By Colton Eva
During travel, displacement and loss of traveller’s baggage are more common than you think. No matter how hard we try to keep our baggage safely with us, things can sometimes go awry. And when we lose something of value, we may not know what procedure to follow or whom to contact. If you have travel insurance, then you can receive compensation and financial aid in such a scenario as most travel insurance plans do cover lost baggage.
It is to be pointed out that your travel insurance plan will provide coverage only for checked-in lost baggage.
The baggage coverage in travel insurance is helpful in two primary scenarios:
- When the checked-in baggage is lost completely
It may happen that your baggage gets lost during the check-in process at the airport. This is quite a frequent occurrence for travellers. In fact, more than 3 lakh cases of lost baggage were reported in 2017 in the USA alone. Even though the chances of you losing your bag are low, you must prepare for the worst by taking travel insurance. In case of the total loss of your bag, your travel insurance will compensate you for the items that you have lost with your baggage. This way you ensure that your trip finances stay majorly unaffected. A good travel insurance provider will also assist in the recovery of your lost baggage.
- In case of delay of checked-in baggage
Your travel insurance will also help you out when your checked-in baggage is delayed by the airport authorities beyond 12 hours. In this case, the insurer will provide reimbursement for the expenses that you will incur due to the baggage delay.
Procedure involved in getting compensation for your checked-in lost baggage
If you have lost your insured checked-in baggage, here is the basic due procedure that must be followed:
– You must inform the insurer about the lost baggage
– You will need to submit the required documents along with the list of items that were in the baggage
– The insurer will connect with you as well as the airlines to verify the claim
– If the claim is found to be honest, the reimbursement process will begin and the same amount will be transferred into your account
Understanding the exclusions of lost baggage coverage in travel insurance
Different travel insurance providers will have different exclusions on their lost baggage coverage. The amount of compensation you receive for your baggage will be decided as per the policy terms and conditions. The insurer will not take into consideration the cost of any items mentioned as exclusions in the policy wordings. Therefore, you must read your policy documents carefully before purchasing travel insurance.
Along with the exclusions, several aspects of travel insurance like inclusions, claim procedure, premium rates, and so on may also vary between insurers. Make sure you do your research well before signing on the dotted line. We hope that this article has helped you. All the best.
