richc47us,

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate circumstances. However, most airlines do have the same policy in regards to delays caused by "acts of God" although some are more accommodating than others.

Air travel is a wonderful thing but dealing with delays especially associated with weather is all a part of the experience.

Who did you get your ticket from, and what are the first three digits of your ticket?

Whoever sold you your ticket has obligation to get you to your destination. If you'd paid by credit card, you should dispute both charges immediately while sorting it out.

Things may be different under Chinese or Korean law, but my experience is that if a connection is missed and the first airline is at fault, they put you on the next available flight, and feed and house you while you wait. If the connection is missed and the first airline is not at fault (which is the case in delays caused by weather) they do make arrangements for you to finish your trip, but not to the extent of putting you in first class on the next available flight. So I am wondering if you were too demanding at the time and acted hastily.

In any event, I think UA was correct in failing to accede to your demands. It is up to the original airline to make arrangements.

I don't think you can prevail by challenging the charge for the second ticket you bought because the service you bought was delivered. However, I think you could successfully challenge the charge for your original ticket, where services were not delivered. There is a relatively short time under US law to challenge a charge. They say it is 60 days from the date when you were billed. But my understanding is that when you have bought future services, the 60 day period does not begin until the services are not delivered.

If it is an UA-issued 016 ticket, I'd expect UA to rebook them on next flight with available seats with no problem. Which is why I asked what I asked.

Thanks.
I booked several months in advance to get the cost down thru Orbitz. I did contact them. They are just a ticket agency and couldn't do anything further. However, they did give me small voucher for my next flight with Orbitz. I guess the biggest lesson i learned is that to give yourself enough time between flight connections just in case.

It would be interesting to read about how airlines handle other "Acts of God" such as the one out of Iceland and the volcano several years ago.....and what about missed connections during heavy holiday seasons...Ahh.lessons to learn albeit costly.

richc47us

Thanks for the follow up. A lesson we can all learn from.

I flew during the volcano eruption in Iceland. On Air France I sat on the airplane for about 4hrs before we could leave the gate. The problem with the volcano was that flights that would normally cross the Atlantic to the North had to be sent South which added to the flight time and airspace congestion.

I think I read somewhere the British government sent ships to parts of Europe to pick up stranded Brits.

In US, with the "Passenger Bill Of Rights" if there is severe weather forecasted for a particular airport then airlines will cancel flights (to avoid, IMO, stupid government fines)and try to put passengers on earlier flights.

During these times airlines also allow rebooking without any service fees.

You are right to next time allow more time for connections. In and out of a major hub, I recommend 1 hour minimum

You could put in a claim to your credit card company for non-delivery of purchased services. It's a long shot but you've got nothing to lose.

Airlines are not responsible for 'acts of god' although they will assist you in rebooking your flights and there may be a cost. You will also have to pay for any hotels and food. Airlines are responsible for things such as mechanical problems. The best thing you can do is take out travel insurance, that will cover you for missed connections due to acts of god and many other things such as medical emergencies abroad, even medevac. I got caught up in the Lufthansa strike back in early Sep and ended up missing a prepaid ferry on the Baltic. Lufthansa ended up flying us to the ferry destination (Helsinki) at no cost but we had to recover the loss on the ferry tickets through the travel insurance and they paid it in full. The cost of travel insurance is not very expensive, check into it, you really shouldn't travel abroad without it, primarily for the medical coverage as your US health insurance is completely invalid when you are outside the US.

<you really shouldn't travel abroad without it, primarily for the medical coverage as your US health insurance is completely invalid when you are outside the US.>

Not true. I have a US health insurance policy that covers me anywhere in the world (I live in Australia). There are many, many types of health insurance policies. Your blanket statement is inaccurate and misleading.

<Not true. I have a US health insurance policy that covers me anywhere in the world (I live in Australia). There are many, many types of health insurance policies. Your blanket statement is inaccurate and misleading.>

Talk about inaccurate and misleading! If you have a policy that covers you anywhere in the world its a special policy! One that you took out for the purpose of being outside the US! How dare you even suggest that the average person's health insurance might be valid outside the US, that is downright wrong and irresponsible!

to flat out state that "your US health insurance is completely invalid when you are outside the US" is an incorrect statement if you are talking to me.

I'm an average person and my run of the mill corporate health insurance policy covers me outside the US.

ymmv.

Our standard issue Blue Cross policy covers us everywhere including outside the US.

Also be aware that many (not all) Medicare Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans cover emergency health needs outside the US. And millions of people have such plans.

