Travel Insurance / Pregnancy Question

[ColinJWatson]

Hi,

 

Looking for some advice. We paid for some flights via easyjet at the start of the year costing around £500. My Wife is now 3 months pregnant, and we don't think we can really afford to pay for a hotel for us and the 2 kids with another on the way, so we were going to transfer the flights to next year.

 

This alone costs a fortune as you need to pay per flight (one way) per person.

 

My Insurance policy says the following, the 1st price in ££ is what we have.

 

Included in the coverRedSilverGoldBlack

Cancellation and curtailment£2,000£3,000£5,000£7,500

Medical Expenses and repatriation£5,000,000£10,000,000£15,000,000Unlimited

Hospital benefitna£1,000£1,500£2,000

Travel delayna£300£400£500

Holiday abandonment£2,000£3,000£5,000£7,500

Hijackna£500£500£1,000

Missed departure£800£500£1,000£1,500

Personal accident

Loss of limbs or sight (aged under 66)£10,000£20,000£50,000£75,000

Permanent total disablement (aged under 66)£10,000£20,000£20,000£75,000

Death benefit (aged 18 to 65)£5,000£5,000£25,000£35,000

Death benefit (aged under 18)£1,000£2,500£2,500£3,500

Personal liability£2,000,000£2,000,000£2,000,000£3,000,000

Catastrophena£1,000£1,000£1,500

Legal Expenses£10,000£15,000£50,000£60,000

Pet carena£200£500£750

Max trip duration365 days365 days365 days365 days

Excess - can vary from the amount shown, see full details (can also be doubled or waived).£75£60£50£0

 

Thanks in Advance

 

Colin

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

Are you asking if you can claim on the insurance because you've decided not to take the holiday? I think cancellation usually covers things like a close relative or one of the party being ill. Pregnancy isn't an illness, sadly.

 

I would be surprised if they wanted to pay, but maybe someone with more specific insurance knowledge will be along with comments for you.

 

If that's not what you're asking, please holler!

 

Congratulations on the baby, by the way.

 

My best, HB

[ColinJWatson]

Yeah, this is pretty much what I am asking. We don't really want to go due to the cost of a hotel and stuff. We feel that we could really spend the cash better elsewhere. But we will lose out on our flight money. She doesn't have any medical problems or anything, which is a good thing. Just trying to see if we can maybe not lose out on the cash.

 

The only reason I ask, is because when I asked easyjet for a refund (don't ask don't get n all that jazz) they replied with this

 

Unfortunately, as we do not offer a medical policy, we will be unable to offer you any refund for your flight. I understand that the cost to transfer your flight is too great at this time, especially given the circumstances, my best advice at this moment is to request an insurance letter from us. This letter will be subject to a £10 administration fee, which will be included in your details to be claimed, and will detail fully your booking including costs, enabling you to claim from your insurance company.

 

If you desire such a letter, please reply to this e-mail with a preferred contact number and I will be glad to contact you to take payment and issue your letter.

 

Oh and thanks for the congrats

[honeybee13]

Hello again.

 

I hope I'm wrong, but it sounds as if you may have received a standard letter from Easyjet and that they haven't quite grasped the point. That isn't what you want to hear, I know.

 

In our experience, every time a low cost airline costs you money, they refer you to your travel insurance.

 

Hopefully one of our insurance experts will be along.

 

My best, HB

[unclebulgaria67]

Yes Honeybee is in deed correct. Pregnancy in itself is not an illness that gives rise to being able to claim for cancellation. Also disinclination to travel is excluded.

 

So if you don't want to travel it is your loss.

[honeybee13]

Colin, it's a long shot, but have you checked out the travel/holidays forum about cancellation charges?

 

Sorry we can't help.

 

My best, HB

[kerrymunday]

Hi..

If your wife wasnt pregnant at the time of taking out the holiday insurance then you can infact make a claim against the insurance..

Easyjet will not refund and more oftend then not the cost of changes out weigh the original costs..

 

Most insurance companies are very good and paying out for pregnancies....How maany weeks will she be upon the date of travel?

[unclebulgaria67]

Kerry

 

Do you know which companies will cover cancellation due to an unknown pregnancy, as this may be helpful to the OP and other readers of the forum.

 

I have not come across this before.

 

This is a typical exclusion from the Insure&Go wording.

 

Pregnancy and childbirth

We provide cover under this policy if something unexpected

happens. In particular, we provide cover under section B for

injuries to the body or illness that was not expected. We do not

consider pregnancy or childbirth to be an illness or injury. To be

clear, we only provide cover under sections A, B and C of this

policy, for claims that come from complications of pregnancy

and childbirth

[kerrymunday]

Hi Unclebulgaria..

I know Mondial, Rush, Rapid, citybond and travel direct cover

 

Most wording I work with :- You or a Travelling companion cannot comply with the transport providers terms and conditions of carriage because of pregnancy that you found out about after you brought your policy (IE she is too far gone to travel safely)

 

You or a travelling companion being advised not to travel by a doctor as a result of pregnancy (Most GPs will give you a cover note if you say the stress of a flight will cause you harm, believe me I have seen hundreds)

 

You ot a travelling companion was unaware of pregnancy at the time you brought your policy..

 

In my experiance (I work in the travel industry) every insurance company has paid out BUT these are the good end of the insurance scale as they tend to be travel related...The cheaper mass market insurance companies have cut corners and made lot of exclusions to make insurance cheaper..

 

What I really need to know is when the policy was brought and who from, and how pregnant she will be ??

 

Hope this helps

 

 

The FSA (Financial Sevices Authority) are very clear and very strict about the practice of Travel Insurance sales..

[unclebulgaria67]

I see that with some Insurers depending on the situation, there may be some scope.

 

If this is the case, I would suggest to the OP, this his wife sees her GP to see if they can get hold of a letter that explains why she could not travel, other than they cannot afford to now pay for their accommodation.

 

If the GP can come up with a suitable letter, then they should pass this onto the Travel Insurers, after first phoning them to register a claim for cancellation. It is then up to the Insurers to decide on the basis of the GP's comments whether the reason for cancellation is acceptable or not.

[ColinJWatson]

Hi folks,

 

Thanks for the further updates.

 

Yes this was an unknown at the time of booking (to be honest she wasn't even pregnant it was booked that long ago. Our insurance is with Virgin insurance. Also when we travel she will be 22 weeks.

 

I am pretty sure that this is fine to travel, I would prefer not to get a doctors letter trying to get something to say she is unfit to travel, just don't want to tempt fate really. If I can't claim it on the insurance, then I will just accept the loss (our own fault for not being careful, but its a good thing it happened)

 

I suppose one thing in my favour/or against me is that the Virigin insurance doesn't seem to mention pregnancy at all as far as I can see.

 

Thanks again guys, I will contact them tonight.

 

Regards

 

Colin