How to claim for delayed baggage on your travel insurance

The insurance industry is paranoid about fraudulent travel insurance claims and may regard with the deepest suspicion any claim which does not have the necessary proof to back it up. It is therefore particularly important to take a copy of your policy – and any helpline card – when you go on holiday so that you can check what you have to do when faced with a holiday mishap. If you fail to take the action outlined in the policy guidelines, your claim will be rejected.
Waiting until you get home to see how to claim is not a good idea since it may then be too late to do what is required. It is a good idea to read through the ‘How to claim’ part of your policy before you set off so that you do not throw away any receipts and other back-up material that might be needed. Guidance on the type of back-up material you will need to provide – which depends on which part of the policy you are claiming under – is given below, but check your own policy for details of exactly what you will be expected to supply in support of any claim. You should also claim as soon as possible after getting home. If your claim is for less than the excess given in the policy, there is no point claiming.

Delayed baggage

If your baggage goes missing – either temporarily on your way to your destination or permanently on your way there or back – you should keep your tickets and the baggage tags (which may be stuck onto the tickets by the carrier and stand as their ‘receipts’ for your baggage), and obtain a ‘property irregularity report’ from the carrier (airline, railway or shipping line) responsible for your baggage. If you are claiming for the replacement of essential items because your baggage went missing, you will also need to provide receipts for the things you bought.