance policies will cover you for travel delay in the event of cancellations/delays - this will include hotels, meals, and depending on the length of delay, and non-refundable hotels you may have missed at your destination.

TID for example specifically rules out alternative flights:

We will not pay for flights or other transportcosts or upgrades for you to continue yourjourney.

However - one company - insure4less - will provide cover if you miss a departure or connection due to an event outside your control (for example, late inbound aircraft, or traffic accident on the way to the airport (etc)). I believe worldnomads has something similar, but you'd need to check if they cover missed departure rather than just a missed connection.

Insure4less will pay for alternative transport (for any reason, not just a 'special event') if you miss a departure or connection and you had planned to be at the connecting point at the maximum required check-in time. So for example, if Qantas states check-in opens three hours before departure, you'd have to have evidence that you planned to arrive at the airport, or that your connecting connecting flight was scheduled to arrive, three or more hours earlier.

however - there is a maximum limit under the policy of $500/$750/$1000 depending on the level of policy you take.

As always, you'll need to read the PDS.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Interesting about the special events. I have had experience with this in the past. I was in Queenstown, NZ and to attend a wedding as best man three days after returning to SYD.
Due to snow, all flights were cancelled for two days. We caught a taxi to Dunedin, and paid for alternative flights with a different carrier.

Because of the wedding I suppose, insurance covered it all, flights track and accommodation.

 

[SeatBackForward]

So I assume pre-arranged business meetings wouldn't count?

 

[benjy]

So I assume pre-arranged business meetings wouldn't count?

It's another thing which will depend on the PDS. If you aren't sure, call. If you get a yes, It will count, then make sure you record the agent's name and the date and time you called. You have evidence just in case you get a rejected claim... although you may have to fight to get your claim approved.

 

[SeatBackForward]

It's another thing which will depend on the PDS. If you aren't sure, call. If you get a yes, It will count, then make sure you record the agent's name and the date and time you called. You have evidence just in case you get a rejected claim... although you may have to fight to get your claim approved.

I'm sure the insurance companies(that really play a game of probability), have realised that disruption to business travelers on the basis of mere appointments, isn't very lucrative...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So I assume pre-arranged business meetings wouldn't count?

for a normal business meeting... probably not.

 

[Cynicor]

So I assume pre-arranged business meetings wouldn't count?

I am covered for this, and any delays in the PDS of one of my policies (I have 2 annuals and various CCs...)

1. We will reimburse an Insured Person or other Persons for additional and/or forfeited expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred provided such expenses are authorised by AHI Assist or by AHI and are as a direct consequence of:
1.4 any other unforeseen circumstance happening after the commencement of Insured Travel which results in the Insured Travel being delayed or disrupted and is outside the control of the Insured not otherwise excluded under this Section 3;

as well as specifically for meetings:
7. If an Insured Person necessarily and reasonably incurs expenses in circumstances outside the control of the Insured Person which cause a missed transport connection so that the Insured Person is unable to arrive at a Scheduled Meeting which cannot be delayed because of the Insured Person’s late arrival, We will pay to the Insured Person a Sum of up to ten thousand ($10,000) dollars (clear of any amount paid by any Carrier) to enable the Insured Person to Use alternative Scheduled public transport to arrive at the specified destination by the Scheduled time.

So business class would be the go, as long as it's under $10k

 

[SeatBackForward]

I am covered for this, and any delays in the PDS of one of my policies (I have 2 annuals and various CCs...)

1. We will reimburse an Insured Person or other Persons for additional and/or forfeited expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred provided such expenses are authorised by AHI Assist or by AHI and are as a direct consequence of:
1.4 any other unforeseen circumstance happening after the commencement of Insured Travel which results in the Insured Travel being delayed or disrupted and is outside the control of the Insured not otherwise excluded under this Section 3;

as well as specifically for meetings:
7. If an Insured Person necessarily and reasonably incurs expenses in circumstances outside the control of the Insured Person which cause a missed transport connection so that the Insured Person is unable to arrive at a Scheduled Meeting which cannot be delayed because of the Insured Person’s late arrival, We will pay to the Insured Person a Sum of up to ten thousand ($10,000) dollars (clear of any amount paid by any Carrier) to enable the Insured Person to Use alternative Scheduled public transport to arrive at the specified destination by the Scheduled time.

So business class would be the go, as long as it's under $10k

I'm guessing it's a premium Premium for that leven of cover. But.. No doubt if your travel is often enough for such circumstances, it's well worth it.

 

[Cynicor]

No idea what it costs without ski cover. It's actually just for my ski trip in Jan, but they only do it as an annual and it covers everything- off piste, unguided, medical and rescue.

I'm kind of hoping my luggage gets delayed. It's $3k emergency spend for 8 hours delay!!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I'm glad I noticed this thread. I assumed (I know we should never assume) that I'd be covered by my annual multitrip with TID. A very real and foreseeable problem for me is travel delays out of the PNG highlands. Weather changes within minutes. I often fly rotary wing for 1/2 hour, Twotter for 1/2 hour and ATR for 3 hours and then VA for 2.5 hours with three highland airport in play as well as a connection in Cairns. I do have a 2.5 hour wait in CNS for the VA flight and I have predominantly been booking flexi of late. I did wonder though if we're delayed but in the air (so no possible communication with VA to switch flights) and then miss the connection, whether it'd be too bad how sad, buy another ticket. I had hoped in that case, I'd be able to claim the replacement airfare on my TID insurance.............sounds like the answer is no!