Nationwide/UKI Insurance and Ryanair

Tammykitty

I was due to go to Malta on 18th July - and on the 30th June cancelled the accommodation as we would not be going.
Contacted Ryanair - and via their chatbot was informed (automatic response) no refund. I didn't contact Ryanair again until 17th July - when it was clear that the flight was not going ahead and again confirmed that no refund was possible - this time via actual support and not the auto responses

I have travel insurance with Nationwide (Annual Policy - and last renewed in September), and if FCO advice with 28 days is against all but essential travel then I should be covered.

However - Nationwide say Ryanair should be paying a refund - as advised by CMA - and have given me the wording to send to them - which I have but getting a response from Ryanair will be very slow!

However - as much as I am no fan of Ryanair, I don't think they are responsible for this - as the date the flight left the FCO advice was no longer against travel and the flight went ahead. (However, I am in Northern Ireland, and we were still being advised against all non essential travel, and I also have an Irish passport - so would have been travelling against the advise of the Irish Department of Foreign affairs, and we have suffered quite a lot financially due to COVID 19, so going wasn't really an option).

Do I have any comeback for Nationwide or do I have to wait for a response from Ryanair - it is only the flight I am claiming for.

bradders1983

If the flight operated, Ryanair have indeed done nothing wrong as you say.

blindman

Tammykitty said:

I have travel insurance with Nationwide (Annual Policy - and last renewed in September), and if FCO advice with 28 days is against all but essential travel then I should be covered.

However - Nationwide say Ryanair should be paying a refund - as advised by CMA - and have given me the wording to send to them - which I have but getting a response from Ryanair will be very slow!

However - as much as I am no fan of Ryanair, I don't think they are responsible for this - as the date the flight left the FCO advice was no longer against travel and the flight went ahead. (However, I am in Northern Ireland, and we were still being advised against all non essential travel, and I also have an Irish passport - so would have been travelling against the advise of the Irish Department of Foreign affairs, 
Do I have any comeback for Nationwide or do I have to wait for a response from Ryanair - it is only the flight I am claiming for.

From the details here you have a valid claim from Nationwide insurers as you could not travel due to FCO advice and cannot claim from Ryaniar as they operated the flight.
Either fill out their on-line claim form or be patient and ring them. Best to do so at 08:00 on a day that they are open.
Be prepared to get a push back initially from their "advisors".
Nothing seems to get done unless you raise a formal complaint and then your situation gets passed to a competent supervisor.

parcival

Agreed, formal complaint is the way to go. We got £100 compensation because the complaints team agreed that they had handled our claim poorly. Having said that the claim is ongoing and I anticipate it will be going to the Ombudsman in the next 2 weeks.  We are actively removing ourselves from all things Nationwide at present.

Tammykitty

Thanks, I had already filled in the claim form, and they rang me to inform me that I had no claim - and Ryanair were responsible due to CMA advice.
I will get back to Nationwide next week - and raise a complaint if they don't respond

payless

IMHO. Nationwide BS’s reputation being harmed  by UKI