UK travel insurance to cover train strikes and not being able to get to an event

[mm333]

I'm going to an event in late March that I've paid for but if there's a train strike, I won't be able to get there. Would regular single-trip travel insurance cover me being reimbursed for the costs of the event tickets if I can't make it or is there a particular type of cover I would need? And does anyone have any recommendations of providers?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'm going to an event in late March that I've paid for but if there's a train strike, I won't be able to get there. Would regular single-trip travel insurance cover me being reimbursed for the costs of the event tickets if I can't make it or is there a particular type of cover I would need? And does anyone have any recommendations of providers?

Often you're offered this sort of insurance when buying a ticket. Whether your policy would cover it would require reading the policy, but most won't because most don't cover a UK trip without two overnight stays. I think you're going to find this very, very difficult to insure, because the risk is so high, and would be better off finding an alternative method of transport to get there, if only as a backup.

 

[Mojo]

You'd need to check the policy wording of any specific policy you have, or are planning to get.

Many policies will only cover domestic trips in certain circumstances. For example my policy (which I get free with my bank account) will only cover me for trips within the UK if I am away from home for a minimum of two consecutive nights, and either I have pre-booked accommodation in a commercially run premises, or if I have pre-paid for public transport tickets.

It will also not cover me for anything booked after the disruption was announced.

 

[mm333]

Thanks for your advice @Bletchleyite and @Mojo

 

[CyrusWuff]

Additionally, an insurer is extremely unlikely to pay out if disruption is known about at the time of taking out the policy, so you couldn't get insurance now and claim for 1st and/or 3rd February.

 

[miklcct]

I think you're going to find this very, very difficult to insure, because the risk is so high, and would be better off finding an alternative method of transport to get there, if only as a backup.

What if I plan to go to an event with no alternative method of transport? i.e. where the train is the only form of transport getting there? For example, going to an event in Haywards Heath on a Saturday evening.

Also are you aware of any plan which will cover day trips as well?

 

[Watershed]

I think you will find that the answer is there is no mainstream policy that will provide cover for such eventualities. You could no doubt get a policy if you went to a specialist broker, but it would be so expensive (as the risk of further strikes is very high) that it wouldn't be worth your while.

The most pragmatic option is to simply have a 'plan B' (e.g. renting a car) ready, and to make as many of your travel arrangements as possible refundable or at least changeable (e.g. Premier Inn offer the latter even on their cheapest rates).

Legally speaking, provided you book before a strike is announced (or possibly even after this, if there is no indication when booking that a strike might affect your journey), you are entitled to recover the reasonable cost of alternative arrangements. This is provifed the strike means there is no feasible rail option, and (as will inevitably be the case) the operator in question refuses to provide such arrangements themselves. However, you are highly likely to have to bring legal action to recover these costs - so you have to consider whether this will be worth your time and effort.

 

[miklcct]

However, you are highly likely to have to bring legal action to recover these costs - so you have to consider whether this will be worth your time and effort.

Are there any precedents yet? Last November I had an event and rail tickets booked before a strike was announced, and the cheapest alternative arrangement I could have (Megabus coaches) was 3 times the cost of my rail tickets.

 

[Watershed]

Are there any precedents yet? Last November I had an event and rail tickets booked before a strike was announced, and the cheapest alternative arrangement I could have (Megabus coaches) was 3 times the cost of my rail tickets.

It would be very unusual for a case such as this to make it to the High Court or the Court of Appeal (which is the first level at which a case would become binding precedent, depending on how it's first brought). Most people don't realise the rights they have, and even those who do will generally not consider it worth their while pursuing what is likely to be a relatively small sum. Only a handful of people a year will pursue claims in Court, and of those who do, most of these will simply be paid or a settlement offered. I would be amazed if more than one or two a year actually end up in a hearing.

 

[Thirteen]

Ambassador Theatre Group offers insurance for theatre tickets and that includes strikes.

 

[43066]

Are there any precedents yet? Last November I had an event and rail tickets booked before a strike was announced, and the cheapest alternative arrangement I could have (Megabus coaches) was 3 times the cost of my rail tickets.

