Last week, thousands of travellers were left stranded at Heathrow without their baggage when the grand opening of Terminal 5 resulted in chaos.
Thousands of holidaymakers faced flight delays and cancellations and British Airways is still trying to reunite luggage with its rightful owners, leaving holidaymakers with the realisation that good quality travel insurance is invaluable.
Aviation minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, has estimated that the total number of stranded bags stood at 28,000.
It is clear that those passengers without travel insurance will be at a loss because of the chaos.
Below are some tips to help you when it comes to choosing the right travel policy and for getting the most out of your cover when things go wrong.
Buying travel insurance
• Travel insurance isn’t generally that expensive for the cover and peace and mind it will bring – make sure you at least buy cover for medical expenses and repatriation because this will pay for medical bills in the event of being taken ill when abroad
• Shop around and compare travel insurance products to find the best cover at the best price
• Make sure the ‘single item limit’ and the total limit for all valuables are realistic enough to cover the value of your possessions
• If you have more than one trip planned for the year, you can make substantial savings by buying annual multi-trip travel insurance.
Lost baggage
• Make sure you have ample travel insurance cover for the cost of your luggage
• Do not rely on the compensation that airlines have to pay if they lose your luggage because, by law, they only have to pay a specified minimum amount per lost kilo of luggage – this is unlikely to reflect the value of your belongings
• Some travel insurance policies will provide cover for emergency purchases in the event of your bags being lost or delayed so make sure you look after the receipts
• Make sure your bag is clearly marked, labelled with your address and is in line with the airline’s baggage restrictions
• Make a photographic inventory of the belongings you are taking on holiday because the photos will help if you need to make a claim if anything gets lost or damaged. Failing that, keep hold of receipts, instruction manuals and guarantees
Stolen, lost or damaged possessions
• If your bag goes missing, report the loss to the airline and obtain a ‘Property Irregularity Report’ (PIR).
• If an item gets damaged, keep hold of it because it will need to be inspected as part of your travel insurance claim
• Be sure to treat your belongings with care – all travel insurance policies stipulate that you must take care of your belongings at all times (don’t leave them unattended etc.)
• Report any losses to the Police within 24 hours – you will need proof of this notification when you make your claim
Delayed or cancelled flights
• Travel insurance will be invaluable in the event of a delayed or cancelled flight
• If you have been affected by the situation at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, make sure you tell your travel insurance provider as soon as possible
• If you want to make a travel insurance claim for a delayed flight, make sure you get written notification of the delay from the airline including details for the reason behind the delay and the length of time the flight was held up
You can compare best travel insurance deals here
