What are your rights?

The Herald got in touch with a few key players in the travel industry to work out what options travellers had, if any, during this chaotic situation. The affected and unaffected Flight Centre’s general manager of retail Sue Matson said there were two groups of travellers — those affected and those unaffected because not every flight had been disrupted. “It’s firstly being really aware if your flight has been affected. [We’re keeping in contact] with the myriad airlines . . . and advising our customers as soon as we know of anything.” It’s all about timing Travel insurance provider Allianz said for those who purchased a policy before 10am on Sunday, September 17, there was likely to be cover if travel plans had been altered. However, if the policy was bought after 10am on that day, there would be no cover as the customer would have been aware of the jet fuel crisis by then. Customers would need to keep all their receipts for additional transport, food or accommodation expenses and would also need to prove what their original plans were to get any cover. An Air NZ spokeswoman said the airline was offering “special ticketing flexibility” — or full refunds — for customers whose flights were cancelled due to the fuel issue. However as the situation was outside the airline’s control, customers needed to contact insurance providers for any extra expenses. Book well before you travel Insurance Council chief executive Tim Grafton said the incident highlighted the importance of buying travel insurance when you pay for your tickets. He said it also paid to check the wording of your insurance policy cover to check exactly what you are covered for. — Belinda Feek