OT: Travel Insurance amid The Covid Pandemic

My wife and I had airline ticket to Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon in May of this year. I purchased travel insurance to cover the cost of the airline tickets if something were to happen...which it did, the fungus hit and California ordered shelter-in-place with essential travel only, plus the feds closed the Grand Canyon National Park.

We canceled our flight along with rental cars and hotels. So..did the travel insurance folks reimburse me for the airline tickets..hell no. They said the WHO declared a pandemic in March so that made it a foreseeable event and I was shit out of luck. These airline tickets were purchased through Expedia and the insurance was underwritten through them by AIG.

American Airlines gave me credit for the tickets that I could use for other flights..good for 1 year. I don't want 'other flights', I want a refund.

AIG says "tough shit", American Airlines say's talk to Expedia, we didn't sell you the tickets fool, and Expedia is reachable only by generic FAQ's or by 800 phone numbers, which they won't reply to.


Maybe I'm just a cry baby but this really pisses me off..AIG has used Covid-19 to avoid paying claims and American Airlines hopes you'll forget about the flight credit they have so graciously given you.

Stuart

atomarc said:

My wife and I had airline ticket to Arizona to visit the Grand Canyon in May of this year. I purchased travel insurance to cover the cost of the airline tickets if something were to happen...which it did, the fungus hit and California ordered shelter-in-place with essential travel only, plus the feds closed the Grand Canyon National Park.

We canceled our flight along with rental cars and hotels. So..did the travel insurance folks reimburse me for the airline tickets..hell no. They said the WHO declared a pandemic in March so that made it a foreseeable event and I was shit out of luck. These airline tickets were purchased through Expedia and the insurance was underwritten through them by AIG.

American Airlines gave me credit for the tickets that I could use for other flights..good for 1 year. I don't want 'other flights', I want a refund.

AIG says "tough shit", American Airlines say's talk to Expedia, we didn't sell you the tickets fool, and Expedia is reachable only by generic FAQ's or by 800 phone numbers, which they won't reply to.


Maybe I'm just a cry baby but this really pisses me off..AIG has used Covid-19 to avoid paying claims and American Airlines hopes you'll forget about the flight credit they have so graciously given you.

Stuart

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American will honor that chit.

It's all you are going to get ....UNLESS.. you paid by Credit Card and your card provider will go to the mat for you. And turn a blind-eye to you opening the same claim every time they close it.

Mine have done, but I never asked all that often, and sometimes had to wait six months until the "opposition" realized the open or RE-opened claim(s) was/were giving them more grief as to staff response costs repeated, over and over - and the nuisance cost to their accounting process .... than the argument was worth.

Sic Illegitemus, CARBORUNDUM!


Wear the bastards down.

What do you have to lose?

Expedia doesn't own a damned thing you would not be better-off without.

QED

Use Kayak, next go, find your bargain. But then book directly with whomever is putting the actual aircraft under your ass-ets on "their paper" - even if there no longer IS "paper".

I'd claim a refund for the insurance as well. They failed to deliver ANYTHING of value. BTDTGGTS, and got the money back on that, too.

It takes time and making a chronic PITA out of yerself.

OTOH, ISTR you have a service-connected "MOS" for executing exactly that, and to an expert level. Same as I do!



So it can work.

If/as/when you 'do' the Canyon? (from where you live, I'd actually DRIVE it, or go by RAIL, not fly it, BTW. Some LOVELY routing can be done...)

DO NOT do the mule ride!

Bad move, Emily and I doing that first day of our first honeymoon, not accustomed to riding four-leggers, she - never, Ich - not since childhood. NO relation to riding two-wheelers, either!

Ever you spent an entire day in the saddle, first light to dusk, you won't need to ask "why" it could be called a honeyMOAN , and all yah could "DO" was laugh together over the foolishness of it!

Mind . .we got 30 years, come this November of mileage outta those shared laughs!

Well..we will see if American honors the chit! After much screwing around I did find a AA page that addressed refunds. I input all the info and will wait to see if these assholes will refund the dough versus give me a credit for a flight at a later date, which I probably won't use as I'm a stay at home vegetable kind of guy.

Stuart

atomarc said:

Well..we will see if American honors the chit! After much screwing around I did find a AA page that addressed refunds. I input all the info and will wait to see if these assholes will refund the dough versus give me a credit for a flight at a later date, which I probably won't use as I'm a stay at home vegetable kind of guy.

Stuart

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Flight should be good. Seats they can find. Especially going forward from recent months.

It's money they have "never" in their revolving-door serial bankruptcy & re-org-yet-another-time bizness models.

I had 12 out of 13 - used-up in half that many 2-each persons Bizness Class seats, US to Europe or US LATAM, or US Asia honoured in a bit under 3 years. One expired @ 12 months, the earliest I had time to use it being 13 months out from issue date.

