What to do if your flight is delayed or cancelled
- As featured in:
As featured in:
- Find out the reason for the flight delay or cancellation
- Get it in writing
- Get a refund or get the carrier to reschedule your flight
- Keep all your documentation
- Need to know more?
You’re at the airport, ready to go and just found out your flight is not leaving on time...
What you do next can make the difference between a successful claim for compensation or a refund, and a long night on an uncomfortable airline bench.
To avoid added pain we have put together some information that will help you know what to do if you’re stuck at an airport, what you’re covered for, what you’re not covered for, and some added tips.
Step 1: Find out the reason for the flight delay or cancellation
If you think it could be more than just a short period of time, it’s worth finding out some information which can help if you need to make a claim or claim compensation or a refund against the airline. You’ll need to know:
- How long the delay will be; and
- What is the reason for the delay.
2. Get it in writing
Ask the service desk to give you evidence of why the flight was delayed. Travel insurance covers certain events, so you’ll need to show it was one of these for any claim to be successful. If for example the delay is because of bad weather, ask the airline to put that in writing for you. Some of our travelers report service desks have given them proof on letterhead paper at the airport. If they can't, then get their customer service and complaints contact details and initiate contact on the spot.
Step 3: Get a refund or get the carrier to reschedule your flight
If you have incurred expenses because of the delay, your first port of call must be to seek help from the airline or travel provider that has not been able to provide services to you. Ask them to rebook or reaccommodate you or ask for compensation or a refund. And yes – if you decide to claim against your travel insurance policy for any costs you've incurred, then you’ll need evidence you tried to get a refund from the airline first. If you don’t have evidence, we’ll probably ask you for it, which may delay any claim you make, so we suggest you approach your airline or travel provider first. You must accept any reasonable alternative options offered by the provider.
Step 4: Keep all your documentation
If you’re still out of pocket after contacting your airline or travel provider for compensation, you can make a claim under your travel insurance. We will consider all the information available to make a decision on your claim. As part of that process, the more documentation you have that can show you’ve incurred expenses because of a covered event, the more easily and quickly we will be able to determine your claim.
Traveler tip: if you are going to miss your flight because you’re just running late, that’s not an Insured Event. Under World Nomads policies, if an event is not specifically listed as an Insured Event, there is no cover for that event. Always make sure you read your Policy Wording for a full description of the coverage, terms, conditions and exclusions that apply.
Step 5: Need to know more?
This information may help if things go wrong, and you want to make a claim. All travel insurance plans are different, and cover will vary, depending on what’s happened, your Country of Residence, the plan you choose and any options or upgrades you buy. Your Policy Wording will always have the full details of what you’re covered for.
If you have any further questions about what’s covered and not covered, just ask us.
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