Nationwide FlexPlus Travel Insurance Query

Morecambe_Jack

Hi all 

Been very fortunate despite a lot of travelling to never really have any flight issues until this year. Earlier in the month while already mid-trip in Germany our flight home was cancelled due to industrial action by security staff. Aware this does not qualify from any compensation from the airline as it is beyond their control, but I assumed it would be covered by travel insurance. 

Spoke to them today and it turns out it isn't - not specifically because it was strike action, just because the policy doesn't cover cancellation after departure (only prior to it). I assumed the insurance through FlexPlus was quite comprehensive but it seems to me that getting stuck in a foreign country with no protection is a bit absurd? Does anyone have any experience or knowledge? The additional cost from this trip was negligible really but I would prefer to more comprehensively covered going forwards. 

comeandgo

I don’t think any of the travel insurances cover delays on return flights.

eskbanker

Morecambe_Jack said:

Hi all 

Been very fortunate despite a lot of travelling to never really have any flight issues until this year. Earlier in the month while already mid-trip in Germany our flight home was cancelled due to industrial action by security staff. Aware this does not qualify from any compensation from the airline as it is beyond their control, but I assumed it would be covered by travel insurance. 

Spoke to them today and it turns out it isn't - not specifically because it was strike action, just because the policy doesn't cover cancellation after departure (only prior to it). I assumed the insurance through FlexPlus was quite comprehensive but it seems to me that getting stuck in a foreign country with no protection is a bit absurd? Does anyone have any experience or knowledge? The additional cost from this trip was negligible really but I would prefer to more comprehensively covered going forwards. 

If your (UK/EU) flight home was cancelled then, regardless of cause, the airline was responsible for rebooking you onto an alternative flight (at no cost to you) and covering the associated direct costs such as additional accommodation, meals and transportation, even if no compensation was due, so there's no need to seek insurance cover for this.

Morecambe_Jack

Thanks eskbanker - that wasn't communicated to us so will pursue that. 

eskbanker

Morecambe_Jack said:

Thanks eskbanker - that wasn't communicated to us so will pursue that. 

Worth familiarising yourself with the UK 261 regulations (or their materially identical EU equivalent, depending on airline) and in particular how article 5 (cancellation) cross-refers to article 7 (compensation, if within airline's control), article 8 (rerouting, etc) and article 9 (right to care):

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/261/contents

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/flight-delays/

Did the airline (which one btw?) not advise you of any options when communicating the cancellation?

Morecambe_Jack

Thank you - it was EasyJet and no, they obviously offered a refund or moving to another flight with them (which was 50 hours later!), but nothing else mentioned. Probably a bit of naivety on my part as, like I say, I have been extremely fortunate to have never had issues in all of the travelling I have done. 

Main concern is being clued up going forwards as I feel like we are in a period where issues will be common! So, thank you for the guidance. 

eskbanker

Morecambe_Jack said:

Thank you - it was EasyJet and no, they obviously offered a refund or moving to another flight with them (which was 50 hours later!), but nothing else mentioned.

Yes, airlines will always encourage passengers to rebook onto another of their own services, which is understandable, but if that isn't convenient then you do have the right to find something better (at their expense).

It's a fairly complex area though, and the CAA have produced a document summarising their stance on interpreting the regulations:

http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/Re-routing Guidance (CAP2155).pdf

Paragraph 4.2 explains that they expect airlines to offer alternatives on the same day, with other airlines if necessary:

The CAA accepts that, when offering the choice between the three options under Article 8(1)(a), (b) and (c), airlines will normally prefer to offer affected passengers a re-routing option on their own services or, where applicable, those of their partner airlines. In many cases, this will also be the best outcome for affected passengers. However, in circumstances where there is no re-routing option under Article 8(1)(b) on its own services or, where applicable, on the services of its partner airlines, on the same day as the original flight and via the same route, the CAA’s view is that the airline should next seek to identify rerouting options on the services of alternative airlines on the same day as the original flight and via the same route. If such a re-routing option is available, affected passengers should be offered the choice of this option at the same time as they are offered the choice between the options set out in Article 8(1)(a), (b) and (c).