Event calcellation

ggss3867

I had booked to attend a concert in London (I'm in Scotland) and booked flights and accommodation. The event was cancelled the day before due to underground strikes. My travel insurance say cancellation is not covered in their policy. I'm out of pocket for both accommodation and flights. Tried to claim via credit card but could not dispute as neither airline nor hotel had acted outwith their policy. Are there any other options left to try and claim back the money? 

luci

ggss3867 said:

I had booked to attend a concert in London (I'm in Scotland) and booked flights and accommodation. The event was cancelled the day before due to underground strikes. My travel insurance say cancellation is not covered in their policy. I'm out of pocket for both accommodation and flights. Tried to claim via credit card but could not dispute as neither airline nor hotel had acted outwith their policy. Are there any other options left to try and claim back the money? 

Did you have event isurance?

ggss3867

No, I've wrongly assumed that event cancellation would be included in travel insurance. It's insurance via a rewards banking account only.  

luci

ggss3867 said:

No, I've wrongly assumed that event cancellation would be included in travel insurance. It's insurance via a rewards banking account only.  

That's a pity. It's a shame you didn't check your policy to confirm that events were covered. I have no experience of it, but I believe you can buy standalone event insurance. You would need to make sure it covers consequential losses.

Some bank packaged travel insurance is as good as, or better than, going direct to an insurer.

ggss3867

luci said:

ggss3867 said:

No, I've wrongly assumed that event cancellation would be included in travel insurance. It's insurance via a rewards banking account only.  

That's a pity. It's a shame you didn't check your policy to confirm that events were covered. I have no experience of it, but I believe you can buy standalone event insurance. You would need to make sure it covers consequential losses.

Some bank packaged travel insurance is as good as, or better than, going direct to an insurer.

Thanks Luci. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. This has unfortunately been a very expensive lesson learned. I don't plan to attend any event where travel is involved again just to be on the safe side.

luci

ggss3867 said:

luci said:

ggss3867 said:

No, I've wrongly assumed that event cancellation would be included in travel insurance. It's insurance via a rewards banking account only.  

That's a pity. It's a shame you didn't check your policy to confirm that events were covered. I have no experience of it, but I believe you can buy standalone event insurance. You would need to make sure it covers consequential losses.

Some bank packaged travel insurance is as good as, or better than, going direct to an insurer.

Thanks Luci. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. This has unfortunately been a very expensive lesson learned. I don't plan to attend any event where travel is involved again just to be on the safe side.

You're not the first person to have been caught out like that and you won't be the last.

The cost of flights / train fares, accommodation and meals is likely to be far more than the cost of the event tickets. The reason you can't claim for them is that they are still available to use. In hindsight, you could have just used them and made a weekend of it.

MyRealNameToo

ggss3867 said:

No, I've wrongly assumed that event cancellation would be included in travel insurance. It's insurance via a rewards banking account only.  

It's only the top tier policies that include cancellation if your reason for travel disappears, the majority dont as ultimately you could still have a weekend in London as the flights and accommodation are all still valid. 

Be somewhat thankful it was just London, have known two people having an overseas wedding who called it off last minute leaving those guests that had booked travel with expensive flights and accommodation but no real reason to travel. 

For external events like a gig insurers arent so bad at covering it as it can be checked that it was cancelled and Oasis isnt going to cancel a gig just for you etc. For more personal things like going to a wedding they are much more reluctant because how can they really tell if the wedding did or didnt go ahead in Barbados and maybe you just decided not to go for some reason and the bride was willing to lie and claim it was cancelled?