Trip cancellation options

[user 6862]

There's a similar thread currently by Gingee but don't want to hijack that and this is slightly different.

We both have an elderly close relative in poor health and of course things can happen. We are planning to book 3 separate rail journeys, one following on from the previous one, but with short stays in between.

Have seen the multi city online ticket option and that works well to tie it all together.

We are flying from London, England to start our round the US holiday in New York. A day or so ago contacted a travel insurance co in the UK to ask about either cancellation or having to cut the trip short due to ill health or otherwise of a close relative. Basically it appears any previous condition illness they may have or had which causes a problem makes a travel policy void for that aspect. They are 89 and 93 so have as many pre conditions as people of that age have. Unless they are run over we would lose our upfront ticket payments unless we can cancel direct with the airline, Amtrak and Greyhound.

We will use a UK Visa debit card to book.

If we have booked all the tickets on the multi city system, are they taken as one if cancelled? Read on the other thread about 15 days before and up to date of departure, but what would happen if we had travelled one of the 3 trips but two were outstanding and we had to return to the UK before starting the second?

Thanks

 

[Ryan]

If you're staying over in between trips, just book them as 3 separate trips.

 

[brent wuellner]

Don't expect "refunds" for cancelling; you would recieve "Vouchers" for future travel on the Amtrak system

 

[Ryan]

You can still get refunds.

• Sleeper Travel: If canceled 15 or more days before scheduled departure, refund fee applies. If canceled 14 days or fewer before scheduled departure, but before the scheduled departure, ticket is not refundable but the value may be applied within one year toward future travel. If not canceled before scheduled departure (“no show”), entire amount is forfeited.
  
• Acela Express First Class and non-Acela Business Class: If canceled before scheduled departure, full refund without refund fee. If not canceled before departure (“no show”), ticket is refundable with a refund fee.
  
• Reserved Coach and Acela Express Business Class: If canceled more than 24 hours before scheduled departure, the ticket is fully refundable. If canceled within 24 hours of departure or not canceled a refund fee applies.
  
• Unreserved Coach: Refund fee applies at all times.
  
• Advance Booking/Purchase Fare: Refundability is based on the rules applying to the particular fare. Some advance booking/purchase fares are not refundable.

Refund fee is 10%, minimum $5, Max $100.

 

[Carolyn Jane]

This comes up a lot on my cruise forums. With cruises, as probably with other types of travel, you have to buy the insurance within two weeks of booking in order for pre-existing conditions to be covered. But you can get all kinds of policies, to cover different eventualities. Trip interruption insurance is part of it...if you have to leave in the middle of the trip. You need to shop around for the right policy. In the US, they always recommend using Insuremytrip.com, which I think is a clearing house for different typse/companies. My TA always uses TravelGuard/Chartis. CJ CJ