Travel Insurance & Cancelling Trip

LDealr on 23/09/2019 - 07:58
Last edited 24/09/2019 - 13:51 by 1 other user

Hi there,

I have looked through the ozb forum history and I couldn't find anything that relates directly to my situation.

Long story short I had a holiday booked with my former s/o, however we have since decided to end the relationship. We booked the initial flights with Flight Centre, and the remainder of the trip with Student Flights.

We went to Student Flights who gave us two options. Cancel the booking and only get the money back for the remainder of the trip plans booked with them – or take out travel insurance and hope for the best to get it all back. However, we were told we couldn't get a straight answer from the travel insurer because this type of thing is done on a case by case situation.

My question is, what would you suggest is the best way to proceed. i.e Get our money back from SF and make other arrangements with the initial flights, or go through travel insurance?

Thank you so much in advance for any help if you have been through a similar situation, or have any advice.

Travel Insurance Travel Insurance

Comments

  • JimmyF on 23/09/2019 - 08:13
    +15

    Travel insurance doesn't cover 'break up', its not a valid reason for them to pay out.

    The best you get is any refundable amounts you have paid to each company directly

    Otherwise take someone else and pay the name change fee.

  • jimbobaus on 23/09/2019 - 08:13
    +1

    Pretty sure insurance wont cover you because you decided not to travel unless its due to an illness or things outside your control like flight cancelations etc

  • Pootie Tang on 23/09/2019 - 08:52
    -8

    Take it out and then go get a doctors letter prior to the trips departure saying you can't fly due to injury, mental issue etc. It's not ethical but it should work. Why didn't you take out travel insurance prior to the trip? You will have to cancel all the flights anyway. You got about a 50/50 that this will work. The closer to departure the more strict cancellation fees are.

    • oscargamer on 23/09/2019 - 08:59
      +3

      So…. once you lodge your claim and the insurer talks to your holiday provider and they get told you enquired about getting money back due to break up, you'll need looking at a fraud related criminal charge…..

      • Pootie Tang on 23/09/2019 - 09:07
        -3

        Ex travel agent. I've seen most scenarios. Worst case scenario they deny your claim and don't cover you in the future. It can be unrelated that you roll your ankle at social basketball and can't travel, and they can't prove even if you have enquired about cancelling your trip prior. I am not saying its right as mentioned above. The travel agent probably has built-in higher cancellation fees into the invoice that they would have signed at both FC and Student flights so It's in their benefit to keep quiet and advise it is just a normal cancellation. Very rare the insurer rings to speak to the travel agent. They go off documentation. Only in extremely costly situations may they ring. They are churn and burn, if the documentation is correct, they don't normally follow up unless they need to get loss adjustors involved. Anyway………….

        • Pootie Tang on 23/09/2019 - 13:24

          Neg away, it only goes to show you have not had experience in dealing with this issue.

          ((><))

    • boomramada on 23/09/2019 - 14:05

      There are cases of relationship break could cause depression but this is just pure fraud.

  • UFO on 23/09/2019 - 08:59
    +2

    Just to be clear, you haven't got travel insurance yet and you're looking to get some knowing that you'll be cancelling?
    Can I ask how long you've had the travel booked and paid for? I'm assuming it's been a while?

    No way they are going to pay out mate. Your reasons for cancelling for starters aren't valid, but it's also the circumstances in which you are now buying the insurance. You'll pay them a premium for nothing, because that's how much you'll recoup from them.

    Either get as much as you can out of Student Flights, or one of you can buy the other out for the tickets. Or onsell?

    But forget the travel insurance option… it's a bust at this point.

  • afoveht on 23/09/2019 - 09:10
    +5

    Depending how you ended the relationship perhaps consider going as friends anyway. Could be a way to close things nicely, with "benefits" if you are both so inclined, or even to just confirm that you really can't stand each other.

  • Randxyz123 on 23/09/2019 - 09:11
    +2

    First of all that was terrible advice on the TA’s part to take out insurance after the event. It’s like taking out car insurance after an accident. Won’t work.

    Travel insurance would not cover a break up regardless.

    Either.. one of you go on the trip by yourself / with a mate. Or cancel everything, get what you can back.

  • lubos on 23/09/2019 - 10:09
    +2

    Travel agency gave you two options - and one of them is to commit insurance fraud?

    • Seraphin7 on 23/09/2019 - 11:21

      Sounds like a real stand up outfit.

  • Love a bargain on 23/09/2019 - 17:12

    That sounds like a very dodgy attempt by the TA to up-sell you a travel insurance that you won't use.

    How do you think that a travel insurance would cover cancellation due to a break-up, and not only that, a break-up that's already occurred when the policy is taken out?

    Your only hope of getting a pay out from such a policy would be if something else happens before the start of the trip that leads to a valid cancellation. You might as well buy a lottery ticket.

    Cancellation would be a good option - however, the cancellation fees can be steep.

    As other people have suggested, you can still go on the holiday (either together or separately). You can be on the same flight but not travelling together and you don't even have to stay in the same accommodation or do any activity together. (I presume you haven't got any activities booked.) You can also invite other friends to join you on your now solo trip (for larger hotels, it should be relatively easy to change bookings for twin rooms instead of double rooms - might be harder for smaller operators with limited rooms available).

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