ABSA Private Banking Travel Insurance an absolute joke

If you ever thought that ABSA is being honest when they say that you have travel insurance when you book a flight ticket with your ABSA Private Banking credit card, be very careful! I have been a very loyal ABSA Private Banking client for many years but are now sourcing a new bank who are more reliable and honest (if those exist).

I booked a ticket to London, UK with a major airline to fly directly as I only spent about 5 days in the UK and flying with a connecting flight (although cheaper) would mean I would have spent even less time there. The morning of my my flight the airline informed me that my flight that evening was delayed as the flight from London to Johannesburg was delayed due to "an issues with the flight from the USA to the UK". I was very disappointed as I would now have even less time in the UK and missed my first day's commitments. I would have arrived the morning at 07:00 local time and now only arrived that evening about 22:00 local time. The flight was delayed for about 11+ hours. ABSA's insurance kicks in once a flight is delayed for more than 4 hours according to the terms and conditions.

I understand these things happen, it's not as if the airline can quickly send an Uber to come and pick us up. It was a full flight on the world's largest passenger aircraft, an Airbus A380. The airline kept us in the loop. It is for this reason that I always make sure I have travel insurance. Now quickly listen to ABSA's "logical" reasoning. The emailed proof from this major airline is NOT GOOD ENOUGH for ABSA. As if they did not believe me. Well, ABSA, phone ACSA at OR Tambo, I am sure someone would have noticed an A380 out of schedule at the airport. It's not as if you can sweep a delayed A380 with almost 500 passengers under a rug without getting noticed. Now ABSA wants to have proof from the airline why the flight got delayed??? WHAT DOES THAT MATTER??? The flight was delayed, period!

The email stated "an issue with the flight from the USA". How can ABSA expect an airline to disclose the issue. Which nervous flyer in their right mind will get on an aircraft if they are notified that "the aircraft had technical issues" knowing you are boarding that same aircraft that evening??? Nice ABSA, your logic is perfectly in line with the failed SOE's of South Africa. Seems like you are aiming going that same route. Though I tried, the airline does not want to disclose the exact issue. What difference does that make ABSA??? The only proof I have was the Captain of the airline apologizing as we boarded the aircraft the next day stating, yet very subtly, that there was a "minor issue with the aircraft delaying the departure in London".

I have a fantastic private banker at ABSA, and I really feel sorry for him as he has to deal with idiotic reasoning from his colleagues. This issue had dragged on too long now. I arrived back in South Africa on the 26th of March already. It has been a whole month now with ridiculous reasoning from ABSA. Its not about the money (as the money is very little, especially if you have to compare it to the last minute rates other airlines would have charged), it is about principle.

I expect this to be sorted out by Tuesday 02/05/2023 or I will contact the insurance ombudsman and start the process of moving over to another Bank (who has approached me with even better benefits) and has a better reputation. I am a loyal customer and ABSA always (well most of the time) looked very well after me, but this sort of ridiculousness is unacceptable to me.