Protecting Your Luggage on Vacation

Travel protection is a good way to safeguard not only yourself and your vacation investment; it also protects your luggage during the trip. Frequent flyers know there is no guarantee that baggage will arrive on time, in one piece, or even at all. It is always wise to be cautious with your belongings and avoid traveling with high value items, but even losing the most basic items can sour what should be a relaxing vacation. TripAssure Asset, Bridge, and Complete travel protection plans include coverage benefits when their baggage is delayed, damaged, stolen, or lost. Here is a quick breakdown of the coverage benefits and tips for how to best protect your luggage while traveling.

The Coverage Benefits

Baggage Delay

This is as it sounds. You arrive, your luggage does not. Once the airline or other carrier has delayed your baggage for 12 hours, the baggage delay benefit can reimburse you for essential items, up to the coverage limit in the plan. This can include a change of clothes, toiletries, or other items needed during the time without your bags. Make sure to save receipts, as discussed in more detail below. It is possible that a baggage delay could happen, ultimately leading to the baggage being permanently lost, which leads to the next coverage benefit.

Baggage & Personal Effects

This coverage benefit is more about permanent damage or loss. Travelers can be reimbursed for the value of items that are lost, damaged, or stolen during the trip. Reimbursement could be for the value of the items that are permanently lost or stolen, but could also be the repair costs for damaged luggage. There is a dollar limit to the amount that can be claimed, and some items cannot be covered. Please refer to the plan documents for specific information.

Pro Tips

Take Pictures

You are not required to have pictures of your luggage, but this is an easy way to document the belongings you take with you on the trip. This would have seemed cumbersome years ago, but the smartphone in your bag or pocket makes this a quick task. You won’t be asked for pictures when filing a claim, but the more supporting information you can provide, the easier it becomes to process a claim.

Document The Incident

This is important. For a claim to be approved and benefits to be issued, documentation of the incident is required. For delayed or lost luggage by the airline, this is commonly a written statement from the airline or a Property Irregularity Report acknowledging the delay or loss. If items were stolen, make certain to file a police report. The critical point to make here is that evidence of the delay or loss needs to be provided.

Save Receipts

Baggage delay coverage benefits can reimburse essential items when luggage has been delayed 12 hours or longer. In order to be reimbursed for the essential items, receipts of the expenses are needed. It is smart to collect and keep these as the event is happening, rather than try to locate this information after the fact.

Contact Us

This is good advice, but not a requirement. Once a baggage delay or loss occurs, it can be helpful to contact us to make us aware of your situation and intent to file a claim. This helps the TripAssure team to be more proactive assisting you, both during the event and when it is time to file the claim. All TripAssure plans include 24 hour emergency assistance services, which includes lost baggage tracking. Getting us involved early helps us assist you to the best of our ability.

Don’t Delay

Taking timely action is an often overlooked part of claiming lost or delayed luggage. Once the luggage is delayed, ask for documentation while still at the airport. The longer you wait to gather information, the more difficult it becomes. This can also be said for reporting stolen items to the hotel front desk and filing a police report. Avoiding delay when it is time to file a claim is also sage advice to get reimbursed sooner.

 

This information is meant to be a summary. Please refer to your plan documents for specific details. If you have any questions, please contact TripAssure, agents are always happy to help.