We are supposed to be flying to London in three weeks. But I just had a total hip replacement surgery and would need to postpone our trip for a month. We will only need to change our "going there" segment and will use the scheduled return flight. We have Travel Guard to cover the change fee.
Question: Do I call the airline or the travel insurance first?
What is the likelihood these days of getting someone kind-hearted at the British Airways, waiving the change fee due to medical reason?
Thanks.
I would check the BA Terms and Conditions on their website first to see what the change fee will be. If it is a set amount ( like $150 per ticket) plus adjust to the current price, it may not be so bad. Ticket prices are usually lower for November travel.
Then call the travel insurance company and ask what the procedure is for making and supporting a claim for reimbursement. There may be "'pre-existing condition" rules that apply.
With that in mind, then call BA to change the ticket. Or do it online through Manage My Booking if you can, as wait times for phone calls are generally quite long. it have successfully changed BA tickets online several times but they were mileage tickets; it may be different for purchased ones.
While I have been successful in getting a flight date changed without charge for medical reasons in the past (2002), I would say that the chance of an agent waiving the change fee is virtually nil these days.
Good luck with your recovery! Everyone I know who has undergone that surgery has had excellent results and I wish the same for you.
Thank you.
I am thinking of rebooking sometime this coming week, depending on my recovery. I have never had to cancel or rebook before. So, maybe I should call TravelGuard first?
Yes, I would call travelguard first, they may require some information regarding the change and have some type of claim process, you want to make sure the way you do it is covered. BA will have to be called to make the change obviously.
I had some problems with a BA flight earlier this year and called BA for help. I got someone who was terrific. She went out of her way to fix my problem and then called me back a day later once it was resolved to let me know.
Call BA first and tell them of the situation. See what they have to say. Since it is a medical reason they may make the change. If they say no, then call the Insurance company and ask what the procedure is. Why bother the insurance company if you don't have to.
I can second the comments about AA. They couldn't care less.
Thanks. I will call BA first just in case I get a kind-hearted person.
I still have to figure out how soon I can go. I don't see the surgeon for another ten days for post-op evaluation and X-ray.
