Why Should You Buy Baggage Insurance for Your Next Trip?

A foreign travel insurance policy provides comprehensive coverage against any emergencies faced during your international trip. If you don’t want to purchase travel insurance online but only want to secure your travel baggage, then you can get a baggage insurance policy for your trip.

What is Baggage Insurance?

A baggage insurance policy is specifically designed to protect the check-in baggage of the insured traveller from any eventualities during their trip. Baggage related emergencies such as loss of check-in baggage, delay in the delivery of check-in baggage and theft of baggage can be caused due to the mistake of the scheduled airline staff or due to uncontrollable situations such as natural calamities, fire, riots, etc. Several travel insurance providers in India offer baggage insurance policy irrespective of whether you are travelling domestic or international.

If you are doubtful about the benefits of insuring your baggage, here are five reasons why buying a baggage insurance policy is a must for your next trip:

Compensation for Delayed Baggage

Baggage delay is a reality. There are times when travellers do not get their check-in baggage at the airport’s conveyor belt on arriving at their destination airport. This happens when the baggage has been mistakenly sent on a wrong flight or someone else has picked up your baggage by mistake. Getting your luggage back may take up to several hours or even days. As a result, you will be forced to buy necessary items such as medicines, clothes and toiletries until you get your luggage back.

But if you have a baggage insurance policy to protect you, you have nothing to worry. Your travel insurer will reimburse all the additional expenses that you had to incur in the absence of your check-in baggage. However, the reimbursement will be given only if your baggage doesn’t arrive for more than a certain number of hours. For instance, most insurance companies provide compensation on baggage delays only if it doesn’t arrive for more than 12 hours.

Cost of the Lost/ Stolen Luggage

Not all baggage deposited with the scheduled airline staff is returned back to the travellers. Sometimes your check-in baggage also gets lost as the airline staffs are unable to trace them. Besides, few unlucky ones also have their baggage stolen while on a trip. Such incidents cause a lot of inconveniences and also lead to unnecessary expenses. Although your airline will provide a certain amount for compensation, it can’t be relied upon since it will not match up to the cost of the actual luggage. Moreover, the airlines grant the compensation amount taking their sweet time.  

However, people with a baggage insurance policy don’t have anything to fear. Your travel insurance provider will cover the cost of your luggage and compensate you for the losses incurred. Just like the baggage delay cover, the coverage for your lost or stolen luggage is also limited to a certain amount as mentioned in your policy.

Cost of Damaged Luggage

The situations that you may face while travelling is unpredictable. And unpredictable situations also take a toll on your travel baggage. What if the hotel where you are staying abroad catches fire and your luggage gets damaged in all the commotion? In situations like these, you will not only suffer a loss due to the damaged luggage but will also have to bear the cost of buying new baggage.

But you wouldn’t have to worry about any of this if you have baggage insurance for your trip. The cost of your damaged baggage will be indemnified by your insurance company. In short, you will not suffer any losses no matter how badly your baggage has been damaged.

Cost of the Lost Baggage Contents

In case your check-in baggage gets lost or stolen, the losses that you incur are not just confined up to the cost of your baggage. You have also lost the items that your baggage contained. Baggage loss also results in the loss of numerous items that are very expensive as well as are priceless due to a sentimental value attached to it. Let’s say you were travelling to attend an award function in New York and were carrying a very expensive designer dress from Manish Malhotra in your lost baggage. Or you lost the Jimmy Choo stilettos that your husband had gifted you on your first anniversary. Again, the amount compensated by your scheduled airline will be nothing compared to the actual cost of the items lost.  

However, people with baggage insurance by their side can recover the cost of the contents of the lost luggage. Your travel insurance policy online will compensate the losses suffered according to the items that you have lost along with your baggage.

Ensures Hassle-Free Trip

Everybody wishes to have an enjoyable trip. But in an unfortunate incident, if your baggage gets lost, damaged or delayed, it can kill all the excitement for your trip. Not to forget the monetary losses that you have to incur following baggage-related adversity. This is where the baggage insurance comes in. As discussed above, it covers all the losses that you had to incur because of any luggage-related emergencies without any hassle. Thus, you can continue enjoying your trip to the fullest.

The Final Word

No matter what the situation is, your trip can remain fun and enjoyable with a foreign travel insurance policy by your side. For those you have opted for a baggage insurance policy can benefit from the specific coverage provided for their travel luggage throughout their journey. So don’t wait... Just get yourself baggage insurance or purchase travel insurance online before you commence your next domestic or international trip.