As with claim#1, I was already travelling. But this time around it was going to cost me money from my own pocket to cover hotel accommodation which I hadn’t planned (or budgeted for).
Hotels in London during April can be on the pricey side, so I checked into the Royal National Hotel where I had stayed before my Contiki tour in 2007.
I ended up having to stay for six nights before the ash cloud cleared enough for flights to resume, but I kept copies of my hotel receipts for my claim process.
Of course, things such as natural disasters can have a costly knock-on effect, but fortunately for me, I was flying to the States to stay with friends, so I had no pre-paid accommodation that I missed out on.
When I returned to Australia, I simply submitted my claim form and also provided:
- Copies of my initial flight itinerary
- Copies of my flight tickets for the new flights from London – Los Angeles
- Receipts of my hotel accommodation in London
- A statement from my airline confirming the reason, timing and duration of the unexpected event
Again, my claim was submitted & processed within a matter of weeks.