All were from cashing in Pan Am Platinum air miles when they were being fought-over by Delta & Untied. NOT EVEN cash-paid fares! Many of the redemption trips were not on Pan Am routes, either - Untied or Delta, rather..

that's why I always use the amx card for such things.
call the credit card people, some are very good at umm
calling bs and getting you a refund.
then there is always small claims court.

number one rule in insurance first try it's not covered.
why fly it's a nice scenic drive.

72bwhite said:

that's why I always use the amx card for such things.
call the credit card people, some are very good at umm
calling bs and getting you a refund.
then there is always small claims court.

number one rule in insurance first try it's not covered.
why fly it's a nice scenic drive.

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"Scenic" is when you can relax, gawk, eat, sleep, wander about and chat ..rather than deal with the grade of arseholes clogging highways these days - too busy "working" the wheel to share sightseeing with yer mate:

Coast to the Canyon Roundtrip from San Francisco | Amtrak Vacations(R)

Even used my GI travel allowance on orders to 'nam in '67 to ride the California Zephyr from Chicago, West. REALLY scenic, the old Burlington Northern then D&RG route, then Feather River Canyon down to San Fran! Comfortable "roomette" with decent privacy & bed, "Vista dome" cars, fine dining.. instead of a Super-G Connie, "airplane food" and blind to all but tops of clouds below.

Figured it might be my last chance... ditto a lovely young thing I met on the train, picked up a convertible at Hertz, then her, and off to Fisherman's Wharf, Mt. Tamalpais, Treasure Island, etc etc.... etc.

Youth.... is largely WASTED.. on "the young".

Mem'ries ain't half bad, tho'!!!

hmm but probably a 3 day drive

72bwhite said:

hmm but probably a 3 day drive

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This as a BAD thing? Just how? Been known to take a week just wandering the Dordogne. Or the Vosge. Or Basque Country, France to Asturias.

Mind.. haven't had a "Day job" to interfere with LIFE since August of 94..

MD 16 years therafter, more than one company - but no longer beholden to outsiders.

Primary play-toy company decided to scout the Middle East for bizness opportunity, '95 or '96? Annual Board of Directors & stockholders meeting was set for Pyramids Plaza Hotel, Giza plateau, Egypt. That took two languages. And five minutes. For we two couples. Two generations!

Then stockholders who had beeen flown to the meeting enjoyed a private guided tour of the Great Pyramid. Including all the parts tourists do NOT get allowed into.

"Best available prestige office space"... having been found poorly lighted, poorly ventilated, with no indoor plumbing nor telephones, and with not even ONE window in Egypt?

We gave the whole Middle East a miss and were far the better for it!

Might want to keep trying to get through to expida, I have found them to go over and above on some rather unusual requests. Although I don’t think you have any chance of getting your money back.....

72bwhite said:

hmm but probably a 3 day drive

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Life's destination is a hole in the ground. The joy is in the journey.

gbent said:

Life's destination is a hole in the ground. The joy is in the journey.

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well if one only has limited vacation time it could be an issue.
I can make it to Flagstaff in a hard day, most will do it in 2
and more then a hard day to Eureka so 3 days one way and 3 days return
pretty much shot 1 week of vacation.
more like 4 days the true scenic route put 200 k miles on a Harley
in the south west you will know most of the back roads,
and hidden hole in the wall places that have good food.
could be many reason not to want to do that drive.

Grand Canyon ship has sailed for this year May to early June,
after that it can get uncomfortably hot, too early in the year and you freeze your nuts off.

worst case you could book it for next year

Well, here's my take. Of course the insurance won't pay for it...it's a scam and always has been.

But, I gotta say, by the very nature of your endeavour, you were asking for a thumping. There is only one form of acceptable travel - when it is for business and your company is paying for it. When you undertake travel for pleasure it's the same as opting for cosmetic surgery. It might go awesome, but you have no right to complain when one of your breasts is melon shaped and the other is lemon shaped.

Travel is perhaps the ultimate wank. To go anyplace without reason other than self-gratification? Yuck, yuck, yuck. Roads clogged with idiots, airports clogged with idiots, restaurants clogged with idiots.....all so you can spend a lot of money you'll never get back seeing some trees and rocks. Memories? Memories are like a good T-shirt with Daisy Duke on front. 10 years hence, faded and torn and forgotten.

Stay home, spend your money on tools and lubricants. That's where the prize is.

GregSY said:

Well, here's my take. Of course the insurance won't pay for it...it's a scam and always has been.

But, I gotta say, by the very nature of your endeavour, you were asking for a thumping. There is only one form of acceptable travel - when it is for business and your company is paying for it. When you undertake travel for pleasure it's the same as opting for cosmetic surgery. It might go awesome, but you have no right to complain when one of your breasts is melon shaped and the other is lemon shaped.

