Missed air transfer - insurance?

FlaatusGoat

The cheapest airfare I've found for the holiday I've booked (it's a package but doesn't include flights) requires an airport transfer. As well as booking general insurance for the usual things, do these standard policies generally not cover missed transfers or any flight cancellations (this loss of the onward holiday?) Any pointers where I need to book?

lisyloo

It’s a bit more complicated than that.

It would depend on the reason.
If you missed your transfer because you overslept or didn’t turn up on time then you would not be covered.
if there was an accident you’d probably be covered.
if there was a strike you probably wouldn’t be covered.
if there was a natural disaster you’d only be covered if you purchased that optional cover.

flight cancellations do not normally result in the loss of a holiday.
usually an alternative can be sourced even if it’s the day before, the day after, an alternate airline or airport.
but again it depends on the reason and the cover purchased.
so for example if volcanic ash grounded lots of flights you’d only be covered if you purchased the natural disaster option or it was included within your policy.

It a bit of effort, but you should identify any scenarios that are important to you and check the cover.
In this area you get what you pay for, so if you buy the cheapest policy then you won’t have extensive cover.

I am not sure what scenario you are thinking of regarding “missing” your transfer?
You should also be aware that insurers expect you to take a level of care.
for example You can’t leave valuables unattended simply because you have insurance.
by the same token you need to take measure to try to ensure you don’t miss your transfer by allowing sensible contingency in your journey times.
if something happens completely outside of your control e.g. major road closures the. Of course you’d want to be covered for that.
im afraid the answer is to check the policy beforehand and buy one that offers the cover you want,

you should be able to find The cover details before you purchase.

I have a gold policy with insure & go.
I’ve not claimed but the cover looks good.
it’s nowhere near the cheapest but you won’t get extensive cover with the cheapest policy.
If you are saving money by not having the protection of a package you’d be well advised to purchase quality insurance and spend a little of what you’ve saved,
with a package you’d have ATOL/Abta protection, which would mean if they couldn’t provide the whole lot they would have to refund you.
with your arrangements if your flight is cancelled you’ll still have to pay for accomodation as it’s not the hotels fault that you can’t get there. This is not the case with a package.

daveyjp

Is it a true 'transfer'. i.e. you check in once and transfer in the intermediate airport without checking in again, or is it advertised as a 'self transfer'which is actually two different flights and you need to check in for each one?

It is important you know which one as self transfers are often cheap, but can leave you stranded if one leg is late or cancelled.

FlaatusGoat

daveyjp said:

Is it a true 'transfer'. i.e. you check in once and transfer in the intermediate airport without checking in again, or is it advertised as a 'self transfer'which is actually two different flights and you need to check in for each one?

It is important you know which one as self transfers are often cheap, but can leave you stranded if one leg is late or cancelled.

Correct, self transfer. I fly from the UK to a European airport, and then get on an entirely new flight to continue onward to my final destination. I'm just worried if one flight gets cancelled or delayed I lose my entire trip as if I arrive late the whole holiday is lost as I can't start mid way once it began.

I'm not sure either Ryanair or Easyjet offer any guarantees of replacement flights, they might just refund me if there was an issue but I bet it would be a fight and it would not compensate for the loss of the holiday.

Voyager2002

FlaatusGoat said:

daveyjp said:

Is it a true 'transfer'. i.e. you check in once and transfer in the intermediate airport without checking in again, or is it advertised as a 'self transfer'which is actually two different flights and you need to check in for each one?

It is important you know which one as self transfers are often cheap, but can leave you stranded if one leg is late or cancelled.

Correct, self transfer. I fly from the UK to a European airport, and then get on an entirely new flight to continue onward to my final destination. I'm just worried if one flight gets cancelled or delayed I lose my entire trip as if I arrive late the whole holiday is lost as I can't start mid way once it began.

I'm not sure either Ryanair or Easyjet offer any guarantees of replacement flights, they might just refund me if there was an issue but I bet it would be a fight and it would not compensate for the loss of the holiday.

You are right, you would not be protected. Standard advice for this kind of flight is to allow sufficient time between flights to allow for things going wrong, and this is likely to involve an overnight stay. Above all, ensure that if your initial flight is cancelled, there is another flight on the route that would get you to the European airport in good time for your onward connection.

lisyloo

FlaatusGoat said:

daveyjp said:

Is it a true 'transfer'. i.e. you check in once and transfer in the intermediate airport without checking in again, or is it advertised as a 'self transfer'which is actually two different flights and you need to check in for each one?

It is important you know which one as self transfers are often cheap, but can leave you stranded if one leg is late or cancelled.

Correct, self transfer. I fly from the UK to a European airport, and then get on an entirely new flight to continue onward to my final destination. I'm just worried if one flight gets cancelled or delayed I lose my entire trip as if I arrive late the whole holiday is lost as I can't start mid way once it began.

I'm not sure either Ryanair or Easyjet offer any guarantees of replacement flights, they might just refund me if there was an issue but I bet it would be a fight and it would not compensate for the loss of the holiday.

Ah right you mean a connection.