<Talk about inaccurate and misleading! If you have a policy that covers you anywhere in the world its a special policy! One that you took out for the purpose of being outside the US!>

Sorry mate, wrong again. My health insurance covered me worldwide long before I moved outside of the US. YOUR policy many not cover YOU, but as noted above, many people are indeed covered outside of the US. This is not a one size fits all world.

Yes, my standard Blue Cross Policy covers me world-wide for urgent care. In my experience, most medial insurance policies issued in the US offer such coverage. Medicare does not - it is the big exception - but as NoFly notes, Medigap and Medicare Advantage policies often do provide coverage.

What kind of medical insurance do you carry that offers no coverage outside the US, traveler?

Medicare and Medicaid - unless special supplements (Medicare) or perhaps in certain states (Medicaid) do not cover care outside the US. In fact, Medicaid does not generally cover non-emergency care outside the state of issue (it varies state to state as it is a Federal/State partnership).

But even insurance that does provide coverage often does not cover medical evacuation, which can be bought separately per trip.

And many people are confused about the difference - in general, Medicare is for people over age 65 (or with certain disabilities) and Medicaid - which has a different name in each state - covers poor people or those with some serious and permanent disabilities (in some states)

You can also buy med evac insurance for a small annual fee. We pay $48 a year for the two of us.

Traveler1542: "Talk about inaccurate and misleading!...How dare you even suggest that the average person's health insurance might be valid outside the US, that is downright wrong and irresponsible!"

I think you might do some research and, in the meantime, tone down your outrage. You will find that it is you who is inaccurate and misleading. You are generalizing, and you don't know enough about what you're talking about to make blanket statements like the above.

I stand corrected. Let me rephrase. Many US health insurance policies do not cover you outside the US, but some do. You should always consult your health care provider for exact details regarding your individual policy and coverage. How's that? At any rate, all of you are detracting from the reasonable advice to the OP regarding travel insurance to cover any flight hiccups with two separate tickets. Health care or not, travel insurance will cover any emergency and its part of most plans automatically when you buy even a small amount policy. I travel to some areas of the world where it would take many $s to medevac, such as Africa. Always check your plan really is the best advice. Sorry to get everyone stirred up, and I was definitely wrong. Happy travels to all.

For Blue Cross people, as I am one as well, quite honestly I didn't know there was POSSIBLE international coverage. Did you know that in order for it to be effective you have to contact them prior to travel and you're not quite as covered as you think? Here's a snippet from their policy:

"To secure your ability to receive benefits, you must first verify your worldwide coverage with your plan before you leave the country. This is a safety precaution as benefits are sure to vary in another country. As long as you travel with your plan identification card and have checked with your policy to ensure your overseas coverage, you can use these services. Some services many require authorization from your local company’s office prior to being admitted."

There is also mention of "in-network" care. Again carefully examine your policies, you may not be as covered as you think. Medevac isn't mentioned at all. A question to ask.

Travel insurance health benefits just covers you in any event. Is it worth paying the small fee for it for peace of mind, not to mention it covers airline hiccups, lost luggage, if you have to change plans go home early, family emergencies, even work emergencies. I've bought it for years and finally had to file a claim this year, got caught up in the Lufthansa strike in early Oct, while not claim on the flight portion because Luftansa did get us where we needed to go, with delays was an entirely different city they had no problem rebooked but we lost ferry tickets and other costs, that the travel insurance paid. So before you totally ream me out for misadvising on US health insurance international coverage. Think twice. Again best advice, check your policies but regardless of your health insurance policies do get it for the other hiccups, some can be very costly and the double health for some well why not?

Make that early Sep for Lufthansa strike.

I should probably also clarify they weren't cheap ferry tickets, it was an overnight Baltic ferry in luxury cabin, $800 plus lost hotels in Stockholm, at $300/night. The plan was fly to Stockholm then ferry to Helsinki but Lufthansa ended up flying us to Helsinki at my request given we had missed already the Stockholm portion, of course no extra fee, their problem started the chain of events. So that is why no air recovery, there wasn't any but other elements of the trip as I mention were affected. Buy travel insurance! The policy cost me $50!

To sum it up, yes I was inaccurate but NOT misleading. Most US health insurance policies don't cover int'l and if they do there's clauses, you're not fully covered with most. Though please tell if you are and please cite the company for verification. I would love if someone could post their fully covered totally open policy to include medevac from Zimbabwe. Please share!

We have used our Blue Shield benefits in Thailand. No pre-approval was required, just the bill and a treatment note in English from the physician. The insurance paid 100%. This year, my insurance notified me that I can fill out claim forms for any services rendered outside the US online and have the check electronically deposited in my US account or in an account in another country and I can choose whether it should be paid in dollars or another currency.