Travel is perhaps the ultimate wank. To go anyplace without reason other than self-gratification? Yuck, yuck, yuck. Roads clogged with idiots, airports clogged with idiots, restaurants clogged with idiots.....all so you can spend a lot of money you'll never get back seeing some trees and rocks. Memories? Memories are like a good T-shirt with Daisy Duke on front. 10 years hence, faded and torn and forgotten.

Stay home, spend your money on tools and lubricants. That's where the prize is.

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Well after wading through a certain someones verbal diarrhea... (not you, but I am sure anyone can guess LoL)....

Greg has it right, ins, of any sort, is a scam. Have had state farm for car and rental (until a few years ago buying house) for close to 30 years. Filed one claim for a few grand on my car (my fault, snow up north). They refused me homeowners ins because I had a claim for water damage (long story) in less than 3 years of 'owning' the home. Cocksuking greedy bastards!

I thought AIG went out of business during the recession, looks like they don't advertise anywhere I look. How much was the insurance? That would have never happened to me as being in an airplane makes me feel like a sardine in a can and I will not pay for first class. I can easily knock out 1,000+ miles a day driving.

No, AIG got billions during the TARP bailout to keep them alive but, unlike all the other financial institutions, it was so many billions that the Federal gov't took something like 80% of their stock in exchange. Which is why their stock has traded in a $30-$60 range for the last 11 years.

Were the tickets booked before or after the pandemic started? Did you cancel early or last minute? Was it a $300 or $3000 ticket? Airlines almost never refund cash and travel insurance is pretty specific. They will tell you what is covered when you purchase it and coverage is fairly limited. Really only makes sense for expensive long flights. Even then, you are more likely to end up in coach when paying for first class than collecting from either airlines or insurance. Pays to do the homework and read the small print. Dave

72bwhite said:

Grand Canyon ship has sailed for this year May to early June,
after that it can get uncomfortably hot, too early in the year and you freeze your nuts off.

worst case you could book it for next year

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Not so fast... late October thru mid/late November CAN be good too! Cold at the rim, but still VERY warm as you go down. We married 9 November, did the mule ride before Thanksgiving, "Best times" are booked-solid a year or so in advance.

Same again, Europe off the shoulder season.

More than a few airlines as will NOT give cash-credit can find a way to trade for flights they have with KNOWN chronically empty seats.

"Published policy" quite aside, if they can create two more empty holes you would have filled on a POPULAR flight, that's "new money" for two more they can SELL to two other people, still keep YOUR fees, but now applied to other seats as would otherwise have been hauled empty.

Mike1974 said:

Well after wading through a certain someones verbal diarrhea... (not you, but I am sure anyone can guess LoL)....

Greg has it right, ins, of any sort, is a scam. Have had state farm for car and rental (until a few years ago buying house) for close to 30 years. Filed one claim for a few grand on my car (my fault, snow up north). They refused me homeowners ins because I had a claim for water damage (long story) in less than 3 years of 'owning' the home. Cocksuking greedy bastards!

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You stayed with State Farm for 30 years and did not KNOW how that worked?

I can better understand your being too pig-headed oblivious to simply put "thermite" on "ignore" so he doesn't trigger you into acting the fool.

USAA. 54 years ... and still counting. We don't just "own it". We ARE it!

Stuart? ISTR you are USAA eligible? Saves a ton of money and easily as much hassle.

Mike1974 said:

Well after wading through a certain someones verbal diarrhea... (not you, but I am sure anyone can guess LoL)....

Greg has it right, ins, of any sort, is a scam. Have had state farm for car and rental (until a few years ago buying house) for close to 30 years. Filed one claim for a few grand on my car (my fault, snow up north). They refused me homeowners ins because I had a claim for water damage (long story) in less than 3 years of 'owning' the home. Cocksuking greedy bastards!

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oh State farm is even worse if they insure some one who hits you
ignore save much on the wading through the BS

beckerkumm said:

Were the tickets booked before or after the pandemic started? Did you cancel early or last minute? Was it a $300 or $3000 ticket? Airlines almost never refund cash and travel insurance is pretty specific. They will tell you what is covered when you purchase it and coverage is fairly limited. Really only makes sense for expensive long flights. Even then, you are more likely to end up in coach when paying for first class than collecting from either airlines or insurance. Pays to do the homework and read the small print. Dave

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The tickets were booked WAY before the fungus hit. I canceled the tickets as the shit was staring to hit the fan and the outcome was obvious. They were only $400 dollars but it was the point with me...I paid for the insurance and they denied the claim on the flimsy excuse that the World Health Org had declared Covid-19 a pandemic in May, therefore it wasn't a unforeseen event and I was shit out of luck.

You make some good points..next time I'll book with the airline itself instead of someone such as Expedia or Kayak. I'll also read the fine print..something I didn't do previously.

In the mean time I hope Expedia, as well as AIG insurance come down with terminal Covid and close permanently.

Sour-ass-Stu