Help! Advice needed re. possible cancellation with VH

[minniemouseuk]

I'd really appreciate some advice.

We're due to fly out on Sunday to WDW with Virgin Hols - it's just 2 of us supposed to be going, me and my Mum.

My Mum has been suffering with possible neuralgia for a couple of weeks, and has had meds from the Doctor, but it hasn't improved. In fact, today it has been so bad, she doesn't think she can go on holiday.

I have phoned Virgin to see if we could change the dates, but as I expected really, they're unable to as the tickets have already been issued. Our only option would be to cancel and claim off the hols insurance.

We have the Virgin provided holiday insurance from a company called Mondial. I have looked at their website about putting a claim in, and know that Mum would have to ask her Doctor to complete a medical form.

But how do things go regarding getting my half of the money back? Would they expect me to travel alone, or could I also claim, as there was only going to be the 2 of us travelling?

I've never encountered a problem like this before, and would appreciate any advice.

Thanks

 

[minniemouseuk]

I'm also wondering about the VH cancellation charges (just read about these on the VH website).

It reads as if the charge is higher the closer you are to the departure date, and is a % of the trip cost, but that doesn't help much!

Any ideas?

 

[minniemouseuk]

More than 70 days Loss of Deposit
57-70 days 30%
29-56 days 50%
15-28 days 60%
7-14 days 90%
Less than 7 days 100%

I think I mis-understood the term 'cancellation charge'.

I took it to mean an additional charge, as well the holiday which we have already paid for. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[tashasmum]

We had to cancel our very first holiday with virgin (13yrs ago) because dd caught chicken pox. Can't tell you who the policy was with then but had no trouble getting money back, just paid the excess.

We were a party of 5, us and my brother and his wife and because we were all on one booking their holiday was cancelled as well.
Went 9 days later with another company as it worked out cheaper.

Hope this helps.

 

[london75]

You're fine, you'll be covered as your Mother is a close enough relative to allow you to cancel and the cancellation charges can only ever be up to the value you've already paid nothing on top.

Claim on your insurance and hopefully book again.

That's bull poo about not being able to re-arrange the dates though, it's just flippin laziness. Someone looks at a computer screen and sees no immediately obvious way to rebook the holiday and says "can't be done". Those seats will now be empty on the flight and the insurance company will have to pay out.

Surely it would be better for Virgin to be able to sell that holiday to someone else, book you onto another flight and not invoke the insurance! Virgin win, you have an easy life and consequently like Virgin better and insurance premiums stay low because no claim is made!

It's daft.

 

[mackay_j]

As you are both booked as one party you cancle as one party and insurance will def cover you, even if it was only a friend whom you are traveling with. There is no advantage to canceling today verus saturday as you are now with the seven days anyway so you may as well hold off and hope that your mum feels better. Ask her doctor about an antiinflamitory injection as well as the antibiotics she will be on. This worked for someone I know who took this on a holiday and had to get home. But make sure that a doc agrees she is fit to fly before you do decide to go, as med cover in the US is expensive and as she has been seeing the doc over the last few weeks, your insurers may play up if you have to claim for treatment while you are away, if her travel has not been doc approved.

 

[Lisa_C]

As you are both booked as one party you cancle as one party and insurance will def cover you, even if it was only a friend whom you are traveling with. There is no advantage to canceling today verus saturday as you are now with the seven days anyway so you may as well hold off and hope that your mum feels better. Ask her doctor about an antiinflamitory injection as well as the antibiotics she will be on. This worked for someone I know who took this on a holiday and had to get home. But make sure that a doc agrees she is fit to fly before you do decide to go, as med cover in the US is expensive and as she has been seeing the doc over the last few weeks, your insurers may play up if you have to claim for treatment while you are away, if her travel has not been doc approved.

that's a valid point - check with your insurance that if she does require treatment whilst in the U.S that she will be covered. I have to take out extra insurance (I use the Post Office as it states that if you are undergoing treatment, but are stable (even after an operation) you are covered) as my LLoyds TSB one with my bank account does NOT cover my daughter who is under a consultant.

~If you do go, just check with the small print, and maybe talk on the phone (ask them to make sure the telephone call is recorded, so if you need to make a claim you will have the conversation to fall back on if they say yes she's covered. You simply quote the time and date and they will be able to pull it) to double check. You can never have to much in surance when there could be medical cost involved. Take it from someone who has had first hand!