How Can Free Spirit Help When Your Plane is Delayed?

We mean if your booked flight gets delayed on either your outward or inbound journey. The flight delay section usually comes under the heading of ‘delayed departure’ in the policy wording document. This section also covers the delay of international trains or sailings, but we are going to look specifically at flight delays.

Reasons why your flight may be delayed could include a natural disaster such as a wildfire or hurricane, global conflict, or an IT issue caused by an outage or a strike.

Free Spirit’s suggestions to avoid experiencing a plane delay

1. 1. Visit countries that are not affected by the EES in peak season, such as Canada or Montenegro.
   2. Pre-register your outgoing trip through the Travel Europe Pre-Registration for EES App. (Although this is currently limited to travel to Portugal and Sweden).
   3. Don’t fly from major UK airports. Fly from a regional airport such as Southampton or Newcastle. Smaller airports outperform larger airports as they’re less prone to missed connections and disruptions.
   4. Travel outside of hurricane season.
   5. Avoid changing planes in Europe during long-haul flights if you can.

Tip: Check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website for up-to-date travel advice before booking a trip.

Review your policy documents to check. Within each section, note what the cover limits are and what claim you may be able to make.

A quality travel insurance policy should give you the opportunity to claim for:

• Cancellation or cutting short your trip
• Delayed flights, missed departures, or connections

How many hours does a flight need to be delayed before travel insurance pays out?

Before purchasing a travel insurance policy, review the benefits, exclusions, and coverage limits to see what it won’t cover. This will include the amount of waiting time during a trip delay, which can range from two to 12 hours.

What does travel insurance cover if my flight is delayed?

View your insurance policy to see what you’re covered for in the event of a flight delay. The care and help you receive will be dependent on how long your flight is delayed. Also, if you’re flying outside the UK and with a non-UK/EU airline such as American Airlines, check the terms and conditions and know your rights.

Not limited to:

• Refreshments from the airline
• Overnight accommodation
• Access to communications (two free phone calls)
• Necessary transfers if a flight is delayed until the next day

Tip: Book an ABTA or ATOL package holiday to receive additional protection.

Having your flight cancelled is, unfortunately, another scenario that can go wrong when going abroad. Thankfully, having adequate travel insurance in place is a good idea because it gives you the freedom to travel with confidence.

Learn how to face a flight cancellation with confidence.

Please note: You won’t be covered for any claim resulting from a strike, industrial action, or air traffic control delay if it existed already or had been publicly announced before you bought the insurance or at the time that you booked a trip. This is because insurance is designed to cover unexpected issues.

For instance, although there are benefits to booking last-minute holidays, if you booked one and a flight delay had already been announced, it’s likely that you would have known about it before booking the trip or buying the insurance.

What about my rights?

If your flight is delayed and you’re travelling from the UK, ABTA has compiled a list of the rights you’re entitled to in this scenario. If your flight is delayed for over five hours, your airline must offer you the choice of taking a refund of the flight cost. It is important to note that if you haven’t booked a package holiday, you may then lose the money you’ve paid for hotels and excursions. It is recommended to take out travel insurance ASAYB (as soon as you book) so that if anything does happen, you have peace of mind.

Free Spirit travel insurance provides cover for most medical conditions and disabilities for anyone of any age and includes:

• Delayed departure on Super and Super Duper Cover only.
• If you’re delayed by at least 12 hours, you must get a written confirmation from the transport provider or their handling agent showing the scheduled departure time, actual departure time, and reason for the delay.
• Super Cover = £300 (£75 per 12 hours delay)
• Super Duper Cover = £400 (£100 per 12 hours delay)

Please note: You must get written confirmation from the transport provider or their handling agent. Ensure your scheduled departure time, actual departure time, and reason for the delay are shown.

What if the flight is delayed and I abandon the trip?

Free Spirit Travel Insurance also provides cover for trip abandonment. This cover can be used when a flight is delayed (for over a certain amount of time), and you decide to abandon the trip. Note that the duration of the delay is the same as it is for the duration of the delayed departure.

The amount you’re covered for trip abandonment is listed below.

• Free Spirit – £3,000 on Super Cover, £6,000 on Super Duper Cover

Some policies require claims to be made within 48 hours of your return. Check your time limit for making a claim by reading the policy documents. Also, keep all the receipts and reports. These may need to be submitted as evidence with your claim form.

How do I claim for a flight delay?

Making a travel insurance claim can be daunting. View a guide to making a travel insurance claim for assistance and learn more about claims if needed.

However, what if we told you we could provide compensation if your flight is delayed by two hours or more?