First things first: What is Smart Flight Delay?
Smart Flight Delay is designed to make an eligible flight delay more comfortable.
If your covered flight is delayed by more than 60 minutes, you can receive a lounge voucher that gives you access to a participating airport lounge.
You can cover up to four flights, and the product can also cover up to four family members or travel companions, subject to the terms of your policy.
The best part? You don't have to go through a traditional claims process for the lounge benefit. When a qualifying delay is detected, your lounge voucher is automatically issued to your registered contact details.
But there is one important distinction to remember: Smart Flight Delay covers qualifying flight delays. Not every type of flight disruption is a flight delay.
Delayed, Cancelled or Rescheduled?
Let's look at what each one actually means.
Flight status
|
What does it mean?
|
Does Smart Flight Delay lounge benefit apply?
|
|---|
Delayed
|
Your flight is still scheduled to operate, but it will depart later than originally scheduled.
|
Yes, if the qualifying delay exceeds 60 minutes
|
Cancelled
|
Your scheduled flight will no longer operate.
|
No
|
Rescheduled
|
The airline changes your original flight schedule, such as moving your departure to another time or date.
|
Not automatically
|
Delayed, then cancelled
|
The flight was initially delayed but is subsequently cancelled.
|
Cancellation does not trigger the lounge benefit
|
The easiest way to remember it:
Delayed = the flight is still flying, but later.
Cancelled = the flight is not happening.
Rescheduled = the airline has changed the schedule.
What happens when your flight is delayed?
Imagine your flight is scheduled to depart at 8:00 PM. The airline announces that departure has been pushed back to 9:15 PM. Your flight is still operating. It is simply leaving later than scheduled.
That's a flight delay.
If the delay reaches the qualifying threshold of more than 60 minutes, your Smart Flight Delay lounge benefit can be triggered.
8:00 PM - Scheduled departure
9:15 PM - Actual departure time
Delay exceeds 60 minutes
Lounge voucher is triggered
The voucher is automatically sent through the registered contact details once the qualifying delay is detected.
What if my flight is cancelled?
This is where things can become confusing. Suppose your flight is scheduled to depart at 8:00 PM. At 6:00 PM, the airline announces: Flight cancelled.
Your flight will no longer operate. Even though you may spend several hours at the airport waiting for an alternative flight, this situation is not considered a qualifying flight delay for the Smart Flight Delay lounge benefit.
Why? Because the original flight isn't simply leaving later. It isn't operating at all.
Therefore, a lounge voucher is not triggered under the Smart Flight Delay benefit.
Think of it this way:
Delayed - "My flight is still going, just late."
Cancelled - "My flight is no longer going."
What if my airline reschedules my flight?
Airlines can sometimes change a flight schedule before your journey or during a disruption.?
For example:
Original flight: Manila to Singapore - 10:00 AM
New schedule: Manila to Singapore - 3:00 PM
The airline has changed the schedule. This is a schedule change or rescheduling, rather than automatically being treated as a qualifying flight delay.
So, a rescheduled flight does not automatically trigger the Smart Flight Delay lounge benefit.
How do we know if a flight is delayed?
Smart Flight Delay uses flight-status information reported through airline and airport systems to determine qualifying delays.
This means that your flight status needs to be reflected in the relevant flight-status system before the applicable benefit can be triggered.
If your airline has announced a delay but your voucher has not yet arrived, it may be because the updated flight information has not yet been reflected in the system.
If you believe your flight meets the qualifying conditions but have not received your voucher, you can contact Oona Insurance Customer Support for assistance.
A few real-life examples
Sometimes the easiest way to understand insurance is through examples.
1. Your flight is delayed by 90 minutes
Your flight was scheduled for 7:00 PM. The airline moves the departure to 8:30 PM.
Result: The flight is still operating and the delay exceeds 60 minutes.
Smart Flight Delay: Lounge benefit may trigger.
2. Your flight is delayed by 45 minutes
Your flight was scheduled for 7:00 PM. The airline moves departure to 7:45 PM.
Result: The flight is delayed, but the delay does not reach the 60-minute qualifying threshold.
Smart Flight Delay: Lounge benefit isn't triggered.
3. Your flight is cancelled
Your flight was scheduled for 7:00 PM. At 5:00 PM, the airline announces that the flight has been cancelled.
Result: The scheduled flight will not operate.
Smart Flight Delay: Lounge benefit isn't triggered.
4. Your flight is rescheduled
Your flight was originally scheduled for Monday at 10:00 AM. The airline moves it to Tuesday at 2:00 PM.
Result: The airline has changed your flight schedule.
Smart Flight Delay: A schedule change does not automatically trigger the lounge benefit.
What Smart Flight Delay is - and is not
Smart Flight Delay is designed to...
|
Smart Flight Delay is not designed to...
|
|---|
Make waiting during a qualifying flight delay more comfortable
|
Cover every type of flight disruption
|
Provide lounge access when the qualifying delay threshold is reached
|
Provide lounge access following a cancelled flight
|
Automatically issue a lounge voucher when a qualifying delay is detected
|
Treat every airline schedule change as a delay
|
Cover eligible flights under your policy
|
Replace an airline's cancellation or rebooking obligations
|
What should I do if my flight is disrupted?
1. Check the exact flight status
Look at your airline's official flight information and your airport's departure information.
2. Identify what actually happened
Is your flight delayed, cancelled, or rescheduled? Don't assume that every change is a delay.
3. If it is delayed, check the duration
Smart Flight Delay's lounge benefit applies when the qualifying flight delay exceeds 60 minutes.
4. Check your registered contact details
If your flight qualifies, your lounge voucher is automatically sent to the registered contact details.
5. Still unsure?
If you believe your flight meets the qualifying conditions but have not received your voucher, reach out to Oona Insurance Customer Support.
The easiest thing to remember
When you are standing at the airport looking at the departure board, remember these three words: Delayed. Cancelled. Rescheduled.
They may all disrupt your travel plans. But they don't mean the same thing for your Smart Flight Delay benefit.
DELAYED
Your flight is still happening, but later.
A qualifying delay can trigger your lounge benefit.
CANCELLED
Your flight will not operate.
The lounge benefit does not trigger.
RESCHEDULED
Your airline has changed the scheduled time or date.
A schedule change does not automatically trigger the lounge benefit.
Make the wait a little more comfortable
Travel can be unpredictable. Your insurance should be easier to understand. Smart Flight Delay is designed to make one of the most frustrating parts of air travel a little more comfortable: waiting for a qualifying delayed flight.
We believe insurance should be simple enough to understand before you need it. So, the next time your flight status changes, take a moment to check exactly what happened.
Because knowing the difference between a delay, a cancellation and a reschedule can make all the difference.
