Travel Insurance Experiences

[Silkster365]

Me and the mrs were due to fly to Portugal this morning but decided last minute not to as both of us have been pretty unwell lately and didn't think flying would be a sensible thing to do until we are recovered.

We have travel insurance, but has anyone on NSC tried to claim before when too ill to travel? Wondering how likely they are to pay out and if so whether u had to provide any sort of evidence etc?

Thanks all

 

[Pat McCrotch]

medical certificate saying you are too ill to fly should cover it. Although this is a complete guess as I have no experience of claiming on travel insurance.

 

[Everest]

medical certificate saying you are too ill to fly should cover it.

This.

There is no way that they will pay out unless you have evidence.

 

[Icy Gull]

As others have already said zero chance without a medical certificate signed by your doctor.

Don't even bother making the effort to claim without it.

 

[Prettyboyshaw]

Im an Insurance Broker and have got to say Travel Insurance is one of the products I least like selling. There are so many terms, conditions and inner limits that really make only the medical part any good.

As above you will have to have medical certs to make a valid claim. If you have choosen to not fly beause you didn't feel up to it health wise and didn't get the doc to say you can't go you'll have no chance of getting it paid.

 

[Since1982]

If you are genuinely too unwell to fly then a doctor will confirm this and the claim will be paid - in my experience. If you simply felt a bit iffy and didn't fancy the trip then hard to see why the insurer should pick up the tab.

 

[StonehamPark]

The problem you'll have here is that you'll get the Doctors note dated after the departure date and not before.
This may send warning bells to your insurance company.

 

[Silkster365]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like we are proper stuffed as in sure we can get doctors Certs but may be tricky getting them backdated

 

[happypig]

The problem you'll have here is that you'll get the Doctors note dated after the departure date and not before.
This may send warning bells to your insurance company.

Not unreasonable to go to bed thinking "hopefully we'll feel better in the morning and be able to fly"
Sadly th OP didn't feel better so goes to get a doctors cert. In this case the insurance company should pay out ( although don't be surprised if they try and wriggle out of it and be prepared to appeal if necessary)

 

[Birdie Boy]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like we are proper stuffed as in sure we can get doctors Certs but may be tricky getting them backdated

If you go to the doctors today, it won't need to be back dated,surely? Ok, the time will be out but if you are unwell on the morning of travel and get a doctors note that day, that should be enough, well it is for me but I am not paying out!

I have had issues with a flight cancelled and claiming expenses/hotel etc. they are ba$tards. Good Luck.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Some policies have very strict reporting guidelines as well, often 24-72 hours. As mentioned previously travel insurance is really medical cover with add ons.

So like lots of other products you get what you pay for. If you have gone high end of the market and reputable companys its worth cliaming as they will be more leniant, however if you have a cheap or even free cover the policy will have clear wording on what you can or cannot claim.

In your experience you will need to have a serious condition to stop you traveling at the last minute and they will probbaly have expeceted you to contact them when you deceided not to travel.

Hope you are both feeling better, have not lost much and are getting to at least enjoy our good weather.

 

[Silkster365]

Thanks again, as someone said - we tried our best to wait until the last minute in the hope we'd be okay but it wasn't to be.

Just FYI - current situation is we can rebook flights in 2 days time assuming we are well, but the airline want to charge £400 for that, and Gatwick airport parking have said although I have paid to park until 3 August, because we didn't arrive on time we have breached t&c's and have to rebook - that another £70

Already get the feeling this is going to be a long hard battle!

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Thanks again, as someone said - we tried our best to wait until the last minute in the hope we'd be okay but it wasn't to be.

Just FYI - current situation is we can rebook flights in 2 days time assuming we are well, but the airline want to charge £400 for that, and Gatwick airport parking have said although I have paid to park until 3 August, because we didn't arrive on time we have breached t&c's and have to rebook - that another £70

Already get the feeling this is going to be a long hard battle!

I had a punture the other week and could not use the parking, I sent an e-mail to the customer services and they went halfs, ask if they would offer credit in your situation so only good for parking in your name.

 

[1901Phil]

I claimed last October when I was unable to travel because I was ill. I had been to see my doctor 3 days before travel so she was happy to sign a certificate stating I was sick ( and charged me £40). My insurer insisted I obtained a statement from the airline confirming I did not travel and reclaimed the airport tax part of the fare and a statement from Gatwick that I had not used my prebooked parking. Easyjet were surprisingly efficient and netted off their admin charge of I think £15 against the taxes. I could not obtain a statement from the airport and my insurance company did not accept that if I had not travelled I would not have parked my car.

 

[Barrow Boy]

Had to cancel our holiday to Gran Canaria last month, two weeks before we were due to travel, due to injuring my left knee. Doctor didn't issue certificate, I had to inform the Insurance company who then sent me a claim form which I had to fill in the front page and the Doctor then filled in the back page (charged me £25). Then returned it with proof of booking and cancelling the holiday, got a full refund two weeks later. We had also booked the short term car park at Gatwick and you can cancel the booking up to 24 hrs before you travel and get a full refund.

 

[father_and_son]

I used to work for a Travel Insurer as an underwriter.
Your best tactic would have been to contact them BEFORE you were due to go, then you could have had full details of exactly what they wanted from you in terms of evidence. If you already knew you were ill and left it until the last minute then you haven't done everything you could to "minimise the loss", because there will be refunds etc possible if you canx before the date, but probably not is you canx after.

Your issue will be that the Doctor has to have signed you off as "Not fit to fly", this isn't the same as "Not fit to work". This actually needs to be something pretty serious because you CAN fly if you are feeling a bit iffy, say a cold, but CAN'T is you have, say, the Norovirus.

Had I had a claim referred to me when I was there with "customer felt pretty unwell that morning so didn't go" then I would have been the aforementioned b*****d and said no, had a customer been referred to me with "customer has been ill, has been advised by their Dr not to travel, and will be cancelling at short notice", then I'd have accepted (with all the right proof having been sent) and paid the claim.

 

[Deleted User X18H]

This will be seen as your disinclination to travel. You have not sought medical advice to make this decision.Dont consider missed departure either as this will only cover your expenses whilst awaiting a replacement flight.

 

[Cappers]

The problem you'll have here is that you'll get the Doctors note dated after the departure date and not before.
This may send warning bells to your insurance company.

Surely if the Dr states that in his/her medical opinion you were not fit to travel on 'x' date, this should be sufficient? (assuming you don't leave it too late)

 

[StonehamPark]

Surely if the Dr states that in his/her medical opinion you were not fit to travel on 'x' date, this should be sufficient? (assuming you don't leave it too late)

Possibly, however the way insurance companies will go is 'why/how didn't you know you were too ill to travel before 'x' date and why did you wait until after the departure time to notify a doctor'?
The first thing that would enter my head would be, 'probably missed their flight/holiday, now trying to claim back expenses and stage an illness'.