Travel Insurance Cover for Baggage and Personal Effects

The amount you can claim per item and in total for your baggage and personal items if lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen will depend on the plan you buy – whether Standard or Explorer – how many travellers are listed on your policy, your country of residence and if you have ‘valuables and gadgets’ and specified high value items.

What are 'valuables and gadgets'?

The following items are considered ‘valuables and gadgets’ under the policy: Watches, jewellery, items made of or containing precious stones, semi-precious stones, gold, silver or platinum, mobile/smart phones, tablets, laptops, computers, smart watches, games consoles (including handheld consoles), wearable activity trackers, including any accessory items, camcorders and accessories, all photographic/ digital/ optical/ audio/ video media and equipment, iPods, MP3/4 players or similar and/or accessories, E-book readers, satellite navigation systems, and drones.

Valuables and gadgets have a combined limit of cover for all claims per trip. Of course if you specify any of your valuables as high value items when you purchase your policy, then they will be covered separately (subject to an additional premium) and won't be part of this combined limit.

What’s covered

  • Your baggage and personal items when lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, if you look after them properly. That means, keep them with you as much as possible or, if you must leave them, ensure they’re in a locked compartment out of sight lines.

  • Your checked-in baggage when lost, damaged or delayed by a common carrier (eg airline or bus company); however, this excludes any valuables and gadgets in checked-in baggage.

  • Your passport, travel documents and drivers licence when stolen or lost.

  • Your money (Explorer plan only).

  • Essential items when your baggage is delayed by a common carrier (e.g. airline or bus company) for over 24 hours.

How it works

Be aware that there will be allowances for ‘wear and tear’ (depreciation) unless it’s a specified item where an additional premium has been paid, in which case no depreciation will apply.

What you need to do if your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen

Whatever happens, you’ll need to get written proof of the incident from the local police (particularly for a theft) or other appropriate authority such as your tour operator, bus company, airline or hotel as soon as possible upon discovery to support your claim.

You must report lost or stolen items within 24 hours to the police and provide us with a police report. If your baggage goes missing or is damaged while in the custody of a transport provider, you need to obtain a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) from them and, where possible, obtain compensation from them. This includes bags that are delayed in transit. We understand that this can be a challenge in a country where you don't speak the language and they might even make you pay for it, but you will need this report to support your claim.

You’ll need to send in the original receipt, valuation report or other acceptable proof of the item’s value, age and your ownership in order for your claim to be considered. If you make a claim for damaged items, we will ask for proof of the damage, which may include a repair quote.

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What’s not covered

At no time, for any reason, should you leave your bags or any personal items unsupervised, anywhere. You wouldn't do it at home so be even more careful when you are travelling.

Your belongings are not covered at all when:

  • You don’t exercise reasonable care for the safety and supervision of your personal baggage.

  • They are items left unattended at any time (particularly valuables and specified items left in a vehicle or in the custody of carriers). Cover applies only when they are with you or locked in a safe or safety deposit box. If no safe or safety box is available, items must be stored responsibly out of plain view.

  • Left unattended in a vehicle unless left in a locked glove compartment, rear boot or luggage area and is covered so as not to be visible from the outside of the vehicle and there is evidence of forcible and violent entry.

  • They are hired, loaned or entrusted to you. That is, you must actually own the items you claim for.

  • Anything else that’s listed in the exclusions under the Personal Belongings section in the policy wording.

The policy isn’t designed to cover everything. Take the time to read the terms, and conditions in the policy wording for full details, limits to cover and exclusions. If you are unsure of the cover, please contact us for help.


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