Sensitive issue that may involve Insurance claims
Discussion
We have had two holidays booked for well over a year. We have Barclays Insurance cover (underwitten by Aviva) - pay £15 a month for Insurance and breakdown cover.
We have a Miami stay followed by a Caribbean cruise next month. Fully paid up.
In April we have 12 nights in the Maldives for a delayed special birthday. In this case I've paid a £195 deposit. A further £1000 deposit is due on Thursday (to cover flights) then the rest (£6k) due in early March.
My elderly mother was diagnosed with aggressive liver cancer in December confirmed by MRI (large tumour. Due to age (90's) and fragility no further investigation followed so we have no idea of timescale. She's been admitted to a care home and although her only symptoms are weight loss she's basically palliative.
So I contacted her GP and was told more than likely a few months but could go longer up to six months bless her.
The issue (taking all emotion out of the situation) is the Maldives holiday in April. She's in a safe place surrounded by family doing daily visits etc so no issues there and she wants us to crack on whatever happens but obviously that won't happen if her health drastically goes downhill beforehand or we face missing the funeral. I won't let it, naturally.
I'm not sure what to do and am wondering about the Insurance situation if we were to proceed. We paid £195 deposit last year, cancer discovered Dec. If I press on and pay for the flights now fully aware of the cancer,followed by the £6k balance in March are we leaving ourselves open to a potential claim being rejected due to a pre existing condition, a condition that didn't exist before we booked but manifested itself before we paid the final balance?
Easier just to bin it off? Worried if I call them they'll note it and subsequently do our legs if we claim.
We have a Miami stay followed by a Caribbean cruise next month. Fully paid up.
In April we have 12 nights in the Maldives for a delayed special birthday. In this case I've paid a £195 deposit. A further £1000 deposit is due on Thursday (to cover flights) then the rest (£6k) due in early March.
My elderly mother was diagnosed with aggressive liver cancer in December confirmed by MRI (large tumour. Due to age (90's) and fragility no further investigation followed so we have no idea of timescale. She's been admitted to a care home and although her only symptoms are weight loss she's basically palliative.
So I contacted her GP and was told more than likely a few months but could go longer up to six months bless her.
The issue (taking all emotion out of the situation) is the Maldives holiday in April. She's in a safe place surrounded by family doing daily visits etc so no issues there and she wants us to crack on whatever happens but obviously that won't happen if her health drastically goes downhill beforehand or we face missing the funeral. I won't let it, naturally.
I'm not sure what to do and am wondering about the Insurance situation if we were to proceed. We paid £195 deposit last year, cancer discovered Dec. If I press on and pay for the flights now fully aware of the cancer,followed by the £6k balance in March are we leaving ourselves open to a potential claim being rejected due to a pre existing condition, a condition that didn't exist before we booked but manifested itself before we paid the final balance?
Easier just to bin it off? Worried if I call them they'll note it and subsequently do our legs if we claim.
Anyone used Chatgpt ? under our circumstances it says this : I guess I need to call them.
Most UK travel insurers treat each new payment as a new financial commitment.
Once you are aware of:
a serious illness, and
a reasonable chance the trip may need to be cancelled
then voluntarily increasing your financial exposure (by paying the balance) is often classed as:
“acting unreasonably” or “failing to mitigate loss”
Most UK travel insurers treat each new payment as a new financial commitment.
Once you are aware of:
a serious illness, and
a reasonable chance the trip may need to be cancelled
then voluntarily increasing your financial exposure (by paying the balance) is often classed as:
“acting unreasonably” or “failing to mitigate loss”
I've had 2 issues in the same area, both with Aviva.
For the first one, my Dad became very ill, sometime around July. We had a holiday booked and all paid for, leaving mid-september. My Dad got worse and I started to think I might need to cancel. Phoned Aviva - I was covered if I cancelled, but not covered if I chose to go and needed to cut the holiday short. The decision was made for me as he died a few days before we were due to go. Aviva paid out for all non refundable holiday costs pretty promptly.
The second one has just happened. We're supposed to be at Gatwick right now, waiting to fly to Lisbon to spend a month in Portugal. My Mum had an emergency operation on 8th December and the situation has been very fluid since then. I dithered for a few weeks and then came to the conclusion I needed to cancel. Aviva have paid out already.
You need to consider the impact if she died whilst you were away, or a couple of weeks before youre due to leave. You wouldn't be covered by insurance. Would you miss the funeral for the holiday? If not then you need to cancel now.
For the first one, my Dad became very ill, sometime around July. We had a holiday booked and all paid for, leaving mid-september. My Dad got worse and I started to think I might need to cancel. Phoned Aviva - I was covered if I cancelled, but not covered if I chose to go and needed to cut the holiday short. The decision was made for me as he died a few days before we were due to go. Aviva paid out for all non refundable holiday costs pretty promptly.
The second one has just happened. We're supposed to be at Gatwick right now, waiting to fly to Lisbon to spend a month in Portugal. My Mum had an emergency operation on 8th December and the situation has been very fluid since then. I dithered for a few weeks and then came to the conclusion I needed to cancel. Aviva have paid out already.
You need to consider the impact if she died whilst you were away, or a couple of weeks before youre due to leave. You wouldn't be covered by insurance. Would you miss the funeral for the holiday? If not then you need to cancel now.
Contacted Aviva. The first holiday (which is paid up) can be cancelled at any time up to and during booking with refund of all non refundable costs.
The second holiday to Maldives, although booked prior to illness being diagnosed, any further further payments made after diagnosis won't be refunded so I've cancelled it.
The second holiday to Maldives, although booked prior to illness being diagnosed, any further further payments made after diagnosis won't be refunded so I've cancelled it.
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