Two passengers delayed on the same flight can receive entirely different results from their insurers. The assessment turns on threshold, cause and evidence rather than on inconvenience.
The threshold is measured from scheduled departure
Policies pay after a stated number of hours, and that period runs from the original scheduled time rather than from when the passenger learned of the problem.
The measurement is taken against the airline's own record, which is why a delay that felt longer may fall short of the threshold on paper.
Where a delay crosses the threshold, some policies pay a fixed sum per completed period rather than reimbursing actual costs, and the two structures behave differently.
Cause determines whether cover applies at all
Most policies list the causes they accept, typically weather, mechanical failure, industrial action and similar events outside the passenger's control.
Causes excluded in many wordings include known strikes announced before purchase and delays arising from the passenger arriving late for check-in.
Because the airline's stated reason drives the assessment, obtaining written confirmation of the cause is usually more valuable than any other document.
Expenses must be reasonable and documented
Reimbursement policies pay for meals, refreshments and accommodation incurred because of the delay, subject to limits and to a test of reasonableness.
Receipts are required, and expenditure well above what the situation demanded may be reduced rather than refused outright.
Costs already met by the airline cannot be claimed again, which is why insurers ask what assistance was provided at the airport.
Airline obligations sit ahead of the policy
In several jurisdictions airlines carry statutory duties to provide care and sometimes compensation, and these operate independently of any insurance.
Insurers generally require those routes to be pursued first, treating the policy as covering what remains rather than duplicating the airline's responsibility.
This is why a claim submitted before approaching the airline is frequently returned with a request to do so.
Missed connections are a different clause
A delay that causes a missed onward flight is usually handled under a separate provision, with its own conditions on minimum connection time.
Policies commonly require the connection to have met a stated minimum interval, and separately booked tickets may fall outside the cover entirely.
Terms differ by market and change over time, so the wording issued with a particular policy is the only reliable statement of how a claim will be treated.