Travel insurance for mid-trip flights

NervyBuyer

Hi, does anyone know of a travel insurance provider who covers delayed or cancelled departure during the trip, i.e. not just from the UK?

I am going on a trip through various countries in S.E. Asia with local flights between a couple of countries, and having tours and accommodation booked after those flights means I could be significantly out of pocket if the flights are disrupted, but neither of my 2 current travel insurance policies cover this, and neither do a couple of others I've looked at so far.

As airlines don't cover consequential losses I'm not sure how to insure for this. I would have thought it was a pretty common scenario people would want to be covered for.

Many thanks!

Caz3121

have a look at backpacker type insurance such as worldnomads

dj1471

You could seek out insurance cover for this, but I'd suggest a better solution is to change your expectations.

If you're using low cost carriers in SE Asia you will experience delays, cancellations etc, you should build flexibility into your schedule to account for this. Some carriers will simply change the schedule rather than delay the flight, even on the day of travel - you will struggle to find cover for that as it isn't technically a delay.

That said I've used Asian LCCs a lot and have very rarely experienced significant delays. I did once spend 3 hours queuing for immigration, that's yet another scenario you won't be able to get cover for...

NervyBuyer

dj1471 wrote: »

You could seek out insurance cover for this, but I'd suggest a better solution is to change your expectations.

Appreciate what you're saying for 'that kind of trip' but this isn't that kind of trip. And it's also a more general issue as I take trips like this 2 - 3 times a year all over the world (usually not using low cost carriers). At the least you have to book somewhere to stay for the night you are supposed to arrive.

Fortunately I've been lucky in the past and I'd never even considered it as a potential problem, but I got to thinking about it as some friends of mine have recently been on a trip where they were delayed by 48 hours due to some sort of impromptu crew dispute, thereby losing out on AI accommodation they had booked, (I googled it and it was over £1k per night!) plus an expensive excursion on the second day. Instead they were put up in a cheap motel, had to pay for their own food and drink (apart from a token fast food meal on the first night) and had to spend all of the second day in the airport. Apparently they cannot even reclaim their extra expenses, let alone the losses.

If such insurance really doesn't exist, fair enough, just seems a bit odd that you can routinely insure for cancellation, baggage, delay etc. at the start of a trip, but should have to expect to potentially lose £1000s once the trip has started.

silvercar

Interesting as I've just traveled round South America with a similar scenario. All accommodation pre-booked in relatively expensive hotels, I never really thought about whether my insurance would cover me for delays. I was using national carriers rather than low cost airlines, but still delays in arrival would have impacted on the holiday.

My insurance is an annual policy provided as part of my bank account, I don;t know if that would have made a difference.

blindman

NervyBuyer wrote: »

If such insurance really doesn't exist, fair enough, just seems a bit odd that you can routinely insure for cancellation, baggage, delay etc. at the start of a trip, but should have to expect to potentially lose £1000s once the trip has started.

Hi

I think you have found the "only" advantage of booking a package trip as opposed to DIY.

The former would cover you for delay\missed nights etc. whilst AFAIK there is no comparable cover in any DIY insurance.

Is there an insurance option when you book with the LCC that may cover this?
Is there an insurance option with the tours for no show etc?

Sure I've seen such options when booking in the past-I always say no...)

Why have you got 2 travel insurances??

NervyBuyer

silvercar wrote: »

My insurance is an annual policy provided as part of my bank account, I don;t know if that would have made a difference.

So is mine.

NervyBuyer

blindman wrote: »

Hi

I think you have found the "only" advantage of booking a package trip as opposed to DIY.

Why have you got 2 travel insurances??

How would you make a claim when booking as part of a package? Is that covered by insurance, or the package operator themselves?

I have my own rolling, annual insurance through my bank but my employer also provides travel insurance by default which covers leisure travel as well.

richardw

NervyBuyer wrote: »

...neither of my 2 current travel insurance policies cover this, and neither do a couple of others I've looked at so far......

What sort of exclusion phrases do these policies have written in them?

blindman

NervyBuyer wrote: »

How would you make a claim when booking as part of a package? Is that covered by insurance, or the package operator themselves?

As I have not bought a package for the last 40 years :cool: I'm guessing it would be the package operator.

When I DIY a trip I build in things like cancellable hotels and if I'm on tours (very unlikely) again I look for cancellation terms that would fit for a delay in arrival.
I also build in delays due to unexpected transport delays.

Gloomendoom

richardw wrote: »

What sort of exclusion phrases do these policies have written in them?

That's what I was wondering. I've scanned through my policy and I can't see anything obvious that would specifically exclude mid-trip flights.