Cancellation of holiday due to illness

wellbeen1

Hi,

I booked a holiday to Dubai in April 2025 for travel in October 2025 for our family (wife and two children). I had not booked travel insurance at the time of the flight booking but was planing to sort via my bank. In the meantime I went for a routine blood test and have been diagnosed with cancer and now need to start treatment and the consultant is advising that I can’t travel.

I contacted the flight agent for emirates and they have said that as I’ve not booked travel insurance I’m only entitled to the tax on the booking as a refund. About 24% of the total cost. They are not allowing name changes where could let fellow family/friends travel instead. 

One option is to delay the flight to sometime next year but with no guarantee of travelling and pay a further £150 for the change.

1. Is there anything I can do claim the full amount back (seems really harsh from reputable company to treat this case in this was especially the shock of the diagnosis with no symptoms)!

2. If I choose to delay but get travel insurance first, does this mean I will be covered if we can’t travel on the further date and then entitled to full refund?

Any support here would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Voyager2002

1. There is a slim chance that the flight times might chance significantly, or your particular flight might be cancelled. That would give you the right to a full refund.

2. You would need to declare your illness when buying insurance, and might well find that insurers were unwilling to cover you, or would charge such a massive premium that it would not make much sense.

DullGreyGuy

kully.bains_2 said:

I booked a holiday to Dubai in April 2025 for travel in October 2025 for our family (wife and two children). I had not booked travel insurance at the time of the flight booking but was planing to sort via my bank. In the meantime I went for a routine blood test and have been diagnosed with cancer and now need to start treatment and the consultant is advising that I can’t travel.

I contacted the flight agent for emirates and they have said that as I’ve not booked travel insurance I’m only entitled to the tax on the booking as a refund. About 24% of the total cost. They are not allowing name changes where could let fellow family/friends travel instead. 

One option is to delay the flight to sometime next year but with no guarantee of travelling and pay a further £150 for the change.

1. Is there anything I can do claim the full amount back (seems really harsh from reputable company to treat this case in this was especially the shock of the diagnosis with no symptoms)!

2. If I choose to delay but get travel insurance first, does this mean I will be covered if we can’t travel on the further date and then entitled to full refund?

Any support here would be greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately the reason why you are advised to get insurance as soon as you have booked any part of your trip; that said hopefully you recover soon. 

1. All will have treated you the same, they sell flexible tickets for those wanting to be able to change things and they sell non-flexible tickets much cheaper for those that want to lock in but take the risk. You can offset that risk to an insurer if you want or retain it yourself. Probably on most flights there are some who've had some form of emergency and airlines would have to increase everyone's ticket price if they were to be always allowing free changes/refunds to those that have paid the reduced non-flexible ticket price

2. Your policy will be subject to underwriting and it's fairly likely the cancer will not be covered or it'll be exceptionally expensive to cover it. If something else befalls you or your family then you'd be covered.