In this case
- After a death in the family, a traveler cancels her tour and files a claim with her travel insurance company, Tin Leg, for her $4,098 in losses.
- The company denies her entire claim because her trip was delayed.
- Find out if this strict interpretation of the policy held up, or if an appeal to a higher authority could save her from a devastating financial loss.
When Amy Sparks’ father-in-law passes away, she cancels a planned tour of Utah and files a claim with Tin Leg, her travel insurance company. But the company denies her claim. Is she going to lose the $4,098 she paid?
Question
I bought travel insurance from Tin Leg for a scheduled REI tour to Utah. When a family tragedy struck and my husband’s father passed away, I canceled our entire trip and all related reservations. I acted quickly to inform both REI and Tin Leg.
Despite my prompt cancellation, Tin Leg denied my claim. Their explanation was that because I reused my airline ticket for a different trip, my cancellation was deemed invalid.
I feel that this interpretation is unfair. I followed the policy by canceling the trip that I could not take due to unforeseen circumstances. I have maintained a complete paper trail of every email, phone call, and correspondence with both REI and Tin Leg.
I need to know if my cancellation should have triggered a full reimbursement for the canceled REI trip. Did my actions not meet the intended spirit of the policy? I also wonder if there was anything more I could have done to secure my refund. — Amy Sparks, Minneapolis
Your voice matters
Amy Sparks’s case raises critical questions about whether insurance companies should honor the spirit or the strict letter of their policies.
- Have you ever had a travel insurance claim denied for what you felt was an unfair reason?
- Was Tin Leg’s initial decision to deny the entire $4,098 claim fair, or was it an unreasonable interpretation of the rules?
- When you buy travel insurance, do you read the entire policy, or do you rely on the summary of coverage?
Answer
I’m sorry to hear about your father-in-law. At a time like this, you would expect your travel insurance company to be compassionate and to quickly honor your claim — after all, that’s why you bought travel insurance.
Tin Leg says it denied your claim because you began your trip three days later than scheduled. Under the policy, this is considered a trip interruption, not a trip cancellation.
“Trip Interruption is a post-departure benefit and was not applicable in this case,” a Tin Leg representative told me.
A family death is exactly why people buy travel insurance. To deny the claim because of a flight credit is to weaponize fine print against someone in grief.
Read more insightful reader feedback. See all comments.
“I understand that you canceled your travel arrangements with REI Adventures due to the passing of your husband’s father and were unable to reschedule that portion of your trip,” a representative wrote to you. “However, we are unable to provide reimbursement for the REI Adventures arrangements, as the entire trip was not canceled, which is a requirement for eligibility under the Trip Cancellation benefit.
I thought a carefully worded appeal to Tin Leg might have allowed the insurance company to see that this interpretation of the policy, while technically correct, was wrong.
I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the customer service executives at Tin Leg on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. A brief, polite email to one of them might have fixed this.
Travel insurance is complicated. Tin Leg’s underwriter, Starr Indemnity Insurance Company, also had a say in your claim.
I contacted Starr on your behalf to see if maybe something had been overlooked. Separately, you reached out to the Minnesota Department of Commerce, which regulates travel insurance in your state, and filed a complaint. (Here’s our guide to the best travel insurance.)
According to Tin Leg, Starr reviewed two appeals and upheld the denial. A subsequent Department of Insurance complaint was also reviewed by Starr, which supported the denial in writing. Afterward, Tin Leg and Starr met to discuss paying the claim based on the spirit of the policy, given the unique circumstances.
Tin Leg honored your claim.
If there’s one takeaway from your case, it’s this: Make sure you follow all the instructions carefully when you have to cancel a trip and file a claim. Receiving a credit or voucher is considered a form of reimbursement for the unused portion of a trip.
How to get your travel insurance claim paid
A step-by-step guide to avoiding common denial traps
Notify everyone immediately
The moment a covered event happens, contact your tour operator, airline, hotel, *and* your travel insurance company to start the cancellation process.
Follow the policy’s rules exactly
This is the most critical step. If your policy requires you to “cancel the entire trip,” you must cancel every component. Accepting a flight credit instead of a refund can void your entire claim.
Create a complete paper trail
Save every email, get names of agents you speak to, and take screenshots of cancellation confirmations. Documentation is your most powerful tool in a dispute.
File your claim promptly
Submit all your documents and the official claim form as soon as possible. Don’t delay, as policies have strict deadlines for filing.
Appeal a denial on multiple fronts
If your claim is denied, appeal to the insurance company’s underwriter. At the same time, file a complaint with your state’s department of insurance or commerce.
Key takeaways
Read the fine print
The definitions of terms like “cancellation” are critical. Know what they mean before you buy.
A credit isn’t a cancellation
To an insurer, accepting a voucher means you rescheduled, not canceled.
Know the underwriter
The seller (like Tin Leg) and the underwriter (like Starr) are different entities.
Use state regulators
Your state’s department of commerce or insurance is a powerful ally in a dispute.
Stuck in a customer service loop?
When your emails go unanswered, you need a direct line to someone who can help. We publish the names, titles, and direct email addresses for the executives at Tin Leg. Get the Tin Leg executive contacts
What you’re saying
Readers were divided on the specifics of the claim. While many sympathized with the grieving family, others questioned if the traveler tried to “double dip” by claiming airfare she retained as credit. However, most agreed that a total denial over a technicality felt unjust.
Was the claim legitimate or a “double dip”?
Berkinet and Marty Biscan suspected the traveler included airfare costs she had already recouped via credit. joycexyz argued that if the claim included the airfare, it appeared fraudulent, justifying the rejection.
Partial payment vs. total denial
OnePersonOrAnother and Ben agreed that while claiming the flight credit was wrong, denying the entire claim was unreasonable. They argued the insurer should have simply deducted the airfare and paid the rest of the valid claim.
Contract strictness vs. consumer protection
737MAXPilot and Dangerous Ideas argued that contracts aren’t “guidelines” and government intervention distorts the market. Michelle S. pushed back, stating the government’s role is to protect the common good from bad actors.