coltonatx

Hi everyone,
My P2 had an accident at the gym that will require hernia repair. I have an upcoming Air Canada award booked 3 weeks, which is unlikely we are able to take. Are there are any work around NOT to pay the $150 cancellation fee?
Thank you

Stranger

Credit card insurance?

(Hernia surgery is not all that bad though. Trying to recall how soon they allowed me to travel after I had it. They would not even keep me overnight.)

coltonatx

Hernia surgery isn't too bad; the issue is the trip involves multiple 10+ hr flights and I would hate for complications on a plane or while abroad.

canadiancow

This is literally why travel insurance exists.

NikinYOW

My understanding of the rules is that you would be on your own for the $150 but just my own interpretation. I suppose you can call and ask politely to see if an agent would make an execption, i.e. YMMV. And perhaps try a second time with a different agent if unsuccessful on the first try. But if this is unsuccessful then "it is what it is", but at least you tried.

At the end of the day, losing the $150 might be a better outcome than a complication during travel or not being able to enjoy the trip due to discomfort. Further, the insurance may not have been that much cheaper than the $150 fee so all in all, your loss may not actually be as big as it appears (assuming you get the points back).

Good luck. Hope it works in your favor.

yowcat

Don't forget to buy an Aeroplan ticket you had to literally decline Travel insurance on the Air Canada website as part of the checkout process. So yeah. Agree that there wouldn't be a big market for travel insurance if they just waived penalties because of such things.

expert7700

Losing only $150 on a trip due to an unexpected injury is a gift. The insurance probably would have cost a good portion of the $150 anyway.

I believe hernia repair surgeries often come with limitations for a few days or weeks such as no lifting of items over 5 pounds.

​​​​​​Flying after anesthesia carries an extra risk of clots for 4-6 weeks... more problematic for long flights. After a different procedure, my surgeon said not to take a flight for a few weeks post surgery. (malicious compliance: I didn't take A flight, I took ~40 flights in the next few weeks)

Almost forgot: OP, was this trip booked on or before June 30, 2022? If so, Air Canada/Aeroplan allows one free change based on Covid19 travel waivers that were in place at the time.

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sweetsleep

I managed to get the redeposit fee waived a few years ago on AA/QR award ticket due my sister having a stroke the day before I was to fly out and they did this as a "compassionate" waiver. My travel insurance refunded everything I had prepaid so it was an unexpected surprise to me that AA allowed but it never hurts to ask. Good luck

ciana

FYI - Our travel insurance policy explicitly will not pay for cancellation fees on award tickets because you get your points back. It is very clear about that.. it has written it in as one of the exclusions. Maybe your insurance is different. In the past we have paid for our cancellation no matter the reason. We just chalk it up to the cost of our travel.

SKYEG

Nothing you can do but ask nicely but I wouldn’t expect anything. Good luck on the surgery! $150 isn’t too bad to lose out on