Claiming on Travel insurance

flamehairedtemptress

My sister and her family returned from St Lucia last week having paid for a 2 week full board holiday. The hurricane hit on 30th October and devatated the island and the second week of their holiday. They survived but the rest of the holiday was surviving the aftermath (no food, water, electricity etc) until their scheduled flight back. They had to pay extra for a flight transfer to the main airport as all the roads had been swept away. She is insured and phoned the provider this morning to claim for holiday curtailment. She was abruptly told that she could not claim for curtailment as she did not return home before the end of the holiday duration (the fact that they could not doesn't matter apparently). She was told she might be able to claim for no electricity and lack of the use of the pool. I have read the policy and there are no exclusions relating to 'acts of God' etc. She is 8 months pregnant and could do without with stress. Any advice?

huckster

Sounds about right. Not sure there is much scope for any claim under most policies.

If you go on holiday to the Caribbean at this time of the year which is known as hurricane season, you are taking a chance.

Do you know which Insurer she was with and the product name?

If she is not happy, she can use the Insurers complaints process and they will take a look at the claim again.

flamehairedtemptress

Mmmmm....
The travel agent clearly has no duty to inform someone who is booking an expensive (£8k) family holiday of a lifetime that it was 'hurricane season'!
The insurance was the one Thomas Cook recommended and at £127 for a single trip it was not cheap - but as she was pregnant she wanted to ensure everything was covered - and was assured it was. Clearly not - as hurricanes are excluded, although not mentioned as an exclusion anywhere on the policy (I checked).
The complaints process is going to take months and in the meantime she has to foot the bill for an extra flight to the airport (and with a baby due that's money she can't spare).
After taking out insurance and double checking she was covered for everything - this just seems wrong that she cannot get anything.
(I think I'm ranting - apologies)

huckster

I think it is pretty well known that Atlantic Hurricane season runs from 1st June to 30 November every year. Whether Thomas Cook should have to mention it, check the brouchure carefully and take up with TC andABTA if need be. I am not sure I would be recommending for someone who is at an advanced stage of pregnancy to be travelling there in October.

Check the policy very carefully from front to back, to see what cover it provides in relation to evacuation flights. Someone I used to work for was in this situation and the travel company paid for the flights. There was not much they could claim for, even though they ended up on a different island for most of their holiday and the time they had at their booked location was totally interupted by the incoming storm.

Suggest that your sister takes this up with TC in the first instance and then the Insurers.

bouncydog1

We got caught in a hurricane in Florida a few years ago and were stuck there for an additional 5 days. Luckily we were o.k. as we had managed to get into a well built hotel when we knew it was coming.

Our insurers paid the additional 5 days accommodation cost. We didn't claim for additional food costs etc as we would have had to pay these at home. I think the only thing that your sister may get back is the additional flight costs as everything else related to the hurricane, albeit that it was inconvenient.

She needs to read the TC brochure very carefully as she may find something in the small print at the back regarding hurricane season. I am sure that I have seen something in brochures - it will be contained within the country information.