Travel insurance stalls reimbursement for Orem man on technicality

OREM — A canceled flight led to a missed cruise for an Orem man, which not only ruined his vacation, but he also faced a financial hit because his travel insurance is not kicking in.

"We had this plan of going on a cruise," said Nick Olsen, who, along with his wife, loves to travel. They had planned a big trip early last month until the weather threw in a wrench.

"It had gotten delayed, delayed, and then eventually they just came out and told us they had to cancel the flight," Olsen explained.

Not making that flight meant not making it in time for the cruise, but Olsen was confident he would get reimbursed for the cruise fare since he had purchased travel insurance. That is until he started having trouble.

"We never got anything specifically from them saying that, 'Hey, sorry we canceled your flight,'" he said of the airline's cancellation.

The email from the airline reads, "this flight was canceled," but it doesn't say if it was done by the airline or by Olsen. And travel insurance kicks in only if the airline cancels.

Olsen said he tried reaching out to the airline through customer service and even drove to the airport to speak with a gate agent, but he has been unable to get the airline to send him proof that the airline canceled his flight. Not sure where else to turn, Olsen decided it was time to call KSL Investigators.

"It's been a really frustrating carousel of events," he said. "I just feel like I'm running in circles trying to get some information."

So this time, the KSL Investigative Team contacted the airline, Breeze Airways, on Olsen's behalf.

The spokesperson apologized for the experience and promised he would get the needed clarification. And within one day of our reaching out, Olsen got a clearer email saying, "Breeze Airways canceled this flight due to a crew shortage ..."

That has allowed Olsen to move forward with his insurance claim.

Talking to Breeze Airways, it said this experience is a good reminder that some things, like weather, are out of its control. So, it is a good idea to give yourself an extra day when you need to be at a particular place at a specific time, such as the dock for a cruise ship.

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