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Travel Insurance -
Baggage hold-up |
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The greatest fear for the average traveller, aside from the obvious disasters that can descend upon us when taking on the feat of flying abroad, is losing their luggage. Although the majority, if not all, of travel insurance providers offer cover for baggage, it is not always clear what the policy actually covers, particularly in the case of delayed baggage.
Independent financial research company, Defaqto, discovered that even though a range of single-trip insurance policies they had looked into offered some coverage for luggage, there was no information or indication as to what would be offered in the instance of baggage being delayed. In fact, 14% of the policies they examined offered no cover at all for this particular occurrence. Lost or delayed baggage is one of the most common side-effects of overseas travel at great expense to the traveller.
The cost of a delay in obtaining your baggage, especially when the mishap occurs at the foreign destination to which you are travelling, can be extremely expensive as well as damaging to health if the items in the baggage include medication, which requires regular administration. The majority of travellers affected by this misfortune will be obliged to buy a change of clothing in addition to other essentials, such as toiletries, items needed if travelling with young children and babies and possibly mobile phones.
The research conducted by Defaqto revealed that in the case of 40% of single-trip policies, the maximum amount that would be paid out in order to recoup the losses from delayed baggage is £100. Items that are not deemed as those that are necessary to be reimbursed include, credit cards, tickets, keys; electronic or computer equipment, mobile phones; antiques or collectors items and gifts for friends and relatives; medical or dental devices such as prescribed medication, hearing aids and artificial teeth; and contact lenses or sunglasses.
However, a great number of those affected are unaware of the fact that they are entitled to compensation. It is therefore extremely important to check through your travel insurance policy carefully to ensure that your luggage is fully insured in every instance, before you fly. Travellers both for business and pleasure are advised to shop around, both in branches as well as online and through private brokers, in order to find the best deal and one that does cover all eventualities.
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