fell sick while bording flight, denied travel, no refund?

[Deleted User]

Hi,


I fainted while boarding a flight that I booked on expedia. I was told by the airport staff who looked after me (they were very good), that there was no need to worry and I could rebook onto another flight when I was better.


However, after calling expedia they told me it was a non-changeable non-refundable flight, and because I missed it the return leg had also been cancelled. The only thing they could refund me were the airport taxes which they have done.


I understand it's not the airlines fault that I was unwell, and obviously they wouldn't want to risk carrying a sick passenger, and unfortunately I had no travel insurance either. I was hoping they could at least put me on standby for a subsequent flight though.


Is there anything more I can do?

tomtontom

Ask the airline if they can help. Unlikely but no harm in asking.

And never travel without insurance.

[Deleted User]

thanks, I'll give them a call.

agrinnall

Budget airlines don't do standby, if there is a space on a later flight you can buy a ticket on it at whatever the cost at that time happened to be. If you had insurance that cost would very likely have been refunded to you - it's exactly what happened to me when I missed a return flight due to a public transport failure and had to rebook the next day.

knightstyle

Surely that is what you have travel insurance for?

mgdavid

knightstyle wrote: »

Surely that is what you have travel insurance for?

It is, but it's too easy for some.....

wiogs

knightstyle wrote: »

Surely that is what you have travel insurance for?

Not in this case as per the original post.

malkie76

I'm not convinced that insurance would pay out. They'd demand evidence you were unfit to fly as determined by a doctor (which wouldn't have happened in the time frame).

Airline should have booked on the next available flight. If you left the airport with a verbal promise you might struggle.

callum9999

malkie76 wrote: »

I'm not convinced that insurance would pay out. They'd demand evidence you were unfit to fly as determined by a doctor (which wouldn't have happened in the time frame).

Airline should have booked on the next available flight. If you left the airport with a verbal promise you might struggle.

I find that incredibly hard to believe. If it was just the OP's word then yes, but they fainted at the airport and the airline therefore denied them boarding. No insurance worth it's salt would ever deny that you were too sick to travel if the airline itself said it wouldn't take you.

I agree with the last bit though. Verbal promises mean nothing whatsoever (unless recorded) so you're unlikely to get anywhere at all unfortunately. As someone else suggested, it's definitely worth trying to call the airline and seeing if they'll do anything (depending on the airline anyway, I can't see a low cost airline doing anything), but don't get your hopes up.

peachyprice

malkie76 wrote: »

I'm not convinced that insurance would pay out. They'd demand evidence you were unfit to fly as determined by a doctor (which wouldn't have happened in the time frame).

Evidence from the airline that they refused boarding due to illness would suffice.

littlereddevil

:mad::mad:No refund. Hopefully your flights worked out cheaper than an insurance policy.:mad::huh::huh: