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Pure and Authentic
Holiday Rentals
IT mobile:
+39 340 0797804
IT landline:
+39 040 200047
E-mail: info@pureandauthentic.co.uk
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Iceland volcano: if your travel insurance does not cover you...
After the eruption of the Icelandic volcano on April 13th, thousands of flights have been cancelled and it is uncertain how long this situation will still last.
At Pure and Authentic we have received many mails asking if the deposit paid for the holiday rental can be refunded by the owners.
The general rule would give a negative response to this query, as per Terms and Conditions accepted by guests upon booking their holiday rental on the P&A website, the deposit is non-refundable. Travellers who purchased a travel insurance before 13 April 2010 can claim their refund with the travel insurance company directly.
As read on the Guardian, it seems that if a customer has a flight cancelled and is refunded from the airline, but still has accommodation that they can't cancel or use, these claims can be considered under travel delay leading to trip abandonment. Customers will need to provide written official evidence to support any claims where it is reasonable to request such evidence. In this case, information from official airline websites is acceptable as evidence.
That said, it depends on your insurer's small print and each case is different. Do contact your insurance company for details.
If you have purchased a travel insurance policy prior to the eruption and your flight has been canceled or your accommodation at your destination has been made uninhabitable because of the volcanic eruption, then you may have coverage under pre-departure trip cancellation or post-departure trip interruption.
In case you did not purchase a travel insurance before April 13th there may still be a partial remedy. Under European law, if you were planning to fly from within the EU or back to a country in the EU on an EU-based airline it is obliged to offer you a choice: you can either cancel your booking and get a refund or rebook on a new flight.
In this case, the owners of the holiday rental properties on the P&A website will be happy to reschedule your booking at a later, available date. Please do contact us for details.
