Emirates no show fee with serious illness

Tomu_2

Hi,

Late last night I started with a kidney stone, long story short the pain became much worse than my previous kidney stone so I ended up at a&e at 6am. I was still hoping I would be able to catch my flight at 2pm through Dubai to Manila for 2 months backpacking with fluids and painkillers being pumped in me and drinking lots of water to try to flush stone out. At 10:30am I was advised by the doctor that it was against her medical advice to leave the hospital and get my flight as scans had not been done to see what damage there was yet (thanks NHS for the 6 hour wait). At 1pm I managed to get outside the hospital whilst waiting for scan results to get mobile signal and rang emirates to notify them that I wouldn’t be checking in and that I needed to rebook my flights for the next day. Unfortunately whilst being out on hold for over 10 minutes whilst the advisor tried to notify Manchester airport that I wasn’t going to be there, I was called back in by a family member who told me that the scans are not good. I told the advisor this and told her I will call back when I have more information. The scans show that I have 2 kidney stones and an enlarged kidney due to blockages putting me at high risk of getting a kidney infection and causing permenant damage. Doctor advised not to fly until after permission from visiting a specialist which will take around 2 weeks (giving time for kidney stones to flush too). Rang emirates back to tell them to which I was bluntly told I am being charged a no show fee even though I called to advise I wouldn’t be showing (not that it should matter if I called or not as I was in a&e?). I probably saved them a couple thousand pounds by not showing up unfit to fly as they would probably of had to divert with the pain I was in before being given painkillers! I will now wait for clearance to fly and then ring emirates to rebook.

What are my rights?

1. Can emirates charge me a no show fee whilst I was physically incapable of getting to the airport and medically unfit to fly? (Considering I called to notify them too, if it should matter)

2. Should I accept that emirates want to charge me a rebooking fee? I can kind of understand this, it’s not my fault that I was medically unfit to fly but I understand the added costs for emirates.

3. Is there anything else I should be aware of? I have very limited knowledge of consumer rights with airlines.

P.s. my travel insurance with Boots was diabolical. They gave me 3 options, cancelling my whole holiday which I don’t want to do, give them a new start date for the cover with a hefty premium for the new illness within the next 3 working days which I can’t (I couldn’t keep the original start date for some reason or claim for any fees emirates may charge me or accommodation etc.) or cancel the cover as I was still in the cooling off period.

Sorry if I’ve rambled on, I’m pretty high on painkillers right now !!!128514; thanks for your answers in advance!

[Deleted User]

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. No. You have insurance so if you get ill it compensates you for things that go wrong.

LilElvis

It might be worth while shopping around for a new travel insurance policy once you have a full understanding of your condition and before you rebook. A new policy with a specialist insurer might be cheaper than the additional premium on your existing one. We have a free travel policy as part of our bank account and the extra for my husband's medical condition means that it's cheaper to take out a separate policy to cover him.

I can relate as I've had kidney issues which have left scarring and impaired function - being kicked in the back by a horse would be comparable in terms of pain. Almost up there with childbirth!

Hopefully your holiday won't be too delayed.

NCC-1707

History of a kidney problem may invalidate you insurance for a recurrence.

Tomu_2

Thanks all for your replies. I can!!!8217;t believe that airlines can charge a no show fee to customers who couldn!!!8217;t physically show up due to serious illness and who called to tell them. Seems like a health and safety risk to the plane if I and other people with serious illnesses are forced to fly to avoid paying a no show fee.

I!!!8217;ll get in touch with citizens advice to confirm what Camelot has said I think unless anyone can confirm? Also with regards to rebooking fees?

On a more happier note I!!!8217;d like to say that Airbnb have been really good. One call and refunded all bookings with full return of their fees and empathetic employees. I!!!8217;m really failing to see what travel insurance is for right now... I fall ill and all they want to do is make me cancel the entire trip or change the start date of the policy, I shouldn!!!8217;t have to take out cover with a company and then have a fight to the edge of sanity with one of their employees who has been trained to give as little money as possible when I want to claim. I feel like I need to get a lawyer to deal with them just to get around all their jargon and understand my rights with them.

But in all seriousness I will of course get new insurance and give full info on what has happened before I go, not that I believe they would pay out if the worst was to happen without a fight to the death with one of their employees first !!!55357;!!!56834;

elsien

You're not being forced to fly to avoid a no show fee.
You've bought a ticket, you're not well enough to use it, that's why you have insurance. They are giving you the opportunity to rebook for a fee instead of losing the lot, which would happen with a lot of airlines at such short notice.

