Is Baggage Cover worth it?

What is baggage cover?

Baggage cover insures you in the event that any of your baggage is lost, stolen or damaged.

While baggage cover is usually included in standard travel insurance, not all policies are alike. You need to make sure that you understand all the policy terms and conditions, as well as making sure that the level of cover is satisfactory for your needs.

If it isn’t, find a better policy or contact your insurance provider to improve the level of cover included.

• Policy limits

Insurance providers usually impose a cap on the amount that they will pay out if your baggage is lost, stolen or damaged. This is typically between £1,500 and £2,000 but does vary.

While that might sound like more than enough to cover your bags and what’s in them, be careful of any “single-item limits”. A single-item limit, as the name suggests, is the maximum that an insurance provider will pay towards any single item. So, if you have a £500 camera in your bag or your favourite golf clubs for that golfing trip you've looked forward to and the bag goes missing, you might find yourself out of pocket if the limit is set at an amount lower than this.

If you’re going to be carrying expensive items in your baggage, it is probably worth giving your insurance provider a call to upgrade your policy.

• Policy exclusions

Most travel policies have exclusions when it comes to dealing with your baggage cover. For example, if you leave your bags unattended, you may find your cover is invalidated should something happen to them.

If your bags are stolen, make sure you report it to the police as soon as you’re aware. Some policies have exclusions if a theft is not reported within a certain time limit. You will need a crime reference number to make a claim.

• Policy excess

The excess on an insurance policy is the amount that you’ll have to pay per claim for each insured person before the insurance provider will contribute to the cost of your claim. On baggage cover this is usually between £50 and £70, but, as we keep warning, it does vary.

There is often a tradeoff to be had between the cost of the insurance cover and the amount of the excess. Often, the greater the excess, the lower the cost of cover may be.

Because of this, be wary of simply buying the cheapest cover - the excess might be more than your bag is actually worth!

Some baggage tips

Sometimes, unfortunate things happen and there’s nothing you can do about it. There are though, a few things you can do to help reduce the chances of something happening, as well as the impact on your holiday if they do:

• Split your clothes and possessions between cases so that if one is delayed, everyone still has something to wear!
• Distinguish your case with something brightly coloured. These days so many bags all look identical. A bright strap or even some fabric tied around your handle will help. Don’t forget to always make sure your name and contact details are on every bag.
• Lock your bags to stop opportune thieves taking items out or others putting items in your baggage.
• If you can avoid it, don’t put valuable items in your baggage in the first place, it’s better to carry them on your person if possible.

Comparing travel insurance

We’re sure you’ll have a great trip but it’s worth getting travel insurance to give you that peace of mind.

Shopping around for travel cover on your own can be time consuming, but we take the hard work out for you. Simply enter a few details about you and your trip and we’ll present back all the deals available. It’s that simple. Compare today and make sure your bags are covered.