Compensation for return flight abandonment due to outbound flight cancellation

ShamrockDriver

Looking for advise please, we were due to fly to Funchal from Manchester on 28/8 and Easyjet cancelled the flight due to the NATS issue. They were unable to offer us any other flights that week on any airline. ( 5 passengers + infant).  Subsequently we did not make it to Funchal and therefore we were not on the return flight that was booked with TUI for 5/9. TUI gave us 2 options, transfer the tickets to another name or book a package holiday for the whole party and transfer the booking. The booking had to be made before the flight departure date of 5/9. Neither of these were an option for us. 
I contacted the Travel Insurers who advised they will not cover the cost of the return flight ( we have received a refund from Easyjet for the Outbound flight) and we will subsequently lose the £1219 paid for the return flights. This was not booked as a package holiday as we already had the accomodation in Madeira.
Has anyone else had this issue?  I feel sure this should be covered under a Travel Insurance policy as we couldn't make the flight due to circumstances out of our control.

Wonka_2

Who was the insurer and under what clause of the policy are they refusing ? 

ShamrockDriver

It’s NatWest through a bank account. Underwritten by UK Insurance Ltd
Not sure what clause, they said it was because the outbound flight was cancelled before takeoff and not delayed even though I’m not claiming for the outbound flight 

DullGreyGuy

Wonka_2 said:

Who was the insurer and under what clause of the policy are they refusing ? 

You are thinking of it backwards... its an insured perils policy so its not up to the insurer to prove and exclusion applies but up to the OP to prove which covered cause has been triggered. 

Having a look at the mid tier product Natwest offers Cancellation is only covered for the typical death/serious illness, jury service, redundancy, home emergency etc and so wouldnt apply. 

The other option is looking at abandonment for delay instead but Natwest's policy excludes claims where the international flight/ferry/train was cancelled by the operator.

Unfortunately one of the risks of buying a non-return ticket is that if something happens on the outward leg you've got no claim on the return leg.