Travel Insurer won't pay out when unable to go on holiday

macman

If the accom was available as booked (not in Barcelona and not in Figueres, so not locked down) then I cannot see that you would have had any valid claim for the accom cost. The fact that you might have originally planned to travel through a locked down area is irrelevant, as other routes were available to you as far as the provider is concerned. How you get there is not their problem. 
But you now drip-feed the info that the accom provider has kindly moved the booking forward into 2021? So why are you trying to claim the flight and accom on your holiday insurance: your only loss is for the flight?
If the flight was cancelled (you haven't told us), then the booker simply needed to claim a full refund. If it did, then the option was there to rebook for 2021 or get vouchers. Which airline was this?
Based on the info now given, you have made no attempt to mitigate your losses, or recover them from the contracted providers where possible. The fact that another insurer paid out on another policy is completely irrelevant.

Capt_Mainwaring

Hi Macman - I'm dip feeding info as that was how it was on my previous experiences on this forum. The private car parking companies were monitoring this (and other) forums, so I don't want to divulge too much info, in case this was happening here,

I didn't book the accommodation. That was done by another of our party, so I am not trying to recover that cost. I'm trying to recover the cost of the flight only. The airline was Ryan Air and the flight did go ahead but without us on it.

[Deleted User]

Capt_Mainwaring said:

Hi Macman - I'm dip feeding info as that was how it was on my previous experiences on this forum. The private car parking companies were monitoring this (and other) forums, so I don't want to divulge too much info, in case this was happening here,

Claiming on your travel insurance in nothing like trying to get out of a parking fine.

It's much quicker, easier and happier for everyone if you just spell everything out. 

No need to treat it like a whodunnit.

Capt_Mainwaring

Thanks for pointing that out zx81. I wasn't aware, so I just assumed it would be the same - best not to divulge too much, I thought, as you don't know who reads these forums. Is there anything else you want to know?

macman

Well that does make matters very much clearer, eventually. So why did you (assuming it was you and not the accom booker who booked the flights) not simply use the voucher or free rebooking facility that Ryanair offered in order to move the flights to the newly arranged accom dates in 2021? 
Whether Barcelona and the wider region were in lockdown or not is not relevant. They contracted to fly you from the UK airport to BCN only: if you would not have been allowed to proceed from El Prat to your final destination, that was not their responsibility. The flight operated, you were allowed by UK law to board it, but you chose not to be on it, therefore no refund applies.
Your insurers seem vague about exactly why they have denied your claim, but given the facts you have now provided, I can see no possible validity to a claim anyway: it's simply disinclination to travel.

Capt_Mainwaring

The flights were booked by my brother-in-law. The accommodation by my father-in-law. I had no involvement. My BiL looked in to moving the flights 12 months in advance, when my FiL moved the accomodation but the flights were a LOT more expensive, coupled with Ryan Air's attitude to add on's, which in this case was some sort of admin/rearrangement fee and it just wasn't a viable option for us to do it.

macman

Fair enough, but that has no impact on the validity of your insurance claim. We can't see your policy, but it won't cover you for disinclination to travel.

Capt_Mainwaring

Update - I was delighted to receive an email in which the travel insurer (following my complaint) have done a complete about-face and have decided to pay out the full amount of the claim. They have even waived the usual policy excess, as a gesture of good will!! Christmas really has come early this year Many thanks to those who have given their time and thoughts to my dilemma. Merry Christmas everyone

silvercar

Capt_Mainwaring said:

Update - I was delighted to receive an email in which the travel insurer (following my complaint) have done a complete about-face and have decided to pay out the full amount of the claim. They have even waived the usual policy excess, as a gesture of good will!! Christmas really has come early this year Many thanks to those who have given their time and thoughts to my dilemma. Merry Christmas everyone

Good news! And thanks for posting, always nice to see how things turned out.

Capt_Mainwaring

silvercar said:

Good news! And thanks for posting, always nice to see how things turned out.

You're welcome. It's great to share a positive outcome with you all...