A man from Nimes, in the Gard department of southern France, was refused compensation for a lost night of holiday rental after his flight was delayed, even though he had taken out insurance specifically covering late arrivals. His case was featured on TF1's daily consumer segment "Le 13H à vos cotes," presented by Isabelle Ithurburu, with consumer affairs reporter Ani Basar responding to viewer questions.
Thierry, who was travelling with his three grandchildren and wanted to take no chances, had purchased a "delayed arrival" insurance policy through the campsite where he was staying. His certificate stated clearly that the policy covered "cancellation, interruption and notably late arrival." The document also set out deadlines for declaring a claim, and Thierry met them.
His flight was pushed back, forcing him to take another flight the next day and arrive a full day late. When he submitted his claim, he described the reason as a "flight postponement." The insurance platform rejected the claim, telling him that this reason was not covered under his contract.
A question of wording
The rejection is not as straightforward as it appears, according to Emmanuelle Llop, a lawyer contacted by TF1. She said the insurer's refusal came down to the specific words Thierry used in his claim rather than what actually happened to him.
Llop explained that because Thierry wrote "flight postponement," a reason not covered by his policy, the insurer turned him down. Had he instead written "delayed arrival," the exact wording used in his certificate, he would have been reimbursed automatically, without even needing to explain what caused the delay.
What Thierry can do next
TF1 laid out the steps for anyone facing a similar refusal. The first is to ask the insurer to reopen the file and correct the stated reason for the claim, replacing "flight postponement" with "delayed arrival."
If the insurer still refuses to pay, the next step is to contact the insurance mediator, a common route for disputes of this kind in France. Claims can be submitted through the website mediation-assurance.org.
Given the details of Thierry's file, TF1 said he has a strong chance of receiving a favourable ruling, though the process requires patience, since mediation can take several months to reach a conclusion.
TF1 also advised against asking the campsite itself for a goodwill refund. It is the insurer, not the campsite, that is responsible for covering the unused night, which is precisely why campsites offer this type of insurance to their guests in the first place.
A separate claim against the airline
TF1 noted there is a second, distinct avenue Thierry could pursue: a claim against the airline itself. If the airline was responsible for postponing the flight, rather than the delay being caused by something like a storm, air transport rules require it to reimburse the passenger or provide compensation for the loss suffered.
Advice for future travellers
To avoid ending up in the same situation, TF1 recommended always rereading the insurance contract and certificate carefully to check the exact name of the guarantee before filing a claim.
Travellers should also gather all available evidence, including the ticket, flight confirmation, and any certificate or cancellation message issued by the airline. Insurers, TF1 said, tend to ask for very precise documentation of both the reason for the claim and the costs incurred.
A final piece of advice was to turn to a consumer association, which can help review a contract, help reformulate a rejected claim, and even help prepare a file for mediation if needed.
Viewers with their own consumer questions can submit them by video through TF1's dedicated page, or by email to [email protected].
