Will you get a refund if your flight is delayed or cancelled due to fog? Know DGCA rules
According to the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV titled “Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights” issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) the airlines have to provide following measures to the affected passengers due to cancellation and delay1) In case of cancellation, the airlines have to either provide an alternate flight or provide compensation in addition to the full refund of the air ticket. Furthermore, the airline should provide meals and refreshments to the passengers who have already reported for their original flight at the airport while waiting for the alternate flight.2) In case of a flight delay, the airline is required to provide meals and refreshments, an alternate flight/full refund of the ticket to the passenger, or hotel accommodation (including transfers) depending on the total flight delay.However, you need to keep in mind that airlines are not obliged to compensate in cases where the cancellation and delay is caused by a force majeure event i.e. extraordinary circumstance(s) beyond the control of the airline.
Flight is delayed due to low visibility amid fog: Will your travel insurance cover it?
When a flight cannot take off due to poor visibility amid dense fog, airlines often wait for the weather to improve. In such cases, flights get delayed. Social media platforms are flooded with claims that flights have been delayed by several hours now from the northern part of India, especially Delhi, even by up to 12 hours. “Travellers are typically not obligated to get any monetary refund from the airline in case the flights are delayed,” says Vivek Chaturvedi, CMO and Head of Direct Sales, at Digit Insurance. Then, do you have any other option other than waiting for your flight to fly? Well, if you have bought travel insurance while booking your flight ticket, it may help you if your flight is delayed. Here’s how
A travel insurance policy with coverage for flight delay covers serves as a safeguard for travellers, providing compensation for incidental expenses incurred at the airport in the event of a delayed flight beyond the stipulated duration mentioned in the policy, says Manas Kapoor, Business Head – of Travel Insurance, Policybazaar.com.
Flight delay cover is here to protect you from massive delays
A flight delay cover, commonly referred to as common carrier delay cover, is typically part of a comprehensive travel insurance plan. Under a flight delay cover, one can receive a flat benefit of a certain amount as mentioned in the travel policy if the flight is delayed beyond a certain time limit.
The insurer will compensate customers when flight delays are caused by various factors, including inclement weather, unavailability of essential airline crew or support staff, technical issues or equipment failure in the aircraft, air traffic congestion, operational challenges like crew scheduling issues, or delays resulting from the cancellation or rescheduling of other flights, says Kapoor.
Few online travel aggregators also offer standalone flight delay and cancellation coverage during flight bookings through tie-ups with insurance companies.
Flight delayed or cancelled due to fog? How flight delay covers work
If you are travelling abroad, travel insurance policies with flight delay cover may be even more beneficial to you. The insurer will pay you a flat sum insured in case your flight is delayed by a stipulated time if you follow all the other terms and conditions mentioned in the policy.
Go Digit’s ‘On-the-move’ travel insurance policy offers a maximum sum insured of Rs 50,000 for common carrier delay for domestic travel. For overseas travel, the maximum sum insured for common carrier delay has been set at US$5,000.
Bajaj Travel Ace is another travel insurance policy that covers flight delays due to fog or inclement weather. Under Bajaj Travel Ace, the maximum sum insured will be Rs 50,000 for domestic travel and US$1,000 for international flights.
In case of severe delay of your flight, you may have to stay at a nearby hotel. In such cases, you can claim reimbursement for additional expenses for accommodation and food. “If your trip is delayed by over five hours due to a covered issue and you’re not in the city of your residence, we’ll reimburse you for the cost of additional accommodation required, if any,” says Tata AIG domestic travel insurance for domestic travel insurance.
It is important to know about the deductible associated with this benefit. For instance, if there’s a six-hour deductible for flight delays, customers can avail benefits only after this duration, says Kapoor.
Ease My Trip flight cancellation coverage will pay a fixed payout of Rs 1,000 if your flight is delayed beyond four hours from the scheduled time of departure. It is available only for domestic flights. “Customer needs to send us an email at care@easemytrip.com with delay proof and after validating by the team they process the said amount,” says EaseMyTrip.
“Under Go Digit’s ‘On-the-move’ insurance, if a flight is delayed beyond a stipulated number of hours (typically two to three hours), then a flat benefit payout is given to the customer that typically helps in covering for any additional expenses a traveller ends up making during the time spent at the airport,” says Chaturvedi. “As this is a flat benefit payout, no bills or additional documents need to be submitted in case the flight is delayed beyond the stipulated hours. Once the boarding pass is uploaded/submitted, the claim benefit is directly paid to the customer,” he adds.
Flight cancelled or missed connecting flights? Will your insurance cover it?
If you are unable to start your trip due to any natural calamity such as a storm or fog because your flight is cancelled due to such reasons and the airline is unable to provide you with any alternate booking, then you can make a claim under the trip cancellation cover, which typically covers you for any loss you might incur due to any non-cancellable or non-refundable component of your trip up to the sum insured mentioned in your policy.
Under Go Digit’s ‘On-the-move’, a maximum sum insured of Rs 2 lakh can be claimed in case of trip cancellation for the domestic travel, as per policy document. For international trips, the maximum sum insurer will be US$10,000, according to the policy.
Certain travel insurance policies cover missed connecting flights that allow travelers to claim compensation for additional expenses only if it meets pre-defined terms and conditions, says Chirag Nihalani, General Manager, Insurance Samadhan.
Flight delayed due to fog? Documents you must keep handy to claim refund, reimbursement
To initiate a claim for delay in flights, you need to contact the assistance service provider from the insurer. Most insurance has a 24/7 helpline number to address customer queries and grievances. He or she will have to give a duly filled claim form and supporting bills for the incurred expenses. Submission of any reports or documents from the common carrier can further strengthen the claim process for the policyholder,” says Kapoor.
Travel insurance: How much does flight delay cover cost?
Flight delay cover is typically a part of your comprehensive travel policy. “Travel policies are not expensive policies and the premium starts from Rs 150- 200 for domestic travel whereas the premium for Overseas Travel starts from Rs 500 and depends on the trip duration, destination and deductibles/sum insured opted,” says Amrish Dubey, VP, Travel Insurance, Tata AIG.
“Typically, the average cost of getting travel insurance is 4% to 10% of the cost of the trip,” says Nihalani.
But do remember that the devils are in details. So read your policy document carefully before buying. Your travel insurance policy must cover trip delays flight cancellations or missed connecting flight options. In case of delays in a flight, it is important to know how your insurance will pay, what it will pay, and how it will calculate the time of departure.
