Am I covered by travel insurance if my bags are delayed?

For information relating to policies purchased prior to 18 May 2022, please check the Policy Document provided with your purchase. You can contact us if you need this sent to you again. For policies purchased on or from 18 May 2022 please see below.

You’ve arrived but your bags haven’t? If you need to buy some essential items to make life a little more comfortable while you wait, read on to find out what you must do to claim for these expenses ........

If your checked-in bags are delayed by 12 hours or more from the scheduled arrival time, you might need to buy some clothing, toiletries or medications to get you by until they arrive. Provided these items are essential, you can claim reasonable expenses for such items.

How much can I claim?

This depends on what plan you buy (Standard or Explorer) and how many travellers are listed on your policy. Read the Policy Document for more detail.

What do I need to do if my bags are delayed?

  • Report it. You’ll need a written statement from the carrier confirming the delay, a reason for the delay and what time your bags did finally arrive.
  • Keep all luggage checks, air tickets and receipts for essential items you buy (make sure they’re time and date stamped prior to the arrival of your delayed bags but after 12 hours from your scheduled arrival).
  • Make a claim online for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred due to your baggage delay and have ready all relevant documentation to support your claim. No policy excess applies to delayed baggage claims.

What’s not covered

Travel insurance is not designed to cover everything, so take the time to read the terms, conditions, limits and exclusions in the Policy Document, particularly Section 4 – Your Belongings and the General Exclusions, so there are no surprises if you do need to use it.

There’s no cover for:

  • The purchase of essential items if your bags are delayed on the way home (it’s expected that you’ll have other clothes to wear once your return home).
  • Any items that wouldn’t be considered ‘essential clothing and toiletries’…like sporting equipment!

This is only a summary of cover and does not include the full terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy. You should read your Policy Document in full, so you understand what is and isn’t covered. If you are unsure about your level of travel cover, please contact us for help.


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