It really does depend on the terms and conditions when you book - again, many accommodation providers would not have given a refund because they've effectively lost the booking for the time you should have been there. The reason is not their problem.

Boots insurance offered to refund the cost of the holiday. Can't argue with that.

Tomu_2

If the only way not to pay a no show fee is to fly whilst medically unfit, how is a medically unfit passenger not being forced to fly to avoid a no show fee?

I didn!!!8217;t get insurance just for financial terms. I got insurance to help keep my trip on track when things go wrong, to give me back up when I have issues with rebooking fees and stuff if I got ill, not just to cancel and claim. I love to travel, the insurance was to ensure I could continue my trip at any time I needed help or to receive medical treatment whilst abroad.

Anyway i!!!8217;d lose much more money cancelling the holiday and claiming refunds through boots when all excesses are taken to account then I would paying to rebook a flight with emirates which again begs the question, what is the point of travel insurance. Of course I know for health insurance in case the worst was to happen but after this encounter I doubt I!!!8217;d get a penny from them if the worst was to happen without lawyering up.

Maybe I!!!8217;m expecting too much from these companies, you all seem to be on the side of the insurance or airline. Again I will check with citizens advice with regards to elseins comment that a lot of airlines would keep customers money after they are struck with sudden and serious illness, to me that is just not on and I can!!!8217;t believe consumers are ok with this.

I called emirates to advise I wouldn!!!8217;t be showing at the airport, this should have stopped me receiving a no show fee but the advisor couldn!!!8217;t get in contact with Manchester airport. I told emirates I wasn!!!8217;t going to show, it!!!8217;s their internal communication processes that failed to pass that message along.

Caz3121

Tomu wrote: »

I called emirates to advise I wouldnt be showing at the airport, this should have stopped me receiving a no show fee but the advisor couldnt get in contact with Manchester airport. I told emirates I wasn;t going to show, its their internal communication processes that failed to pass that message along.

Emirates definition of a no-show
- A NO-SHOW FOR A FLIGHT IS CONSIDERED WHEN A
PASSENGER FAILS TO REPORT TO THE AIRPORT AS
BOOKED TWO HOURS BEFORE DEPARTURE OF THE
SCHEDULED FLIGHT.

If you had paid the change fees etc to move the flight to another date then you would have not been a no-show when the flight closed but if you were still booked on the original flight when it closed then the no-show status would be correct
You would be best having a good read through of the Emirates Conditions of Carriage and the fare rules of the ticket you purchased

munchpot

Tomu wrote: »

P.s. my travel insurance with Boots was diabolical. They gave me 3 options, cancelling my whole holiday which I don’t want to do, give them a new start date for the cover with a hefty premium for the new illness within the next 3 working days which I can’t (I couldn’t keep the original start date for some reason or claim for any fees emirates may charge me or accommodation etc.) or cancel the cover as I was still in the cooling off period.

Reading the above I can't see how Boots are being diabolical

They've offered you three options

1 - Cancel the holiday and they will pay out for any losses - So your insurance pays out and you can start the whole process again - exactly what insurance is designed to do

2 - Change the start date, effectively starting a new policy, with an obvious increase in premiums for a pre-existing condition As would any other insurance company

3 - Cancel the cover for a full refund - Make use of the cooling off period with a full refund and start again

That's why insurance policies are taken out. You can't expect for the insurance company to make a pay out (cost of no show) then carry on insuring you for continuing your trip

pmduk

Putting it bluntly: It's solely a no-show fee, not a no-show without good cause fee. It's why you should have travel insurance.

pinkshoes

Sorry you got ill just before your trip

The airline are following their policy. You didn't show up so they need to charge. The rebooking charge is also fair. At least they are letting you rebook.

Claim for any costs on your holiday insurance.

Regarding your insurance, you would probably be better off shopping around. My dad is a frequent traveller but has a serious heart condition. Some insurance companies don't want to know.

Tomu wrote: »

At 10:30am I was advised by the doctor that it was against her medical advice to leave the hospital and get my flight as scans had not been done to see what damage there was yet (thanks NHS for the 6 hour wait).

6 hours for a scan isn't that bad. You weren't dying. The NHS is free and our doctors and nurses work really hard.

Go private if you don't want to wait.

You could have flown then paid for a private scan abroad. It would have cost you more than swapping the flights though!