Travel Insurance Claim

[sunny-dave]

A friend and three other people were booked on a holiday - not a package, just flights, car hire and an apartment.

My friend was unable to fly (and has the necessary medical certificate as proof) - as he was the only driver this effectively scuppered the holiday. Fortunately he was able to cancel the car and apartment at no cost to himself.

So the only loss is a total of around £400 in low cost air fares.

All four travellers have separate individual travel insurance (annual policies) - with an excess of £100 each.

So if they each have to claim separately they will get back precisely .... nothing.

My friend feels this is wrong - it was his illness which caused the holiday to be cancelled and therefore all the costs of cancellation are down by him - he will have to refund the other travellers their £100 each.

So he is about to claim for the entire £400 flights cost on his own policy (less of course the £100 excess) - fortunately he did actually pay the flights bill himself when the booking was made.

Morally I think he is correct, but what will the insurance company make of it?

Has anyone had a similar situation? Does anyone know the law (if there is one) on this matter?

Thanks

Dave

[bednobs]

the insurance company will not pay. His illness did not prevent the others going. That's my prediction anyway

[sunny-dave]

I suspect you may be right - I wonder if it would be different if they were family members though (although they weren't in this case)?

[gina32]

don't see what difference it will make who the other travellers are.

[bednobs]

i remember when i was in hospital when i was supposed to be going to a villa in florida for my parents 40th anniversary. I had paid 1/2 towards the villa but my insurers would only reimburse my flight as they said that my parents had still had the use of the villa

[jno]

unlikely... the other three were simply disinclined to travel, which you can't normally insure against.

[sunny-dave]

Not quite just 'disinclined' - not a driving licence between them which I think would have made the holiday impossible .. but I suspect you are correct.

[jno]

From the insurer's point of view it's not that they can't travel (for insurable reasons) but that they no longer want to. They could still take the holiday, they'd just have to take buses (or whatever). They have my sympathy, but it doesn't sound as if anyone paid the insurer to cover this eventuality.

[Hymie]

Although the money involved is not huge – you could write to the Daily Telegraph’s travel Guru, Gill Charlton and ask for her advice.

She often investigates such insurance conundrums – sometimes obtaining victory for the reader, or maybe a salutary warning to others.

[joko]

i agree with the others, they chose not to go.
the holiday may not have been as straightforward without a car but it would have been do-able surely.