Insurance claims for flight delays calculated at roughly 50 million rubles by experts.
Getting Your Money Back: Flight Delays and Cancellations during Airport Shutdowns
During Russia's May holidays, insurers are making things easier for passengers facing flight delays, cancellations, and rescheduling due to airports shutdowns. Companies like Rosgosstrakh, SberInsurance, AlfaInsurance, and Renessans Insurance are streamlining insurance claims process, as reported by Kommersant.
"Rosgosstrrahk" has clarified that passengers can receive payouts without providing documentation verifying the reasons for the delay, cancellation, or rescheduling of the flight. This waiver is significant, as it's a departure from the standard insurance rules requiring such evidence to obtain a payout. However, it seems that the insurance was purchased when tickets were initially bought.
According to Rosgosstrakh, numerous passengers have been affected by flight disruptions. In the same vein, AlfaInsurance reported around 7,500 insured passengers from May 8 to 11, with an additional 1,000 claims expected. For flight-delay payouts, the limit is approximately 10-15 thousand rubles, as noted by Ivan Rybaikov, an advisor to the legal practice of MÉF LEGAL.
Airport closures on May 6 and 7 due to the threat of drone attacks resulted in delays and cancellations, affecting 60,000 passengers, according to the Association of Tour Operators of Russia. Though some changes were implemented to restrictions on the use of backup airports, the civil aviation still faced operational challenges.
Turkish airlines were particularly impacted by the evolving flight schedules, but have since resumed flights to Russia. Despite the setbacks, market participants expect the issues to be resolved by May 14.
Russian tour operators have managed to evacuate all delayed tourists from Turkey, contrary to the disrupted flight schedules of Turkish airlines. The percentage of canceled tours during the "aviation chaos" period from May 6 to 9 varied depending on the operator. The ATOUR emphasized that individual attention and customized solutions are being provided for every tourist and latecomers.
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Digging Deeper
Travel insurance policies typically offer coverage for flight delays, cancellations, and disruptions, with payouts often kicking in after a specified delay period. Many companies provide flexible options, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Some policies may cover airport closures indirectly if they're considered unforeseen events.
To find detailed information about Russian insurance companies' policies regarding airport closures, it's best to consult their official websites or contact their customer service directly. Here's how you can reach out:
- Rosgosstrakh: Known as one of Russia's largest insurance companies, they likely have specific policies for flight delays, but more information can be obtained through their official channels.
- SberInsurance: As part of Sberbank's ecosystem, they may offer travel insurance with various coverage options, including flight delay coverage.
- AlfaInsurance: This company provides a range of insurance products, possibly including travel insurance with flight delay coverage.
- Renessans Insurance: Renown for supplying comprehensive insurance solutions, they may have policies that cover flight disruptions.
For precise information, reaching out to these companies directly would be necessary.
"Rosgosstrakh's decision to waive the requirement for documentation to receive payouts for flight delays, cancellations, or rescheduling is a unique offering in the insurance industry, particularly in the context of business and finance, such as banking and insurance."
"In light of travel disruptions and airport shutdowns, several Russian insurance companies, including Rosgosstrakh, AlfaInsurance, SberInsurance, and Renessans Insurance, have seen a significant increase in claims and affected passengers, reflecting the impact on the industry during such events."
