SomeGuy

Helped some friends buy tix to Ireland for a June tour. Tix were purchased late 2019, and trip insurance was also purchased. The tour has been pushed back a year, so they can’t just reschedule (plus with uncertainty if they’ll want to go and they don’t want their $5000 tied up that long). Because they bought the trip insurance, should they go to the insurance company first to get their money back or to AA for a refund? Are there any additional pros or cons to one path over the other? Thanks for the help.

Often1

They need to tell you whether their flight(s) has/have been cancelled by AA or whether they are "pushing back" by a year. With that information, accurate advice will be possible.

SomeGuy

Hypothetically they could still go. While their flights have been cancelled, rebooking options are available. But with the tour being pushed back, there’s no reason for them to go now.

arlflyer

If the rebooking options entail a significant schedule change, then a refund would be in order, no?

https://saleslink.aa.com/en-US/docum...funds_Only.pdf

SomeGuy

But is there any benefit to going to AA vs the travel insurance company?

Mwenenzi

How are the flights and the tour linked? On the same reservation from AA? Or a travel agent package?
Have they chosen that the "tour has been pushed back a year"? Or has the tour operator changed it?

Often1

Details matter greatly. Impossible to answer as to whether insurance or refund is the easiest or best route without knowing the specifics, including whether the trip is covered at all and who did the "pushing back" to 2021.

SomeGuy

The tour pushed itself back. The tour and flights are not connected.

IAHtraveler

For most trip insurance, you'll need to try to get a refund from the airline first. Also, with cancelled flights, AA is due to give you a refund. I doubt the trip insurance would cover that since the airline cancelled.

Depending on why AA says is the exact reason for the cancellation, and what the insurance covers/denies, then you might get the insurance to cover any prepaid/nonrefundable items for the tour.

mvoight

I don't see anything to indicate AA had canceled the flights, only that the travel company changed the tour dates until next year.
Whether insurance covers the cancellation depends on what the insurance covers. We don't know that info. OP should ask the insurance company or review the insurance documentation

IAHtraveler

in post 3, the OP noted "While their flights have been cancelled"

Hawes7701

Every occasion I have used travel insurance I have needed to provide evidence that I was unable to recover the money by any other means.

this usually entails the original flight/hotel confirmation showing it is non-refundable.

if your flights have been cancelled then you should recover money from AA. I would also assume that as the tour has been pushed back a year, they too are obliged to offer a full refund...?

as such, do you even need to use travel insurance?

Often1

As the flights and tour are not connected, the fact that the tour "pushed itself back" is irrelevant. The sole question is whether AA has cancelled the flights and OP says that it has. If that is the case, the passenger simply goes online and requests a refund through "Prefunds" and should have the refund in a few days. Sometimes that does not work and a call is necessary.

If AA had not cancelled the flights, then the passengers would be down to their insurance or accepting a credit for future travel. Whether insurance would cover is a matter of the wording of the policy. Do not rely on anything you are told by insurance phone personnel. Read the policy carefully yourself.

Bottom line is that if this is as OP says it is, a refund from AA ought to be fairly simple. Leave the tour out of it.

LondonElite

I think the tour is a red herring. Since AA cancelled the flights, the delay of the ‘tour’ by one year is irrelevant. Just seek a refund from AA. This shouldn’t have anything to do with travel insurance.

AlwaysAisle

This can be a straight forward situation. When I had to deal with insurance companies (not just travel insurance), insurance companies made sure I had no other means to recovered the cost. The insurance company even asked me if I had other insurances which may covered the situation, one situation I had to sign the form indicating as such.

OP's situation seems to be that the flights were cancelled and the flights were not part of the tour, OP purchased flights on own. Then it is simple that AA has to provide refund, not voucher, to OP because flights were cancelled. If the insurance company found out that the flights OP is trying to claim have been cancelled then it is possible that the insurance company will deny OP's claim because OP can get cash refund from AA.