Nationwide Flex Plus Travel Insurance - Issue with Avios

alfista

Be aware that Nationwide's travel insurance will NOT re-imburse you for any Avios lost when travel arrangements are cancelled - I have just lost 58200 Avios as a result of having to cancel flights at the last moment.

phatbear

why wouldnt you get the points back from Avios. I have cancelled many a flight and got the points back, thats kinda the big selling point of using airmiles 

silvercar

phatbear said:

why wouldnt you get the points back from Avios. I have cancelled many a flight and got the points back, thats kinda the big selling point of using airmiles 

You need to give 24 hours notice of the first flight on the booking, I'm guessing OP wasn't able to do this.

There is the argument with the insurer that they should reimburse the cost of buying the equivalent amount of avios.

Keep_pedalling

This is not an issue just with NW, it is down to which underwriter is used. Last year NW switched to Aviva and the cover for trips paid for with Avios was lost. 

Keep_pedalling

silvercar said:

phatbear said:

why wouldnt you get the points back from Avios. I have cancelled many a flight and got the points back, thats kinda the big selling point of using airmiles 

You need to give 24 hours notice of the first flight on the booking, I'm guessing OP wasn't able to do this.

There is the argument with the insurer that they should reimburse the cost of buying the equivalent amount of avios.

That argument would be lost as the policy document specifically excludes this. I think this is the case with most, if not all, insurances with packaged bank accounts. Barclays have a different underwriter and it is excluded there as well. People often don’t read the policy document or if they do think the risk of cancelling within 24 hours of flying is too low to worry about. 

DullGreyGuy

Keep_pedalling said:

This is not an issue just with NW, it is down to which underwriter is used. Last year NW switched to Aviva and the cover for trips paid for with Avios was lost. 

For an organisation the size of NatWest it is down to them. 

When NatWest went to market to tender the contract they could have asked people to have quoted on the identical terms they had at the time, ask for the standard product, asked for a quote on identical terms and a second quote on simple cost saving etc. 

They have enough clout to have told Aviva they wanted Avios points covered and Aviva would have told them the price they'll be charged for doing so. That may have been just a running cost or could have been a setup and running cost. 

Another large retailer wanting to leverage their brand into insurance went as far as requiring a seat on the pricing committee etc which I've never heard of before... at best with other deals the insurer charges a wholesale price for the policy and the retailer adds whatever margin they want. 

alfista

phatbear said:

why wouldnt you get the points back from Avios. I have cancelled many a flight and got the points back, thats kinda the big selling point of using airmiles 

I had to cancel at last minute (within the 24 hours prior to flight departure) - rules say you lose the Avios :>((

alfista

silvercar said:

phatbear said:

why wouldnt you get the points back from Avios. I have cancelled many a flight and got the points back, thats kinda the big selling point of using airmiles 

You need to give 24 hours notice of the first flight on the booking, I'm guessing OP wasn't able to do this.

There is the argument with the insurer that they should reimburse the cost of buying the equivalent amount of avios.

Insurer terms (Aviva) exclude any compensation for Avios.

NoodleDoodleMan

DullGreyGuy said:

Keep_pedalling said:

This is not an issue just with NW, it is down to which underwriter is used. Last year NW switched to Aviva and the cover for trips paid for with Avios was lost. 

For an organisation the size of NatWest it is down to them. 

When NatWest went to market to tender the contract they could have asked people to have quoted on the identical terms they had at the time, ask for the standard product, asked for a quote on identical terms and a second quote on simple cost saving etc. 

They have enough clout to have told Aviva they wanted Avios points covered and Aviva would have told them the price they'll be charged for doing so. That may have been just a running cost or could have been a setup and running cost. 

Another large retailer wanting to leverage their brand into insurance went as far as requiring a seat on the pricing committee etc which I've never heard of before... at best with other deals the insurer charges a wholesale price for the policy and the retailer adds whatever margin they want. 

I think NW refers to Nationwide, not Nat West ? 

DullGreyGuy

NoodleDoodleMan said:

DullGreyGuy said:

Keep_pedalling said:

This is not an issue just with NW, it is down to which underwriter is used. Last year NW switched to Aviva and the cover for trips paid for with Avios was lost. 

For an organisation the size of NatWest it is down to them. 

When NatWest went to market to tender the contract they could have asked people to have quoted on the identical terms they had at the time, ask for the standard product, asked for a quote on identical terms and a second quote on simple cost saving etc. 

They have enough clout to have told Aviva they wanted Avios points covered and Aviva would have told them the price they'll be charged for doing so. That may have been just a running cost or could have been a setup and running cost. 

Another large retailer wanting to leverage their brand into insurance went as far as requiring a seat on the pricing committee etc which I've never heard of before... at best with other deals the insurer charges a wholesale price for the policy and the retailer adds whatever margin they want. 

I think NW refers to Nationwide, not Nat West ? 

Whichever bank it is the same would apply

NoodleDoodleMan

The OP's problem is with Nationwide, not sure how Nat West comes into the issue.

Aviva provide cover with the former but not the latter.