We all know the nightmare of having our bags lost by some incompetent airline and losing all of our possessions. Many airlines have very precise policies on this kind of thing but would it be better to take out travel insurance?
Airlines will cover minor wear and tear and loss of baggage but there is a good deal of hassle involved. You will generally have to report you bag as lost and then this will be followed up by the airline. In other words, they will look for your baggage.
If the airline cannot find your bags after a certain period of time (21 days for British Airways) you will have to provide a list of the contents of your luggage and in some cases the receipts for these items as well. The airline will cover your costs but there is usually a limit in the small print of something like £800 per passenger. It is also more than likely that you will not receive the full value in compensation.
If you take out travel insurance then you will be covered for all eventualities including baggage loss. You will also be covered for health care and any losses due to flight cancellation and delays. In fact, many airliners will actually ask their passengers to claim on their travel insurance if they are covered before going through the airline insurance.
If you really needed to claim then you would be covered on an airline. They are responsible for the safety and handling of your bags whilst they are in their possession and it is almost inevitable that one or two will go missing. You can get covered but this is a little more hassle than it will be with travel insurance.
If you take out travel insurance then you will be covered for a greater range of eventualities and thus baggage is included. The answer to the question is yes, you will be covered but it is still advisable to get your own insurance policy as this will save you much time and hassle.
