Seeing the “Flight Delayed” sign on the board at the airport gives anyone that sinking feeling, especially if there’s a connecting flight, train journey, car hire pick-up, or hotel transfer booked. So this news from Holidaysafe is useful for anyone who wants to claim back some of the costs for missed connections. Here’s the word;
Travel insurance provider Holidaysafe has joined forces with DelayOK to offer policyholders on-the-spot compensation for flight delays. The optional add-on uses flight-tracking technology to monitor trips in real-time which means customers receive a real-time pay-out of up to £150 should their flight be delayed by three hours or more. Policyholders will simply have to input their flight details when they take out a policy. DelayOK’s tracking technology sends an alert to the customer once a flight delay passes the three-hour mark.
Customers are then prompted to provide their bank details and confirmation of the delay. Once this is done the payment is made straight away without the need for form filling and going through the claims process long after the event.
“We’re all too familiar with the hassle of delayed flights – and the time it takes to get compensation from the airlines,” said Amber Moon, Holidaysafe Brand Manager. This add-on means travellers can get financial compensation as soon as their flight is delayed for three hours. Travellers who take out this cover can claim their compensation with a minimum of fuss thanks to the automated flight tracking technology.
“DelayOK is one of a new breed of data-driven insurance solutions on the market and one that aligns with our commitment to providing the best possible customer experience.”
Dorothy Yeo from DelayOK said:
“We’re delighted to be partnering with one of the UK’s leading travel insurance brands. Our intelligent flight delay monitoring and payment system makes the whole process automatic – it’s a ‘no fuss’ approach for customers not having the hassle of making a claim long after the event, nor providing evidence of being delayed. And they’re not restricted on eligibility of medical condition or age.
“They will receive their compensation straight away so can use the payment to make the delay a bit more bearable – passengers will get a notification and can get their pay-out while they’re still at the airport. With Easter approaching a lot of travellers will remember the air traffic control chaos last year when hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled during the August Bank Holiday weekend, one of the busiest travel days of the year.
HOW IT WORKS
Cover can be added to policies from as little as £7.58 per passenger with compensation up to £150 – depending on the type of policy purchased. And the delay is on the departure time, not the arrival time which is how delays are recognised by the airlines. The pay-out kicks in as soon as the delay hits the three-hour mark. And unlike the statutory compensation there are very few exclusions. Airlines can legitimately refuse to pay compensation if the delay was caused by ‘extraordinary circumstances’ out of their control.
Figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reveal that around 120 flights were delayed by three hours or more every day in 2022?
In 2023 alone forest fires, car park fires, earthquakes, floods and air traffic control problems caused countless delays for many passengers. DelayOK covers a whole range of events from natural disasters like the Volcanic Ash cloud in 2010, which closed much of Europe’s air space, to the fires in Corfu and Rhodes which left thousands of passengers stranded last summer.
The only things that aren’t covered are war and terrorism-related events, travelling against Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO advice) and nuclear-related incidents.
This type of cover is an example of a growing trend in the insurance industry of using what are known as parametric insurance models. These work by paying out a fixed amount when certain pre-defined events automatically trigger a set payment.
These remove the need for the customer to file a claim, find and send accompanying paperwork and proof, and wait it out until their insurer contacts them with their decision on whether they are indeed covered and how much they are willing to pay out.
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