CedarTree Travel Insurance Coy Boys refusing to pay for genuine claim

Andy_GB

I travel to Europe quite a lot so I usually invest in a good travel insurance policy. One thing that's really important for me is that the policy covers for flight cancellation or severe delays, then I can still get to where I am going even if the airline can't take me. Having searched around there were only really two underwriters that provide such cover, and I went with the worst of the two clearly.

As luck would have it, yet again, I recently had a flight cancelled and the airline couldn't offer me any alternative within 30 hours, which I might point out was unsuitable anyway. Furthermore, there were no other airlines going to my destination on the day I needed to go.

I checked the terms and conditions of my policy and it says this:


TRAVEL DISRUPTION COVER
We will pay you up to the amount shown in the schedule of benefits for your proportion only of any reasonable additional travel (including up to the limit detailed for taxis and hire cars) and accommodation costs which are of a similar standard to that of your pre-booked travel and accommodation (but on a room only basis) that you cannot claim back from any other source if you have to make alternative arrangements to reach your destination (or in the case of a cruise to join your ship at the next possible port of call) as a result of:

a) The public transport on which you were booked to travel from your home area being cancelled or delayed for at least 12 hours from the scheduled time of departure (but not including your additional travel costs where the cancellation or delay is caused by the insolvency of the public transport operator), or being diverted or re-directed after takeoff


Now my understanding of this wording is that if I had a flight cancelled, and the airline can't provide an alternative within 12 hours, the travel insurance policy will cover me for reasonable additional travel to reach my destination. So I booked a flight, for the same day, around the same time so I could get to my destination as planned. I submitted all the claim paperwork and evidence, and I received this email back:


Unfortunately, you have booked a flight for within 12 hours of the departure time which negates the delay you could have had. Regrettably, the cause of your claim falls outside of these reasons and for this reason we have not alternative other than to decline liability for your claim.


So if booking the "reasonable additional travel" negates the delay, then surely this section of the policy is completely invalid and useless in the same way that Payment Protection Insurance was.

I claimed for a similar flight cancellation just a few months ago and this was approved, so I don't know why they have declined this one.

Looking for advice.

agrinnall

I don't see that it's invalid, it just means that you actually have to experience the 12 hour delay before you can make alternative arrnagements that the policy will cover.

Personally I don't see why such cover would be needed anyway, as you say the airline is required to get you to your destination, and if you were able to find an alternative that was better than the unsuitable one that they offered why didn't you just ask them to book you onto that flight?

Andy_GB

The flight was cancelled, and the alternative one was 30.5 hours difference, therefore I believe it is a valid claim.

The airline in question offered to fly me 30.5 hours earlier than I was due to depart and I am not available to fly then. As the airline gave 2 weeks notice prior to the departure date, the airline has no responsibility at all. As far as they are concerned, its take the new flight or take a refund.

As we know booking a flight closer to the departure time costs considerably more, and therefore my new flight has cost 4 times as much as the original one. I have had a few flights cancelled in the last 12 months which leaves me paying expensive fares for last minute flights. This is what that policy is supposed to cover.

tempus_fugit

Your post is not making much sense I'm afraid. You say that the alternative flight would have been 30.5 hours earlier than your intended departure date. So if I have got this right you booked a different flight for the day that you had intended to travel, so how were you delayed in any way? Or if this is not right can you explain when your actual flight was in relation to the day you originally meant to travel?

stator

Write an official appeal and if they reject it complain to whichever ombudsmen they are covered by.
Was your flight officially cancelled and the earlier flight was a separate one you were offered, or was the departure date changed?
Your policy seems to cover cancellation or delay but doesn't mention the date being charged earlier, which can't really be called a delay.

tempus_fugit

That's the thing, it doesn't look to me like there has been any delay, just a change that wasn't acceptable to the OP, but I could be wrong.

Andy_GB

To clarify, the flight was cancelled. The airline used to fly to the destination 7 days a week, but will no longer be doing so. Instead they will operate every other day. My original flight was booked for a day which they are not now operating on. Therefore the flight I was intending to take isn't delayed or re-scheduled, it has been cancelled.

rs65

I think the talk of 12 hours is a red herring.

Are you claiming under T2?

stator

I would say you have a good claim. Write a letter of appeal being very clear about the grounds you are claiming on. If they refuse then go to the ombudsmen