Holiday Insurance and what it covers, or doesn't

tenchy

Can someone tel me if your typical travel insurance, e.g. from the Post Office, will cover any financial losses if your airline went bankrupt prior to your holiday> The small print seems to indicate that it would, but I'd like to be sure. Thanks.

Quentin

The small print will be definitive. But typically your holiday insurance doesn't cover holiday airlines from going bust.

Usually the best they may offer is cover if a scheduled airline goes bust, and you have a "normal" air ticket (ie not travelling on an inclusive package tour). There are very few that cover you if your holiday is via a charter flight (xl style) and the airline go bust.

tenchy

Hi Quentin, I'm looking at Jet2.com, booking my own flight (not part of package), so I'm not sure.

Quentin

I think post office travel insurance does cover scheduled flights (as long as you aren't using them as part of a package).

The policy should clearly set it out.

Pay with your credit card for the tickets for belt and braces if the policy seems unclear and no-one from post office can reassure you.

FH_Brit

See my other thread that has some useful Travel Insurance info:

Click Here for must-read information: Florida Medical & Travel Insurance

I am an Ex-Pat Brit (Hertfordshire) living and working in Florida. I work for a major Hospital group (7 hospitals and 14 urgent care clinics around the Orlando area) dealing with all you tourists that holiday here and then go home leaving medical bills behind you unpaid.

My job is to track you down and get the bills paid and I deal with UK insurers many times each day. No matter what your horror story is, I’ve heard them all and Brits usually have the same story to tell.

I am officially a Debt Collector, and that usually scares people. Don’t be worried, it is usual business here in Florida to use debt collection agencies. If you get a letter or call from a debt collector remember DO NOT IGNORE THEM – CONTACT THEM IN THE WAY THEY ASK – don’t assume e-mail is ok the privacy laws state we have to have a verbal confirmation or “ink” signature to confirm you are the patient or other person entitled to the information. The law is on their (or their clients) side, and in ANY case YOU the patient, are responsible for your own debts NOT your insurance company.

tenchy – The trouble with what you are asking is “Scheduled or Charter” airline. Although I am not 100% sure I think the difference is a scheduled airline operates regular time-tabled services and you can buy tickets upto boarding time (like a train or bus) and the flight is operated by the airline itself. A charter is where someone/company has purchased the whole aircraft (or seats) for a certain route and the charter operator then sells the tickets for “their” flight.

The post office is a good policy in general (every policy differs with every passenger, or can) and people do not know the difference between scheduled and charter (BA, Virgin Atlantic, US Airways, etc etc are all scheduled airlines.). If you book to a popular holiday destination with a travel agent then in “most” cases these are chartered services – Please remember there is usually exceptions to these rules and to be sure, check by asking the representative when enquiring about purchasing tickets (an advantage to booking the “old way” rather than on the internet!).

Jet2.com I have just looked at and it looks very much like a charter, and under the Post Office policy wording you ARE NOT COVERED if they go bust.

Porker

regular travel insurance normally wont cover the airline going bust. If you want protction against that you need to buy scheduled airline failure insurance which specifically offers cover against this type of risk. Easy jet include this in their standard travel insurance policy.

Quentin

The post office "regular" policy mentioned here does offer this scheduled airline failure cover.

FH_Brit

Porker wrote: »

regular travel insurance normally wont cover the airline going bust. If you want protction against that you need to buy scheduled airline failure insurance which specifically offers cover against this type of risk. Easy jet include this in their standard travel insurance policy.

This is because Easy Jet are not a scheduled airline - under CAA guidelines.

FH_Brit

Quentin wrote: »

The post office "regular" policy mentioned here does offer this scheduled airline failure cover.

But as I said above - That Airline is a Charter not Scheduled.