I saw this on Air Canada's website yesterday. Considering how many people come here complaining about delays, I'm wondering if you guys think this would be a good idea, or if people who didn't choose to get this "insurance" would just feel even more wronged when there are delays out of the airline's control? It seems to be pretty good coverage, especially for not that much money ($25-35). What do you experts think?
At first glance it looks like "connived" travel insurance. In other words, insurance sold by the airline for which they get commission, though it may not meet your genuine needs. In other words, something I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.
Plus, some of the "features" look pathetic. "Automatic Flight Information Updates". Without - "NO, Registration required for Flight Notification services". Well so what, don't pay and just register yourself, or use FlightStats.
I'd personally never buy travel insurance by just clicking the "buy insurance" button, so based on my quick look I wouldn't touch it.
YES definitely get insurance for your trip, but shop around for companies that provide INDEPENDENT insurance without a kick back to the airline that you're insuring against.
I get many of those benefits simply by having a credit card that provides them. I wouldn't pay the extra for this "coverage".
HAve a look at that list of "any North American airlines" It hasn't been updated in a while.
Edited: 2:01 pm, November 22, 2012>> HAve a look at that list of "any North American airlines" It hasn't been updated in a while.<<
Yup well spotted Geo!
Good luck with those rebooked flights on America West, Delta Express, Northwest Airlines and Continental.
Whether Bearskin Airlines still exists I know not (that's the first I've heard of them), but I doubt they'd accept a rebooking from Vancouver to Hong Kong.
It's not travel insurance at all, so contrary to what USBusinessTraveller suggests this isn't a case of Air Canada selling someone else's travel insurance for a commission. And there aren't any airlines to accept a rebooking to Hong Kong because it's for North American travel only. Bearskin Airlines are alive and well: http://www.bearskinairlines.com/ .
It isn't travel insurance because it doesn't cover things that happen to you. It provides absolutely no help if your flight leaves on time, but you're not on it for the sort of legitimate reason travel insurance usually covers -- accident, medical emergency, death in the family, etc. It certainly doesn't provide life or medical insurance during your trip.
What it does cover are flight delays and cancellations, for any reason (including weather). I'd say it's more like a trip back in time to when airlines provided full service to take care of you until they'd delivered you to your destination. I think the idea is that On My Way gives you priority access to those precious few available seats when something goes wrong, so while travel insurance would cover your costs, On My Way might get you to your destination faster.
It was introduced with some fuss 4 years ago; I don't think it gets that widely used.
Just to clarify this for me:
I am booked on an AC flight and some other people up the line had bad luck and missed their original connection... and so they get a guaranteed seat on the plane I was scheduled to take (or better had been scheduled to take),,, and I stay on the ground...
a good reason not to fly AC.
Where do you see anything about a guaranteed seat? It says you will be rebooked on the next *available* flight which I'm sure means the next flight with seats available.
Some people feel On My Way may have some value to certain types of travellers...say buying for your teenage son or daughter (who don't have credit cards) and especially if travelling in winter to cities well known for weather delays.
Lexexpress-If I am not mistaken AC may make seats available on the next flight by bumping PAX on that flight. Not good for the ones kicked off the flight, but good for the person with On My Way.....you are sort of getting status by buying the product.
Hi,
I take a slightly divergent position from #1.. I don't think it matters so much as to the "who" or "where" the insurance (and I use that word in the broadest context) but matters much more as to the "what" it is..
I do think it's fair to ask what's the sellers financial relationship in terms of commissions or other remuneration.. but that issue alone does not, to me, infer that a carrier-promoted one is overly "bad" as opposed to a independently sold one..
I think it's ALL in the policy wording...What EXACTLY is covered, to what levels, with what exclusions and policy caps.. To me THAT is where the real determination of "good" or "bad" is made; not so much as to the who is doing the selling.
Travel Safe,
Basically you are paying extra for the rights EU 261/2004 would give you had you been flying an EU airline within Europe and beyond.
So it is an attempt by AC to bring those benefits to travel in North America - at a cost of course.
LeicsLad-you are correct...but when we in Canada don't have those EU rights, you don't have many options.
