Villa Cancellation insurance - can anyone help?

Sandman1301

I'm hoping someone can help me out here. We are a family of 4 due to be going to Kefalonia in early August on a holiday we have put together ourselves: we have bought flights, booked car hire and paid for a villa directly with the Kefalonia-based villa operator. We have used this company in the past (in fact we're returning to exactly the same villa), and so I have no concerns about that company honouring our booking.

However, recent news around flight cancellations - especially from easyJet (which is who we're using) do worry me and given easyJet's decision to cancel at very short notice 200 flights during this week, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that summer flights could be similarly disrupted.

I am therefore trying to find out if there is a travel insurance provider, or policy, that would insure us against a flight cancellation, and subsequent lack of alternative flight availability, leaving us unable to take up the villa. The villa isn't cheap, so not a loss we could swallow easily. 

My search so far as led nowhere. I think I probably recognise that if it's possible to cover a scenario such as I've described then I probably need a specialist/bespoke provider - I just don't seem to be able to track down anyone who does it. Any help would be REALLY appreciated.

Sandtree

Why do you think normal travel insurance is inappropriate?

Ideally you'd book the villa with the rights to cancel but if the vendor offers that option/the cost consequence will determine if its worth while.

Sandman1301

Hi there. Thanks for replying. I have been told by every insurance provider I've contacted so far that whilst a standard insurance policy would cover the cost of the flight, it would only cover the cost of separately booked accommodation in the event that we were unable to take it due to FCO advice not to travel (or if the Greek authorities closed the border) or the villa company cancelled our booking for whatever reason.

Basically, the message seems to be that if the villa is vacant and we would be entitled to stay in it during the booked period, then the fact we couldn't actually get there is irrelevant. If you think that's not correct then the reason why it's incorrect would also be worth knowing.

We are able to cancel the villa (with only the loss of a 30% deposit) up to 30 days before. But as you'll have seen, airlines are cancelling some flights with only a day's notice (and in some cases just minutes before they are due to leave) so the rights to cancel issue isn't really relevant here.

onashoestring

@Sandman1301 - You need a policy with abandonment cover - Nationwide Flexi Plus covers this up to £5000 per person - it comes as a package  with their current account. 

Sandman1301

@onashoestring thanks so much. Is it available to buy without having an account with them?

onashoestring

No - it costs £13 a month for the flex plus account -
* currently you can get £100 incentive for switching to them* https://www.nationwide.co.uk/current-accounts/flexplus/travel-insurance

You should of course check for yourself that the T&Cs of the Flexi Plus travel insurance policy definitely cover what you need .