As before you'd be far better off with a package.
for compensation or insurance it really does depend on what happened.
For example if there was an air traffic control strike then it's not the airlines responsibility and you won't get compensation.

The only way to be sure of getting the whole package is to book a package.
Good insurance is a great idea but it won't cover every single eventually, there are always exclusions.

So unfortunately you either pay more for a package with complete protection for getting the whole package
or you take a risk.

It would be unusual to lose an entire holiday because one flight is cancelled, so I'm not sure why you are so fixated on that.

I missed a connection recently and just got on the next flight a few hours later.
it was a bit inconvenient and I lost a few hours relaxation but no way near writing off an entire holiday.
Why wouldn't you just get on the next flight?

There is no insurance you can buy to cover every eventuality.
The only way to ensure getting the whole package without major changes is to buy a package (minor changes can be made such as different hotel).

bagand96

FlaatusGoat said:

daveyjp said:

Is it a true 'transfer'. i.e. you check in once and transfer in the intermediate airport without checking in again, or is it advertised as a 'self transfer'which is actually two different flights and you need to check in for each one?

It is important you know which one as self transfers are often cheap, but can leave you stranded if one leg is late or cancelled.

Correct, self transfer. I fly from the UK to a European airport, and then get on an entirely new flight to continue onward to my final destination. I'm just worried if one flight gets cancelled or delayed I lose my entire trip as if I arrive late the whole holiday is lost as I can't start mid way once it began.

I'm not sure either Ryanair or Easyjet offer any guarantees of replacement flights, they might just refund me if there was an issue but I bet it would be a fight and it would not compensate for the loss of the holiday.

If your flight is not part of the holiday then the airline never has a responsibility to compensate you for the loss of the holiday. Your contract with the airline of for transport from A to B. 

Self connections make the whole thing even more risky. The first airline have no responsibility over the second flight on another airline. Likewise the second airline have no responsibility over any issue caused by the first airline. 

What if you book it and then the first airline alter your flight time by a few hours meaning you'll miss the connection? 

I'm not sure if these things are insurable. There are certain online travel agents that will sell you a self connection and also have some sort of "connection guarantee". Do your research though because they don't always have the best reputation and the connection guarantee policies are very loosely worded! 

DullGreyGuy

FlaatusGoat said:

The cheapest airfare I've found for the holiday I've booked (it's a package but doesn't include flights) requires an airport transfer. As well as booking general insurance for the usual things, do these standard policies generally not cover missed transfers or any flight cancellations (this loss of the onward holiday?) Any pointers where I need to book?

Its one of those things that will be covered on a more comprehensive policy and wont be covered on a more budget policy. Even if cover is provided it will require that you have allowed enough time for the connection and so look carefully at what is recommended by an appropriate authority (eg the airports own website), ideally screenshot it or such for a record of it and then ensure you book with a gap of at least that or ideally  more. 

Grumpy_chap

If I understand this correctly, the OP has booked holiday accommodation.
The OP proposes to book a flight from local airport to another European airport.
The OP proposes to book a second (unconnected) flight from the European airport to the resort airport.

How much is the OP saving by splitting the flights in this way versus the extra time they need to allow in the journey and the increased responsibility on the airline for the connection if booked as a connecting flight?

onashoestring

A standard travel insurance policy from Aviva for example will cover missed flight connections ( where the planned itinerary allowed sufficient time to make the connection) however it won’t cover abandonment of the trip - it will cover only additional costs to get you to your destination. 

So if you found yourself stranded abroad having missed your onward flight it would be down to you to find, book and pay for alternative flights and then keep all receipts and subsequently make a claim. 

Also note that this type of policy doesn’t cover abandonment of the trip because of a missed flight connection and it does not offer compensation for any “lost” days of the holiday .

To get bespoke insurance cover for abandonment of the trip because of a missed connection may actually cost more than the savings you have made by not booking  as a package.

eDicky

lisyloo said:

FlaatusGoat said:

daveyjp said:

Is it a true 'transfer'. i.e. you check in once and transfer in the intermediate airport without checking in again, or is it advertised as a 'self transfer'which is actually two different flights and you need to check in for each one?

It is important you know which one as self transfers are often cheap, but can leave you stranded if one leg is late or cancelled.

Correct, self transfer. I fly from the UK to a European airport, and then get on an entirely new flight to continue onward to my final destination. I'm just worried if one flight gets cancelled or delayed I lose my entire trip as if I arrive late the whole holiday is lost as I can't start mid way once it began.

I'm not sure either Ryanair or Easyjet offer any guarantees of replacement flights, they might just refund me if there was an issue but I bet it would be a fight and it would not compensate for the loss of the holiday.

 

Why wouldn't you just get on the next flight?

Because it sounds like OP is looking at the cheapest way to arrive at the holiday destination offered by online agents, involving two separate flights on low-cost carriers, with 'self connection' between them at the airport of transit. Therefore there's no obligation by the second carrier to put them on the next available onward flight if the connection is missed, and purchase of a new ticket would be necessary to continue the journey.

In any instance where I have an important need to arrive somewhere on time, I would never consider booking in such a way. It would be a through ticket purchased direct from the airline. No insurance would give me back the opportunity to arrive on time for my appointment..!