Airline Failure Protection Insurance

[pj62]

I have just received the following e-mail from the Flight Centre:

 

Hi Patrick,

 

Hope you are well and looking forward to the weekend?

 

Just contacting you regarding your flight to Kathmandu in September.

 

Due to the agreement with Air India, the itinerary Liam originally booked for you has no Airline Failure Protection Insurance included.

 

Unfortunately Liam was a new consultant and was not aware of this at the time.

 

In this instance I am please to offer you a better alternative – the below itinerary with Omar Air – if this suits your needs just as well.

 

The alternative to a new ticket would be to sign an agreement to keep your original ticket without Airline Failure Protection Insurance, which means if the airline cancel the flights or cease trading you will not be eligible for any sort of refund.

 

My sincere apologies if this puts you out in any way!

 

Please let me know if I can give you a call if you wish to discuss further.

 

Look forward to hearing from you.

 

Many thanks

Jodie

 

My original outbound journey flight was scheduled to arrive at 09:00.

 

The replacement flight with a different airline stops in Muscat instead of Delhi and arrives in Kathmandu at 18:00.

 

Whereas I am supposed to be picked up by my tour operator to meet my group at 17:00 at the hotel where I am staying the first night before starting a trekking holiday.

 

The original flight back was scheduled to depart at 10:00.

 

The replacement flight is scheduled to leave at 09:05.

 

So I arrive 9 hours late and leave an hour early on the new flight schedule offered.

 

Losing a few hours is not a deal breaker but before I start to talk to the Flight Centre it would be good to hear from anyone who has an idea about my rights and whether the reason for the offer to change my flights is a load of old flannel.

 

I would prefer to keep my original flights but do I risk a cancellation and missing my holiday because I can not afford another flight at short notice.

 

Has anyone found themselves with a similar dilemma?

 

Thanks for taking the time to read my post.

 

PS this is my first post so apologies if I have made a hash.

[Cityboy62]

Why would you want to change your flights? To simply ensure that you would then have AFPI...!

 

Has AI notified you or the agent of any changes to your flights?

 

How have you paid for the original flights?

[pj62]

Thank you for your post Cityboy62.

 

I'm considering the alternative flights offered because the e-mail fro Flight Centre mentioned that if my flight is cancelled by AI or AI cease trading then I have no redress because Flight Centre booked flights that did not include AFPI.

 

I have only received the posted e-mail from the Flight Centre, I have not spoken to them yet and have not been contacted by AI.

 

From the e-mail I had inferred that I could continue on the flights I have booked but at the risk of having no redress if my flight is cancelled or AI ceases to trade.

 

The flights are already paid for usiing Barclaycard - which now I think of it will provide Section 75 protection on the flight cost but not the holiday deposit which was paid using Paypal.

[BazzaS]

Thank you for your post Cityboy62.

 

I'm considering the alternative flights offered because the e-mail fro Flight Centre mentioned that if my flight is cancelled by AI or AI cease trading then I have no redress because Flight Centre booked flights that did not include AFPI.

 

I have only received the posted e-mail from the Flight Centre, I have not spoken to them yet and have not been contacted by AI.

 

From the e-mail I had inferred that I could continue on the flights I have booked but at the risk of having no redress if my flight is cancelled or AI ceases to trade.

 

The flights are already paid for usiing Barclaycard - which now I think of it will provide Section 75 protection on the flight cost but not the holiday deposit which was paid using Paypal.

 

Are you covered under your existing holiday insurance?

If not, consider separate cover : such as described at :

http://www.money.co.uk/article/1004307-is-your-holiday-protected-against-airline-failure.htm and

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/2823147/Website-to-provide-cover-for-airline-collapse.html

 

Get a quote from these : if it isn't excessive see if your travel agent will cover this cost, given:

a) the alternative they suggest arrives too late,

b) the error was made by their consultant. As "Unfortunately Liam was a new consultant and was not aware of this at the time." surely they should have trained and / or supervised Liam better?

 

Putting in details for a "fake quote" for the £600 cost of an Air India return flight, with a 2 week stay in September, the premium could be as low as £5 for flight protection.

Are other aspects covered under ABTA bonding / ATOL protection?

Edited June 29, 2013 by BazzaS

[Cityboy62]

Thank you for your post Cityboy62.

 

I'm considering the alternative flights offered because the e-mail fro Flight Centre mentioned that if my flight is cancelled by AI or AI cease trading then I have no redress because Flight Centre booked flights that did not include AFPI.

 

I have only received the posted e-mail from the Flight Centre, I have not spoken to them yet and have not been contacted by AI.

 

From the e-mail I had inferred that I could continue on the flights I have booked but at the risk of having no redress if my flight is cancelled or AI ceases to trade.

 

The flights are already paid for usiing Barclaycard - which now I think of it will provide Section 75 protection on the flight cost but not the holiday deposit which was paid using Paypal.

 

So your CC will protect you in case of the flight not occurring. But all the AFPI in the world will not protect your trekking holiday.

 

Sounds like Flight Centre are trying to cash in on an insurance premium and what guarantee are they making that any alternative flights would be any less expensive.

 

I would stick rather than twist in the same situation.