Holiday insurance: claims for delays?

[413x]

So last night my flight turned around from Greenland and headed back to Iceland.
We got as low as 100m before plane suddenly started to ascend.

Airline put me up in a hotel and this is now at least going to be 2 nights at least.

I've never had to claim on insurance before and this is probably quite complex.

Situation.
Flight from UK to Iceland was fine
Flight from Iceland to Greenland was turned around.
No idea if/when this flight will happen.

Is this something to be handled when I'm back in the UK?
Or is this something I should be calling the insurer with now?

What's really annoying is burning my annual leave and unable to even do anything due to the remoteness of the hotel.

This was a very expensive holiday.
What makes things more complex.
The UK to Iceland leg is paid for by me directly. The Iceland to Greenland is all covered from the tour operator.

I paid on credit card.
I have insurance.


Any advice options would be most helpful!

 

[413x]

only claimed on insurance for damaged items and obviously only can do that once I’m home.

For delayed flights I’ve only claimed under the EU legislation and got compensation direct from the airline.

My advice is you will need to submit every piece of evidence you can, keep all receipts, screenshot all texts received about the delay. Submit all expenses incurred as a result of the delay from extra taxi or trains costs and food.

So far haven't accrued any extra costs as the airline (Iceland Air) is sorting it. So only thing I'm losing is the actual holiday.

I wish knew if we are going to lose 2 days, 5 days.. Etc.
If it goes into 3 days may as well go home and not lose the annual leave.
But not sure if that's even an option.

 

[413x]

I got £500 for being delayed a few months ago.
Don’t start your claim until you are home, keep all receipts for everything you need like food / taxis.
Harass the airline to get you home sooner. Check yourself for alternative flights. If you can call them and give them the alternatives it will help.
They tried to delay me 2 days and I found alternatives and when I called they got me home next day.

At present if its 2 days. I'd rather some proportion of the cost back and still do the rest. But if it's going to be 4 days let's say. That's over half trip gone.

Just no idea when/if can get to destination.
If we do fly to Greenland tomorrow I want something back from the tour operator or insurance.

As its Iceland can't really do anything without a car. And the hotel we are at is extremely remote.

 

[413x]

Wow.

Just rung the insurer. Apparently this is not covered. And I need to claim from the package holiday company.
Is this true?

To give more details.

I bought a "package" holiday from much better adventures (UK company) that included flights from Iceland to Greenland.
I paid for my own flights to Iceland.

My flight from Iceland to Greenland is 2 days delayed.

Is it right that my travel insurance is not valid? If so how is that possible? Isn't this quite common?

Also. If I have an accident out there is that also not covered?

To be clear I put Greenland and Iceland on my travel insurance.

Please let me know if this is for the company I bought from? Basically I don't care who pays. I just want compensation.

If it comes to it I'll go to my credit card company.

 

[413x]

What has the tour operator said? Have you tried compo face to the press?

Get in contact with the package supplier, as the flight delay is not out of the UK you need to find out if ATOL or ABTA will apply. Also read the travel insurance documents and see what is actually covered. All the details and contact number are on the much better adventures website.

Yes just rand them. They sounded like they are trying to fob it off.
Ie no one wants to pay.
I have a feeling it is much better adventures responsibility. Because a product I paid for isn't being delivered. Unless there's some clause for weather.

Have to say how do you get cover for things like this if everyone can wriggle out?

Should have all the protections

"Financial Protection with ABTOT, ABTA & Atol"

 

[413x]

Unfortunately weather is pretty likely to cause a problem to a flight, so I don't think many companies pay much attention. Your claim is compounded because it is an irregular flight.

Are they willing to extend your trip by the days lost?

I doubt it. Flights both ways are booked.
Just heard that flight is scheduled today. So 2 days lost.

You'd think that you'd get a partial refund or something. I'll even try credit card claim.

I dunno. Never been in this situation before. Not sure how you get an insurance provider to cover this.

I read the weather bit on my insurance so thought I was covered.

 

[413x]

I am sure you can at least claim for compensation for delay flight from the EU, on top of a replacement provided.

I got £400 from Air France when mine was missed.

Air passenger rights - Your Europe

Travellers' rights - flight delays, cancellations and overbooking (passengers unable to fly on flight they booked)

europa.eu

Yeah that's what I was hoping. That would be enough to make it fair.

 

[413x]

Start with the link above, mine took 6 weeks to get paid.

If that fails then try Insurance again.

Then try credit card company. Obviously you can't double dip but that is the order I would do my claim in.

Agreed. That was the plan. Airline, Insurance, travel provider (they've offered credit in the past which I'd be fine with), credit card.

 

[413x]

Pretty sure weather is excluded from that scheme. The compo is if the airline COULD have done something to avoid it e.g. maintaining the aircraft properly or on time

Looks like it.

No idea how you actually can get insurance for this situation.

 

[413x]

Found this from CAA & ABTA.

Will pursue this too when get home.

Basically we've had 2 days of holiday missed. With nothing put on as compensation (although they did say they would try, but nothing happened).

So maybe it will end up coming from much better adventures

 

[413x]

I have hope.
Found a case that went to the financial. Ombudsman that was settled in favour of the claimant

Its nearly exactly the same as my circumstances. The quoted passage is absolutely identical to my policy wording.

 

[413x]

Holiday was great. Will be pursuing this at the weekend.

The group I was with has had mixed results.

The tour organiser (much better adventures) has apparently granted some compensation for one person. But 2 others (+ me) have had no luck.

 

[413x]

Firstly - enjoy what you have left of your holiday and deal with it when your home....

Secondly - you need to find out the reason for the flight returning etc. If it was a mechanical issues then your highly unlikely to be able to claim anything as this is "out with " the control of the airline. Similar with weather etc.

If you have incurred any additional costs for transport / hotels / food etc - you would potentially claim under your insurance for that but remember you have an excess so sometimes it's not worth the claim.

If the package company have done what they can in reasonable circumstances - i/e put you up in a hotel/food etc etc - then your only option is via your own insurance but again "missed 2 days of our holiday" usually doesn't wash as it's one of those things that happens and hard to "define" who's actually at fault for the issues.

So what I'm pursuing is the package operator not doing anything.

If they had arranged a tour in Iceland, I'd have been OK with that. But they didn't.

The airline did everything they should have and I incurred no costs. (Iceland Air). It was weather related. So my claim isn't with them.

I will chase the "you didn't provide anything" approach with MBA. Like said. If they had got us on a bus to somewhere like a waterfall or hot spring, it have been OK with it. They did not. Worse. They said they would try . But it never materialised.

 

[413x]

Best of luck - I hope you get whatever you claim for but I suspect you'll end up getting the run around with no one actually admitting any "fault" or error.

At such short notice (i.e a cancelled flight) - there potentially isn't time for them to arrange anything. Just playing devils advocate here.

The package operators will blame the airline, the airline will blame the weather, and the package operators will say that they didn't have time to arrange anything suitable for you.

Will be interesting to find out the outcome - Hope you get something sorted.

Yeah that's certainly what they are trying to do. I'll get the details from the person who said MBA admitted fault and see what she said to them.

But yeah I think it may be a fight. I'd accept a voucher, which may be easier to get than a refund.