Missed Departure - Claim Problem

wdw2003

I'd be grateful of some advice here. We used a hire car to travel back to our airport abroad for our return flight home. The journey was 125 miles on motorways and should theoretically have taken 2-3 hours depending on traffic.


It actually took 5 hours due to weight of traffic and we missed our flight, had to buy a new one and also had a late car return charge. We made a claim with Direct Travel/AIG, but they want evidence of the delay, which of course we can't provide.


It seems to be easier to possibly provide evidence of public transport delays or even a car breakdown, but simply being later than could reasonably have been foreseen means that no evidence can be provided.


Do you think my claim is a non-starter? I realise that it's only my word that says we left early, which probably answers my own question.

peachyprice

Unless there was a specific incident i.e emergency road closure/crash rather than underestimating the time the journey would take that time of day then I think you're going to struggle.

Perhaps google to see if there were any specific incidents in the region?

Caz3121

for the insurance to cover this I expect they would want some evidence that the delays were significant event and not just that you did not allow enough time.
Have you tried searching the internet of the reports of the incident?
examples over here would be
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/m6-delays-caused-man-threatening-10541067
http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/07/18/in-pictures-m6-closure-as-severe-lorry-fire-melts-road-surface/
How much did you miss the flight by. Usual guidance is to be at airport 3 hours before flight and you knew it should have been a 2-3 hour journey so I assume you left 6 hours before flight which would have had you at the airport before the flight left but after checkin had closed - is that correct?

wdw2003

Thanks for the replies. There were no incidents, other than 2 lanes filtering into 1, which delayed us 90 minutes, then just the general weight of traffic. It was mostly two lanes, which just isn't enough nowadays. Nothing on the radio suggested anything unusual, but maybe the locals were used to that.


We handed back the car 5 minutes after departure time, 5 hours after leaving the hotel. As we'd checked in online and had hand baggage only, we'd no reason to get there 3 hours in advance, although I'd allowed 1-2 hours contingency.


We just never could have expected to average 25mph on a motorway for 5 whole hours, but at least next time we'll take the train for sure.

Caz3121

the alternative with that distance would be to travel the majority of the journey the day before the flight and stay nearer the airport on the final night
We did a similar distance drive in the summer (San Diego to LAX) 124 miles, estimated 2 hours 23 mins. Our flight was 9pm but we left San Diego around noon and just took a leisurely trip, stopping off a couple of times on the way since we were making good time. I know the road can be a nightmare and did not want to risk getting stuck. Had it been a morning/lunchtime flight we would have headed up the day before.

wdw2003

We left at 6:45am, naively expecting a 2-2.5 hour journey as it was relatively early. With hindsight, it was a Saturday in the holidays in a holiday area, so probably busier than normal because of that, but again I'd still never have expected that sort of delay on a relatively short motorway journey.


Next time we'll definitely take the train from the airport and hire a car where we stay. We did that last time, hence being ignorant about the motorway trip this time around.


Anyway, we live and learn...

leylandsunaddict

You need to read your insurance policy wording. I know mine will only cover if the car I am travelling in is directly involved in an accident or breaking down. It won't cover otherwise. Also public transport failing to get me there in time eg strikes, adverse weather, mechanical failure etc.

iltisman

I would have stayed the last night within taxi distance of the airport . I always expect my hire car to fail on the last run to the airport.
A couple of practice runs would have shown up this time problem.

wdw2003

The policy says similar to yours, leylandsunaddict, but doesn't specifically exclude delays through weight of traffic or such like. When I renew, I'll have a better look at the clauses that are more likely to affect me, rather than assume they're all much the same.


I saw an article online somewhere (Guardian or Independent, I think) that suggested that 40%-odd would pay for traffic delays, but I guess it's all in the wording and what the insurance company is really like when reviewing claims.


Thinking about it, it's a bit like claiming for lost cash or possessions, as they need to take your word for it, even with receipts, which doesn't fill me full of confidence should that ever happen.

Alan_Bowen

If you checked out of the hotel, did they print out a bill which would have a time on it as this could be the start of producing evidence of you attempt to get back to the airport in time?

wdw2003

Good idea, Alan, but it was just a local, private place, more of a guest house, and I'd paid cash on arrival a week earlier. I could get them to confirm when I left, but I know that wouldn't be acceptable evidence.


I lost 570€ because of this, but it could have been much worse if we'd been in the US or wherever, so I'll just need to take it as a lesson learned.