Re: It is a con...

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Luxor

I am due to travel overseas next month and bought the relevant travel insurance. For the last 6 weeks I have had have a blocked ear for which the doctors have decided to refer me to a specialist as it is not clearing up. But he advised me it would still be alright to fly.
I informed the insurers and they have told me I wil not be covered while I am away as it is an undiagnosed problem AND I am not covered if the problem becomes worse and I can not fly even if the doctor says I can't for the same reason.
So why did I bother buying insurance in the first place.
The policy is invalid if I fly against doctors advise and also if I don't.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Queen of the High TeasMember

Aww Luxor, that's really unfair.

Insurance is a total scam anyway. I used to share an office with someone who sold insurance and he told me loads of tricks insurance companies use to get out of paying up.

5/14/096:56 AM

LuxorMember

quote:
Originally posted by Queen of the High Teas:
Aww Luxor, that's really unfair. Insurance is a total scam anyway. I used to share an office with someone who sold insurance and he told me loads of tricks insurance companies use to get out of paying up.

Thanks.

I am considering going to see the doctor and demanding he diagnose something, who cares if it is not that, it is not like they have never misdaignosed anything before.

5/14/097:02 AM

DoraMember

No one should fly with a blocked or blocked ears.

Can cause serious problems within your ear and ear drum.

So demand to get it sorted well before you fly. Usually you need to bee free of a blocked ear 48 hours before trip.

Hope this helps

5/14/097:06 AM

DemantoidMember

Dora

I had an ear infection before a long flight a few years ago and I made sure I got it cleared up in time. Would have been agony otherwise, insured or not!

5/14/097:08 AM

DoraMember

Quiet right Demantoid

The amount of people i have had to deal with in severe pain, as they thought it would be ok for them to travel or the kids to travel.

Believe me...the pain is horrendous due to the pressure.

So anyone thinking of going on a flt, plse make sure your ears are ok before you go.

5/14/097:13 AM

LuxorMember

I am having to fly to London to catch my long haul flight if I have trouble on the that one I will not go any further and come home by train.
But at the moment I can still clear my ears even if it is with some difficulty.

5/14/097:17 AM

Yellow RoseMember

I agree with Dora it's unwise to travel with an ear condition as I found out. I travelled once with the heaviest head cold I'd ever had that was putting pressure on my ear drums. All of a sudden I felt a pain in my head that was so bad I screamed, there was also a loud popping sound. I put my hand to my ear and had blood coming from it. The pain was awful and I got to a doctor as soon as I could. The ear drum had burst, it took some time before it started to heal.

Anyway I hope your Doc gives you the right advice and certainly hope you can get the right treatment so that you'll be ok by the time you fly

5/14/097:17 AM

DemantoidMember

Yellow Rose, ow!

That's just what I was scared of - I had a few weeks before my flight to get mine sorted and made sure my doc knew I was due to fly. Never seen so much fuss over one lughole..

5/14/097:20 AM

paaceMember

Its the one thing I hate about flying, the extreme pain in the ear just before it lands. Sometimes it's so bad I wonder if my ears will be permanently damaged.
I wonder does it affect people differently, because I look around on the plane and some are still carrying on conversations, while I am in agony.

5/14/097:31 AM

Yellow RoseMember

It happened while on a long flight so not easy to run straight to a doc, and I doubt the pilot would have made an emergency landing for me lol.

Pure naievity on my part about not knowing I shouldn't have flown with anything related to ear problems, lesson learnt lol

5/14/097:31 AM

DirtyprettygirlthingMember

quote:
Originally posted by paace:
Its the one thing I hate about flying, the extreme pain in the ear just before it lands. Sometimes it's so bad I wonder if my ears will be permanently damaged.
I wonder does it affect people differently, because I look around on the plane and some are still carrying on conversations, while I am in agony.

Nah, I'm the same Paace.... I find it very hard to equalise my ears. I am always in agony on flights... to the extent of crying out.

Its cos of this that I refuse to go diving with my husband. Cos the pressure of going deep underwater is just as bad. When we went to the Maldives, my ears were really really hurting when we got to the main airport... then we had to get a seaplane to the resort... I cried most of the way. And it was about 4 days before my hearing returned to normal.

5/14/097:35 AM

Templetonpeck (Guest)

quote:
Originally posted by luxor:
I am due to travel overseas next month and bought the relevant travel insurance. For the last 6 weeks I have had have a blocked ear for which the doctors have decided to refer me to a specialist as it is not clearing up. But he advised me it would still be alright to fly.
I informed the insurers and they have told me I wil not be covered while I am away as it is an undiagnosed problem AND I am not covered if the problem becomes worse and I can not fly even if the doctor says I can't for the same reason.
So why did I bother buying insurance in the first place.
The policy is invalid if I fly against doctors advise and also if I don't.

read through your policy...make sure some dim wit on the phone wasn't trying to get rid of you.

Otherwise, I would put the claim through in writing and if they come back and say you're not covered I would get on to whatever the UK equivalent of the Financial Regulator is.

5/14/098:10 AM

LuxorMember

quote:
Originally posted by Templetonpeck:
quote:
Originally posted by luxor:
I am due to travel overseas next month and bought the relevant travel insurance. For the last 6 weeks I have had have a blocked ear for which the doctors have decided to refer me to a specialist as it is not clearing up. But he advised me it would still be alright to fly.
I informed the insurers and they have told me I wil not be covered while I am away as it is an undiagnosed problem AND I am not covered if the problem becomes worse and I can not fly even if the doctor says I can't for the same reason.
So why did I bother buying insurance in the first place.
The policy is invalid if I fly against doctors advise and also if I don't.

read through your policy...make sure some dim wit on the phone wasn't trying to get rid of you.

Otherwise, I would put the claim through in writing and if they come back and say you're not covered I would get on to whatever the UK equivalent of the Financial Regulator is.

I have just e-mailed them to clarify their position so getting it in writing, and if I do have to cancel my holiday I am going to make a complaint to the FINACIAL OMBUDSMAN SERVICE.

5/14/098:30 AM

ScrumtumMember

for insurance u gotta always declare any illnesses/conditions.

hopefully it was cheap and u can rebook at an inflated price.

5/14/091:48 PM

CaptVimesMember 10 years

Travel insurance is one of the worst industries at the moment. So many cheap cover packages are given when booking holidays. Theres a reason why they are cheap, its much better to get cover that covers you much better and for the whole year from a major insurance company. It can be quite horrifying comparing what compensation you actually get from some of the worst policies with a good one.

There are a few insurance bodies you can complain to but the ones that cover the company you are insured through should be in the small print at the bottom of your certificate somewhere. If its necessary.

5/14/092:27 PM

bigdaddyostrichMember

I recommend premier banking.

Top notch travel ins., winter sports, the works, all included

5/14/092:30 PM

CaptVimesMember 10 years

quote:
Originally posted by Bigdaddyostrich:
I recommend premier banking.

Top notch travel ins., winter sports, the works, all included

Yep thats the kind of deal I was talking about.

5/14/092:41 PM

LuxorMember

Thanks for all the advice.
I recieved a phone call from the AA travel insurance last night, apologising for the misunderstanding. I will be covered if I have to cancel my holiday on doctors orders. But I still need a diagnosis to be covered if I can go.
Now all I have to do is get a doctor to give some strange name for a blocked ear and I am sorted.

5/15/0912:51 AM

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