It would be very unusual for a case such as this to make it to the High Court or the Court of Appeal (which is the first level at which a case would become binding precedent, depending on how it's first brought). Most people don't realise the rights they have, and even those who do will generally not consider it worth their while pursuing what is likely to be a relatively small sum. Only a handful of people a year will pursue claims in Court, and of those who do, most of these will simply be paid or a settlement offered. I would be amazed if more than one or two a year actually end up in a hearing.

The answer lies in how much it would cost to take a case to the court of appeal. The answer is rather more than three times the cost of a train ticket. In fact, it would likely cost rather more than the average house. And the same again if you lost and were awarded costs!

Hence in the real world it almost never happens.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Ambassador Theatre Group offers insurance for theatre tickets and that includes strikes.

Most ticket sellers seem to offer it these days at the point of sale, though rarely afterwards. It's usually one of those things I see as a waste of money, but this specific situation is an exception. I doubt it would pay out for already-known strike dates though.

 

[miklcct]

The answer is rather more than three times the cost of a train ticket. In fact, it would likely cost rather more than the average house!

But here the consequential loss can be claimed as well, so the amount may well be substantial, for example, if the place isn't served by any alternative transport and a cab has to be called, where the event is a trade fair for making business.

 

[DelayRepay]

In 2021 I had booked tickets to attend quite a few events. As well as the event ticket I had paid out for rail tickets and hotels. I looked into whether there was any insurance that would reimburse my losses if I couldn't attend (whether that be due to me having Covid, government restrictions being introduced or the event being cancelled for other Covid related reasons). I could not find a suitable policy so made sure my accommodation was cancellable, my train tickets were re-bookable and I would have to try to re-sell the event ticket.

My conclusion following research is that there isn't really suitable insurance available in the UK so you just have to book things that are refundable, or be prepared to make alternate arrangements at additional cost, or not go and stand to the loss.

 

[43066]

But here the consequential loss can be claimed as well, so the amount may well be substantial, for example, if the place isn't served by any alternative transport and a cab has to be called, where the event is a trade fair for making business.

Yes but claims for consequential loss are subject to reasonableness/remoteness. If a train is cancelled you might be able to claim for a taxi, or even a hotel in certain circumstances, but you aren’t ever going to be able to claim (say) £500,000 because you were unable to attend a trade fair and your business lost money.

 

[TheManOnThe172]

If your cash flow can stand it, it can pay to make cancellable bookings for hotels and/or coaches at the point that you commit to the event tickets. As strikes have to be notified 14 days ahead, you have plenty of time to cancel those bookings if there aren't any relevant strikes announced.

Travelodge often charge only about a 10% premium for bookings that you can cancel at short notice, compared to their cheapest uncancellable deals. Premier Inn are often nearer 30%. National Express seem to offer a cancellable ticket that will cost a £1 admin fee.

 

[Bletchleyite]

If your cash flow can stand it, it can pay to make cancellable bookings for hotels and/or coaches at the point that you commit to the event tickets. As strikes have to be notified 14 days ahead, you have plenty of time to cancel those bookings if there aren't any relevant strikes announced.

Travelodge often charge only about a 10% premium for bookings that you can cancel at short notice, compared to their cheapest uncancellable deals. Premier Inn are often nearer 30%. National Express seem to offer a cancellable ticket that will cost a £1 admin fee.

In my observation with PI the cheapo non cancellable rate often doesn't go up near to the date of the stay, so if you did book cancellable and do want to stay it can be worth looking near the time of your stay and seeing if it's worth booking a non-cancellable one and cancelling the cancellable one. Which can mitigate this a bit. Also all PI rates bar the cheapo £35 specials are changeable even if not cancellable, so if the room might be useful at another time you can change it.

 

[Thirteen]

Most ticket sellers seem to offer it these days at the point of sale, though rarely afterwards. It's usually one of those things I see as a waste of money, but this specific situation is an exception. I doubt it would pay out for already-known strike dates though.

TBH I only started buying insurance for theatre tickets not because of strikes but during Covid isolation, it's not an issue now but it is useful to have the option if something happens like illness although I only use for expensive tickets, if it's a cheap tickets, I'll take the hit.