By the way, what you quoted from your policy is not a requirement to notify them if you are traveling, but a recommendation to call them to see exactly what your coverage is - always a good idea. My policy allows urgent care in other countries and treats it as "in network" for coverage purposes.

Sorry to be picky, but "You should always consult your health care provider for exact details regarding your individual policy and coverage." NO! Please don't. Your healthcare provider is not the expert on your insurance. Call your insurance company if you have questions.

Kathie, I misspoke or rather mistyped on "health care provider", meant "insurance company". I would like to hear more, this is interesting, obviously to me because I travel and will eventually live outside the US. What is your coverage for hospitalization, surgery, medevac?

Help me understand why BCBS offers "GeoBlue Expat" and "GeoBlue Traveler" as extra purchased products if your basic BSCS covers you completely? I just want to understand.

BSBC doesn't cover me "completely" outside the US, only for urgent care. I get my routine medical care in the US.

If I were moving to another country, I'd take a look at GeoBlue Expat. If I were living, say, 6 months of the year in another ocuntry, I might want the ability to get routine medical care outside the US. I don't know if GeoBlue Traveler or Geo Blue Expat would be the right option, but I would look at the options.

I get my med evac insurance through a membership (note: not an insurance policy) from DAN, Divers Alert Network. Via membership, the two of us get med evac for an annual fee of around $50 total. There are a couple of other options for inexpensive med evac insurance purchased annually rather than via a travel insurance policy. Travel insurance policies are, in my experience, the most expensive way to get coverage.

A US-issued health insurance policy., or Medicare supplemental policy, may or may not cover emergency care abroad. You have to check your individual policy, and blanket statements are misleading. It is very unlikely that such a policy will cover non-emergency care, but if you have a Cadillac policy I suppose it is possible.

I do not buy generic travel insurance, as I take lengthy trips, solo. If you have booked expensive tours or cruises it may beworthwhile, provided you buy it early enough to cover pre-existing conditions, and read the exclusions carefully. I have read a number of sad stories from people who turned out not to be covered for their particular problem.

I do buy evacution/repatriation insurance, and used it when I broke my wrist in Switzerland. I do not use DAN, although a number of posters here do. I asked them specifically whether they would have flown me home from Switzerland after I broke my wrist, and after hospital treatment, and they said no. At that time, and currently, I used tenweb.com, but they only cover trips up to 60 days. For longer trips I check Seven Corners for their current offering.

If you're planning to move outside of the US, check out BUPA. Excellent company.

Sorry to listen to about your regrettable conditions. However, most airways do have the same plan in regards to setbacks due to "acts of God" although some are more flexible than others.

Air journey is a amazing factor but working with setbacks especially associated with climate is all a aspect of the encounter.

Oh this is so sad and how we are then manage it.

I spent a lot of time researching travel and medical insurance, and my conclusion is that every policy is different, and they make it hard for you to see the actual policy before buying it, and hard to read it if you do find it. Medevac coverage, for example, often will not repatriate you, but is limited to transporting you to the nearest facility that can treat you.

My wife has medicare and a supplemental policy; the supplemental policy covers her worldwide, but they generally pay only a percentage of the cost. This works fine domestically, because each program pays for the copays that the other won't. So the overseas coverage is not as complete as one would hope.

As an amusing note, my wife had an infection while we were visiting Amsterdam. She went to a doctor and he prescribed medication. I paid him (an astonishingly low fee, by the way), we walked across the canal and bought the medication (I paid them also), and she recovered. When we got home, I had to file two claims, one for the doctor and one for the medication. I sent them in the same envelope to save postage. It took some time and phone calls, but they finally paid them, but they used a different exchange rate on each claim! I wanted to ask them why, but I had already had enough of dealing with them. I don't know how they handle a situation where you need expensive treatment. I don't make a habit of carrying huge sums of local currency, and I think in some countries the treaters don't have the facilities to deal with an insurance company.

I looked into buying medivac insurance from a diving association a few years ago, and some language in their policy appeared to limit coverage to injury or disease related to diving. A common clause in all contracts is to disclaim any representations from agents or ads, and to limit the liability to that expressly listed in the contract. And the contracts are drawn up by a team of lawyers whose interest is in protecting the company.

>>>and they make it hard for you to see the actual policy before buying it,<<<

I've often requested the fine print from companies before purchase and they had no problem sending it to me.

Taveler1542, don't worry about over-advising. People do need to check for themselves. Our policy does not cover most things outside the US, and not at all in some places. We do buy travel insurance, especially if we are going to out of the way places where an accident might require medivac, or have pre-paid a lots of costs that would be lost if we had to cancel.