What happens about accomodation costs if Virgin do strike?

[Portugal1000]

I know this probably won't happen but after being stranded in Orlando in December wanted to just check our options.

We have Virgin Atlantic flight on 3rd August for 3 weeks. HAve booked SSR separately with CO. Am due to pay the final £3000 in a couple of weeks. If Virgin did strike and our flight was cancelled, what would happen about our accomodation costs. Obviously CO are not liable but would Virgin have to re-imburse us in anyway. (JUst typing that question, sounds stupid!)

Atleast in December there were loads of empty seats so Virgin were able to get most people on other flights (took them 3 days to get us on a flight). But in August, I assume if our flight was cancelled, it would be pretty difficult to get on another flight as they are usually full. Would this really mean that we could potentially lose our money. Anyway, probably worrying about nothing but would be good to know.
Thanks

 

[amacspad]

I would be interested to know the answer to this too please, we wud hav the same dilemma staying at Saratoga in Aug!

Debs xxxx

 

[2Tiggies]

Do you have travel insurance? I am fairly sure that VA would have no duty to reimburse you for any loss - that is why you need to pick your insurance cover very carefully. It is one thing I don't skimp on and while I tend to over insure myself, this is one of the main reasons I fork out the extra.

If you do already have your travel insurance, go through the terms very carefully and find out if you are covered for knock on effects of cancellation. Some insurers do, although it usually comes at a premium.

Also find out whether, if you don't yet have insurance, you are covered if you take it out now as the potential strikes have been announced. Again, you may or may not be able to get cover for this as insurers tend to add in an exclusion 'where this was known at or before the time of taking out the policy'

 

[amacspad]

I will check ta, I have the RBS Royalties Gold account which gives the multiple worldwide family insurance (hope it's covered)!

Debs xxx

 

[2Tiggies]

I will check ta, I have the RBS Royalties Gold account which gives the multiple worldwide family insurance (hope it's covered)!

Debs xxx

If it's not and you are really worried, find out if there is an option to upgrade - but first check and make sure that you are actually covered if you do. I used Direct Travel last year and will use them again this year as they do cover me for this kind of thing and I booked my flights separately. If you book a package with flights it is different you and do have more protection. I did have to take out their premium or platinum policy for this benefit however (can't remember what it is called).

 

[Portugal1000]

If it's not and you are really worried, find out if there is an option to upgrade - but first check and make sure that you are actually covered if you do. I used Direct Travel last year and will use them again this year as they do cover me for this kind of thing and I booked my flights separately. If you book a package with flights it is different you and do have more protection. I did have to take out their premium or platinum policy for this benefit however (can't remember what it is called).

I have insurance with my Halifax bank account and it states that they do not cover for strikes (great). I called Direct Travel and asked if there was a policy that would pay me back for my lost accomodation costs in US due to strikes, and they said there isn't! They will pay for delays, but my insurance does that. I have looked through a few policies and cannot find anyone that will pay out for a lost holiday due to strike. If anyone knows any, would be great to hear who they are.

I could live with being delayed as 3 week holiday so plenty of time, but to just not be able to get there atall and lose over £3K would be a nightmare. I never worried about any of this until December when there were so many problems due to weather.

 

[wayneg]

I have looked through a few policies and cannot find anyone that will pay out for a lost holiday due to strike. If anyone knows any, would be great to hear who they are.

Just done some searching and found this site, lists a few companies that either includes strike cover or you can pay extra. My insurance expired today, I was with M&S which I think covered strikes but not certain, their renewal was over double Colubus direct who are named on this site.

http://www.moneymaxim.co.uk/articles/volcanic-ash-cloud-ba-strike-travel-insurance-65789.htm

 

[Portugal1000]

Thanks for info about Columbus. Just did an online chat with them and specifically asked about cover for strike action. As long as strike dates have not been published then you are covered for lost accomodation cost in full or part of if you manage to get there say 4 days late. This is important as we are paying £194 a night (not bad as it included free dining and tickets). So even if you just missed a couple of days thats still a significant amount.

So I am going to down grade my Halifax bank account. I pay £12.50 a month for the Ultimate reward account and only benefit I have used is the travel insurance, which it turns out doesn't actually cover you for much. Didn't cover us In December. So I will save £150 a year and Columbus have quoted me £101 for Annual insurance so actually end up saving money. So thanks.

 

[wayneg]

Don't forget 16% quidco or Topcashback

 

[london75]

Also for Columbus, try a money supermarket comparison. The link that they provide after a comparison always gets me Columbus insurance for £40 for annual family giving the same cover (except volcano bit you can ring to request that after). They must have some sort of bulk affiliate deal with Columbus.

Check all the excesses etc but works for us and stupidly cheap for a well respected policy.

Edit: odd just tried it and came in at £70 must've gone up since my renewal! Still a good price though

 

[2Tiggies]

So I am going to down grade my Halifax bank account. I pay £12.50 a month for the Ultimate reward account and only benefit I have used is the travel insurance, which it turns out doesn't actually cover you for much. Didn't cover us In December.

Funny you mention that. I looked at doing the same last year, purely for the benefit of the travel insurance but like you, I took home the policy documents to read first and decided against it. None of the other reward benefits were of any value to me.

Don't forget 16% quidco or Topcashback

Good point. I forgot, I used Topcashback and saved 17.5% on my single trip policy last year. It is worth checking both cashback sites

 

[Miss Mo]

Last year's ash cloud made me very nervous about that and I think I'd be unlikely to book anything that's not a package again. We are booked on Virgin flights but it's part of a Thomas Cook package so I'm assuming TC would have to either find us alternative flights or give us our money back!! Right??? (she says hopefully!) Think I may check this out with TC just incase!

mo x

 

[wayneg]

Last year's ash cloud made me very nervous about that and I think I'd be unlikely to book anything that's not a package again. We are booked on Virgin flights but it's part of a Thomas Cook package so I'm assuming TC would have to either find us alternative flights or give us our money back!! Right??? (she says hopefully!) Think I may check this out with TC just incase!

mo x

Package customers were better looked after last year with the ash cloud, I couldn't claim anything so had to pay out of pocket for 4 days extra hotel & car hire, No problem with flights, Delta just changed us to 1st available flights.
Problem is the difference in cost does not warrant paying for a package just to get ash cloud protection, the chances of it happening again are tiny. August 09 I paid £6,000 DIY, Virgin wanted £12,000 for a similar package. This year I have paid £5336, VH wanted approx £8,500.
Far cheaper taking out insurance to cover a DIY trip for us.

 

[katytrott]

Just posted this on another thread:

I saw this thread a last week, panicked, and chatted to someone I know who is a marketing manager for Virgin Atlantic at the HQ in Crawley. He said he can guarentee the strikes will not happen. Apparently they talk about this most years, but they hide it from getting to the media to protect the VA image. Just unfortunate it got out this year.

He said it always gets resolved, normally by them giving them what they want, beacuse VA will never let it get like BA purely to protect their image

Hope that helps!

 

[taylor91]

Just posted this on another thread:

I saw this thread a last week, panicked, and chatted to someone I know who is a marketing manager for Virgin Atlantic at the HQ in Crawley. He said he can guarentee the strikes will not happen. Apparently they talk about this most years, but they hide it from getting to the media to protect the VA image. Just unfortunate it got out this year.

He said it always gets resolved, normally by them giving them what they want, beacuse VA will never let it get like BA purely to protect their image

Hope that helps!

I hope this is true... I really do