Losing Your Luggage Isn’t A Tragedy With Travel Insurance
You turn around and your heart stops. The suitcase you just turned your back on for a second while negotiating with the taxi, in a busy European street, is gone. Everything you own in this country has just disappeared! Or picture this: you are at the airport, triple checking that you are at the right luggage carousel, to find there are only a few bags are left – and none of them are yours.
Let’s face it, having your luggage stolen (or even just lost by the airline) can be a huge inconvenience, but if you don’t have travel insurance it’s worse than that – it’s a big cost too.
In days gone by it was probable that the most expensive item many Australians took with them on a trip was a camera, worth a few hundred dollars. Now what do you carry? A nice compact video camera ($1000), an iPod ($200), a laptop ($1500) and we haven’t even started on your clothing, shoes, jewellery, cosmetics and other personal items. Oh, and the value of the bag or suitcase itself. Even the low-budget backpacker is often carrying thousands of dollars worth of luggage with them.
In fact, claims for lost or stolen luggage are one of the most common claims that travel insurance companies pay out on. Even some of the cheapest travel insurance policies will include cover for lost or stolen luggage. It may be all that you need if you are only travelling with a few cheaper or older items. At the other end of the scale, if you have very valualable items with you such as jewellery or expensive electronics, you may need to list them separately and pay a small premium for additional cover.
With more expensive items, it’s a good idea to take digital photos of all the items, including close ups of the model numbers and serial numbers if appropriate. In the event of a claim it’s a lot easier to fill in the form – without looking, do you know exactly which digital camera you own?
Remember too that it’s more inconvenient to lose some items than others: never pack critical prescription medicines, your passport or valuables such as cameras or laptops in your suitcase. Always carry these with you and look after them well. Same goes for your spare glasses if you need them to see! What about the data on your laptop? Your photos on your iPod or camera’s memory card? These are the truely priceless things that travel insurance can’t help you with, so make back up copies and leave them at home before you travel.
What about the sentimental value of items lost? The first earings your husband gave you? The watch you inherited from your father? Again, no travel insurance can replace items of sentimental value – so the best advice is to leave the truly irreplaceable at home.
Losing your luggage is certainly an inconvenience, but it will not ruin your trip if you have comprehensive travel insurance to cover your expenses.
