Panic-booking backup flight (OT)

dubbin · Dec 2, 12, 1:36 am

This concerns Iberia, EasyJet and Swissair but I'm hoping it will be allowed some time here because I feel like I know some of the personalities who may offer advice!

I'm booked on Iberia flights later this month during 'possible' strike days. I don't want to miss my Christmas holiday so I'm minded to book a 'backup' flight the following day. The options are

1. EasyJet £350 non-refundable

2. Swiss £1200 refundable

The calculation is tricky.

If the IB flight is cancelled, how likely is that travel insurance will pick up the cost of the Swiss fare even though it was booked before the cancellation of the flight?

What would people here do in this situation?

corporate-wage-slave · Dec 2, 12, 1:52 am

Personally though I would want to know what my options are in the case of a strike, I wouldn't actually bother to book an alternative since generally speaking there are always ways and means to get to your destination. There are an awful lot of planes and trains out there, particularly in Europe.

Each insurance policy is different, some will simply refund your IB flight, some will fund alternatives, within reason, and will have their own views as to what "within reason" means. So I'm not sure where this will take you. I think they would find it odd you booked it during the strike threat period, you're not covered for flights when you know there's a problem, even though I know this is your Plan B.

If the importance of the travel is potentially worth £1200 out of your own pocket (so assuming insurance says no) then I can see the point of booking the Swiss flight. Otherwise there are too many variables to make it worth the effort, and you best wait. I've never been able to not get to my destination one way or the other, including during the ash cloud incident.

shorthauldad · Dec 2, 12, 2:54 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubbin

What would people here do in this situation?

I'm kind of with cws

Maybe you've already said elsewhere, but since this is a new thread, it might help if you tell us where you'll be starting and where you need to get to ...

dubbin · Dec 2, 12, 2:55 am

Thanks. I didn't get where I was supposed to go during the ash cloud thing, and though I love flying when it goes well, I am paranoid, risk-averse and prone to melancholy when things go wrong.

I booked the Swiss flight. If IB is irrevocably screwed up, I'll still have 24h to let them sort it out, or find a cheaper fare myself, before biting the bullet and boarding the Swiss flight. And I can take a punt at the insurance angle if things do go wrong, at least to get the cost of the IB fare back.

dubbin · Dec 2, 12, 2:56 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by shorthauldad

I'm kind of with cws

Maybe you've already said elsewhere, but since this is a new thread, I might help if you tell us where you'll be starting and where you need to get to ...

Sorry - this is London to Tenerife on 18th Dec

Stez · Dec 2, 12, 3:01 am

I haven't followed the IB strikes closely, but if they have announced dates, etc, then will the insurance really help you if you booked after the fact?

rossmacd · Dec 2, 12, 3:03 am

I would wait until/if things get screwed up at the time of you IB flight, before thinking about alternative flights. I have had my fair share of IRROPS over the last few years, and it is always best to just go with the flow - makes life a lot easier when faced with strikes, volcanos, cancellations, fog, snow, technical issues.......

Booking additional flights as a safety net is a little paranoid, in my opinion.

dubbin · Dec 2, 12, 3:06 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stez

I haven't followed the IB strikes closely, but if they have announced dates, etc, then will the insurance really help you if you booked after the fact?

The IB flight was booked before the announcement.

NickB · Dec 2, 12, 3:09 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

you're not covered for flights when you know there's a problem

only if either 1) you booked the IB flight after the strike was announced or 2) you contracted the insurance after the strike was announced. If both were bought before the strike was announced, then insurance should cover.

dubbin · Dec 2, 12, 3:12 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickB

only if either 1) you booked the IB flight after the strike was announced or 2) you contracted the insurance after the strike was announced. If both were bought before the strike was announced, then insurance should cover.

... the cost of the IB flight and emergency travel, yes. But instead of booking a Swiss flight on cancellation of the IB flight, I would be 'not cancelling' my backup booking, and I'm wondering whether insurance would cover the cost of boarding the Swiss flight.

**LTN Phobia** · Dec 2, 12, 3:17 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubbin

Sorry - this is London to Tenerife on 18th Dec

If your travel insurance policy is similar to mine, which I suspect most UK policies would be on strike-related cancellations, it will not cover you for the IB flight if you booked them after the strike period was announced (it is immaterial whether any cancellation had been announced) or you took out the insurance after you booked the flight (or after a certain period like 2 weeks). It will be up to IB to refund you or reroute you and not the matter for the insurers in this case.

Now, even assuming that you booked the IB flights before the strike threat was announced, I still doubt that £1,200 flight would be deemed reasonable unless your original IB booking cost a somewhat similar amount.

In addition, the booking date for the LX flight could cause you a big problem - insurers may well decline your claim based on the fact that you booked the LX flights before the cancellation of your flight was announced. I suspect this is a highly likely outcome because it will be seen as an alternative you chose to book rather than the alternative you had no choice but to book.

By all means carry the LX bookings but you need to be prepared to pay that entirely yourself in the event of needing to use the LX ticket, and understand that potentially the only recourse being to get a refund on your original IB ticket from IB themselves.

Or, why don't you call your insurers and ask? We are only guessing here, because we haven't seen the wording of your policy.

origin · Dec 2, 12, 3:36 am

Personally I would look at the Easyjet flights. I am not reading too much about the strikes, but both sides seem detemined and I fear a strike is a reliastic expectation. Maybe IAG will allow people to cancel for free, closer to the date. I dont recall what BA did a few years ago.

corporate-wage-slave · Dec 2, 12, 3:41 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by dubbin

Sorry - this is London to Tenerife on 18th Dec

Tenerife? Goodness, well this is overkill then. Only a tiny minority of flights into Tenerife are with IB, provided you don't mind changing mid route there will be hundreds of other ways in. You can even stick with oneworld quite easily, there is availability on at least 2 Air Berlin flights.

dubbin · Dec 2, 12, 3:45 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave

Tenerife? Goodness, well this is overkill then. Only a tiny minority of flights into Tenerife are with IB, provided you don't mind changing mid route there will be hundreds of other ways in. You can even stick with oneworld quite easily, there is availability on at least 2 Air Berlin flights.

I'm not seeing any availability on Air Berlin on 18th Dec.

Edit: correction, there is availability but it's more expensive than Swiss (£675pp)

dubbin · Dec 2, 12, 3:52 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by origin

Personally I would look at the Easyjet flights. I am not reading too much about the strikes, but both sides seem detemined and I fear a strike is a reliastic expectation. Maybe IAG will allow people to cancel for free, closer to the date. I dont recall what BA did a few years ago.

Well Easyjet is still an option if the IB flight is cancelled. I went for the Swiss option as a last resort because it's cancellable up to the last minute.

Yes I'm totally paranoid