Urgent assistance required - compassionate appeal to Singapore Airlines

[stevenaive]

Hi team, perhaps someone can help:

I’m on a family vacation booked through Luxury Escapes to Vietnam and Cambodia. LE also booked our flights with Singapore Airlines and even before we left we knew they were non refundable and non changeable As we got an excellent price. We’re now halfway through our trip so have used two of the four flights, with the returns to Sydney via Singapore not yet used. Due to fly back to Sydney on 21 September.

On the first day of the trip I learnt that my mother had passed away in the UK. The funeral is on 26 September. I believe my best situation would be for me to get me and my family to Singapore using our holiday flights as scheduled. They would return to Sydney as planned. I would defer my return segment to Sydney. I could then buy just a return ticket for myself Singapore to London/Manchester, and use my deferred final leg to get back to Sydney a week or so later.

Do we have any suggestions on how I could get SA to agree to or support this change, noting the time urgency, on compassionate grounds? Or any other suggestions?

If I return to Sydney as normal and just buy a Sydney to London return it seems such a waste of time money and painful long haul travel being already halfway to the UK, if that makes sense.

Many thanks in advance. Please ask if I have missed out any key details

Cheers, Steve

 

[SeatBackForward]

Sounds like a scenario that a reputable Travel Insurer would cater for..

 

[Hvr]

I’m on a family vacation booked through Luxury Escapes to Vietnam and Cambodia.

Your travel agent is the company to call. I can't see Singapore Airlines changing the tickets without Luxury Escapes approving.

 

[CaptJCool]

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[MEL_Traveller]

Should be easy enough to split the booking, ret if the family to travel back to AU, and you to stay in singapore. Whether or not you will be able to reschedule the SIN-AU flight is the problem.

Call LE and see what they suggest. It might be there is nothing they can do, or the cost is prohibitive.

That would leave you the option of buying a SIN-UK-AU ticket.

Check with your insurance, to see if it covers anything, but might be unlikely if your mother is not in your country of departure and residence.

 

[CaptJCool]

Unless it specifically covers

“Trip Interruption Insurance”
Which is a thing

 

[stevenaive]

Sounds like a scenario that a reputable Travel Insurer would cater for..

Well it might not be the answer but I can’t believe I haven’t yet looked into that. Many thanks will do!

 

[stevenaive]

Thank you for so many quick replies and a link to an interesting if dispiriting related experience. This forum is the best

 

[stevenaive]

Update: almost unbelievably I’ve been on live chat with SA. They have rebooked my leg, exactly as I asked, without moving anything else, and have not charged me a penny for it. I have to send the death certificate which is entirely reasonable. And that’s it

Thanks for all the suggestions and links to other experiences. I think I’ve been very lucky

 

[luckypierre]

Update: almost unbelievably I’ve been on live chat with SA. They have rebooked my leg, exactly as I asked, without moving anything else, and have not charged me a penny for it. I have to send the death certificate which is entirely reasonable. And that’s it

Thanks for all the suggestions and links to other experiences. I think I’ve been very lucky

A good outcome for you given the circumstances and well done SQ

 

[Seat0B]

So sorry to hear of your loss @stevenaive and very glad that you have been able to sort everything so easily In the circumstances.

Travel insurance for elderly relatives (assuming your mother was in this age group, apologies if wrong) is problematic. My various credit card insurances and stand alone policies with Covermore and Allianz all have cut off ages for which they will cover trip interruption for the illness or death of a family member. These range from as low as 80 up to 89.

so although the advice of @SeatBackForward is very sound and you may get a pleasant surprise from the insurer, it’s quite possible tht
at the answer would be “not covered” and you will have to rely on the the empathy of the airlines or travel company.

My dear Dad passed away in 2018 just a couple of weeks before we were off on a big trip to the Middle East and Europe, which had to be cancelled. He was 84. It WAS covered by insurance - 84 being their cut off. As my mum is currently 89 I check this carefully now for each trip, but haven’t found anyone willing to insure beyond that age. Mr Seat 0A’s dad is 92! Another time when having airline status may help you out.

I am sending you a wish for the energy you will need to get through the next little while. I found it quite exhausting when my dad passed away, but also a beautiful time for being with family and friends and reflecting in his life and his wonderful shaping of me. Even though sad, I found the funeral and resultant family time was a restorative. Take care.

edit typo

 

[stevenaive]

So sorry to hear of your loss @stevenaive and very glad that you have been able to sort everything so easily In the circumstances.

Travel insurance for elderly relatives (assuming your mother was in this age group, apologies if wrong) is problematic. My various credit card insurances and stand alone policies with Covermore and Allianz all have cut off ages for which they will cover trip interruption for the illness or death of a family member. These range from as low as 80 up to 89.

so although the advice of @SeatBackForward is very sound and you may get a pleasant surprise from the insurer, it’s quite possible tht
at the answer would be “not covered” and you will have to rely on the the empathy of the airlines or travel company.

My dear Dad passed away in 2018 just a couple of weeks before we were off on a big trip to the Middle East and Europe, which had to be cancelled. He was 84. It WAS covered by insurance - 84 being their cut off. As my mum is currently 89 I check this carefully now for each trip, but haven’t found anyone willing to insure beyond that age. Mr Seat 0A’s dad is 92! Another time when having airline status may help you out.

I am sending you a wish for the energy you will need to get through the next little while. I found it quite exhausting when my dad passed away, but also a beautiful time for being with family and friends and reflecting in his life and his wonderful shaping of me. Even though sad, I found the funeral and resultant family time was a restorative. Take care.

edit typo

Thank you very much for the kind words. I am now somewhat exhausted and still have the event to go through but at least the travel stresses are removed

I made sure to give them feedback and will also on Tripadvisor. So easy to complain when things go wrong but not react when the opposite occurs

 

[CaptJCool]

My condolences and rest up!

All the best for the next period of travels.

When I read the outcome of your conversations with SA just before heading to bed
I said to myself

“that’s a modern MIRACLE”