Losing your suitcase, getting your baggage damaged or having your luggage stolen is a terrible experience (especially if it contains your passport!).

Think about it. We are all worried about losing our things. We lock our car doors and our homes to keep everything safe. But when we travel, we live out of our suitcase — our luggage is an extension of our home. And when we’re away, we can’t always lock up everything we want to protect.

Any time we travel, we can face having our things lost, stolen or damaged. So how to you get some peace of mind so you can enjoy your trip?

Get the security of Baggage Insurance

What is Baggage Insurance? It is protection beyond what you get with your credit cards or health insurance emergency medical coverage. Baggage insurance doesn’t cost much, but can save you a lot of stress, expensive replacement bills, and even basic discomfort because you don’t have the personal things you need! You can get coverage for just one trip, or multiple trips to provide

  • Payment for lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen baggage and personal effects, anywhere in the world, on water, land or in the air
  • Coverage for stolen currency due to theft
  • Payment for personal necessities if your baggage is delayed
  • Costs for the return of excess baggage if you need to be airlifted home and there’s no room aboard the aircraft.

If you’ve already purchased a travel insurance plan with emergency medical coverage, you can include baggage coverage a few different ways:

  • If you selected a travel insurance package you may already be covered for a basic amount of baggage insurance (usually $500)
  • You can add extra baggage insurance to your Trip Cancellation and Interruption coverage (usually covering about $1,500 per person or $3,000 per family)
  • You can purchase a Non-Medical Package that covers trip cancellation and trip Interruption, accidental death & dismemberment coverage and baggage insurance.

What is covered by Baggage Insurance?

Baggage trip insurance covers items that you owned before the trip:

  • Your bag itself, whether it’s expensive luggage or a simple backpack
  • Personal necessities like make-up and toiletries
  • Gifts you had packed for others
  • Sporting equipment like diving gear, skis or bikes except for the time they are checked as baggage
  • Clothing and shoes
  • Money (up to $100)
  • Musical instruments (that you were planning to play for fun)
  • Outdoor adventure equipment like tents and hiking tools.

You can be reimbursed up to $500 for clothing and essentials you need to buy if your bags are delayed more than 12 hours, so you can get on with your business or vacation.

Some tips on protecting your baggage (and replacement costs)

Before you leave for your travels, be sure to have your baggage insurance in place and

  • Write you name clearly on the inside and outside of each bag
  • Place an itinerary in each bag so you can be located
  • Leave plenty of time between connections and for book-in
  • Keep cash, passports, jewelry and electronics in your carry-on bags
  • Have a packing list for each bag you take and make sure it can be locked
  • Try new bag-tag technology which can locate your missing bags via an online database.

When the worst happens, there’s no need to panic

Many lost and missing bags return to their owners, but it can take a long time. As soon as you realize something is missing, take action. Be sure to keep receipts for expenses incurred.

Having your baggage insurance in place will make the whole situation a little easier.

Ready to travel with a little peace of mind? Call us today for travel baggage insurance.