Quick Facts: Baggage Insurance
- Baggage delay coverage typically activates after 12 or 24 hours.
- Coverage is usually secondary to airline reimbursements and homeowner’s insurance.
- Common exclusions include cell phones, jewelry above certain values, and travel documents.
- Typical per-person baggage delay limits range from $200–$500.
There’s nothing worse than landing at your destination, only to find out your luggage didn’t make it. A missing bag can quickly throw off your plans. The good news? Most comprehensive travel insurance plans include coverage for lost baggage and baggage delays, so you can be reimbursed for essentials while you wait for your belongings (as long as your bag isn’t permanently lost or damaged). In some cases, travel medical plans and annual memberships may offer a small amount of baggage loss coverage.
What is Baggage Insurance?
Baggage Loss Coverage
If your luggage is lost or stolen during your trip, baggage loss coverage can reimburse you for your suitcase and the personal items inside. This coverage is typically secondary, meaning it supplements any reimbursement you receive from the airline (or other common carrier) or even your homeowner’s insurance. It’s there to help cover what those sources may not fully pay.
Baggage Delay Coverage
If your bags are delayed, baggage delay coverage can reimburse you for essential items, like toiletries, clothing, or other personal necessities, while you wait for them to arrive. Like baggage loss coverage, this benefit is usually secondary to what your airline or common carrier provides.
Keep in mind that coverage generally begins only after your luggage has been delayed for a specified period of time, most commonly 12 or 24 hours, depending on your policy. Also, baggage delay coverage typically applies only to the outbound portion of your trip.
Baggage Loss vs. Baggage Delay: What’s the Difference?
| Baggage Loss Coverage | Baggage Delay Coverage | |
|---|---|---|
| When It Applies | Luggage is permanently lost, stolen, or damaged | Luggage is temporarily delayed |
| What It Reimburses | Value of lost or stolen items up to policy limits | Essential purchases (clothing, toiletries) while waiting |
| Typical Limits | $1,000–$3,000 total; $250–$500 per item | $200–$500 per person; $100–$200 per day |
| Activation | Immediately upon confirmed loss | After 12 or 24 hours of delay |
Do I Need Travel Baggage Insurance?
Yes, baggage insurance is worth considering for most travelers, especially in these scenarios:
- You’re traveling internationally where baggage handling involves multiple carriers
- Your itinerary includes multiple flight connections
- You’re carrying high-value items like camera equipment or sports gear
- You’re taking a cruise where luggage passes through multiple handlers
Travel can be unpredictable, especially if you are traveling internationally. Baggage insurance may cover theft, loss, delay, or damage to personal items during a trip. This applies not only to flights and other means of transportation but may also provide coverage for the entirety of your trip (such as baggage theft in a hotel or cruise ship).
Many travelers check a bag, whether it’s because overhead bin space is tight or simply because it’s easier than carrying everything on. But sometimes, bags get delayed or misplaced. When that happens, it can take hours, days, or even longer to get your belongings back.
Coverage and timing vary by plan, so benefits typically apply once your bag has been delayed for the required period outlined in your policy, or if a covered item is confirmed lost or stolen while you’re traveling.
Does Travel Insurance Cover Baggage Damage?
Yes, some travel insurance plans include coverage for damage to your belongings. Travel insurance for baggage may extend beyond checked and carry-on luggage to cover instances of damage to other types of covered items during your trip. This type of coverage may provide reimbursement if someone or something beyond your control causes damage to your luggage.
Keep in mind that some plans with baggage damage coverage will need to confirm that the damage was beyond your control to cover this type of claim.
What Does Baggage Insurance Cover?
Baggage travel insurance commonly covers the following scenarios:
- Theft – Items stolen from your luggage during your trip
- Loss – Luggage permanently lost by airlines or other carriers
- Delay – Essential purchases when bags are delayed 12+ hours
- Damage – Physical damage to luggage or contents beyond your control
Coverage varies by plan but will typically provide reimbursement for either the value of your covered personal items or the cost of purchasing new covered items. The plan limits define your amount of coverage. Certain items may be excluded from coverage, but this too may vary. It’s important to read the details of your baggage coverage to make sure the plan you’re considering is the right one for your trip.
There are three types of coverage limits:
- The overall plan limit, which states the total maximum amount of coverage you can receive.
- The per-item limit, which sets the maximum amount of reimbursement you can seek per individual item.
- The specific-item limit, which is listed in some plans and may exclude certain special items like laptops or camera equipment.
If you’re packing valuable items like jewelry, luxury watches, or high-end electronics in your checked bag, it’s important to know that they may exceed the per-item limits of most baggage coverage benefits. In other words, your travel insurance may not fully reimburse you for those high-value items.
If you need to travel with valuables, it’s a good idea to contact your homeowner’s insurance provider about scheduling (or specifically insuring) those items before your trip. That way, your homeowner’s policy would handle claims for those valuables if they’re lost or stolen, while your travel insurance baggage coverage could still reimburse you for other covered belongings.
The same applies in the case of theft. And one more important tip: always review the list of excluded items in your policy. For example, cell phones are one of the most commonly lost items while traveling, but they’re typically excluded from coverage under many travel insurance plans.
Items Typically Excluded from Baggage Coverage
Most baggage insurance policies do not cover:
- Cell phones and smartphones
- Jewelry and watches above specified values
- Cash, currency, and traveler’s checks
- Travel documents and passports
- Contact lenses and eyeglasses
- Perishable items
- Business equipment and samples
- Tickets and securities
What are the Limits for Baggage Delay Coverage?
- A per-person coverage limit (typically $200–$500)
- A per-day limit (often $100–$200 per day)
Coverage limits can vary quite a bit from plan to plan, so it’s important to look at the details. For example, a plan might offer up to $500 per person for baggage delay but limit you to spending no more than $200 per person, per day.
In many cases, baggage delay limits are modest (often around $200 per person) because the goal is to help you get through a day or two without your belongings, not to replace your entire wardrobe.
If you’re traveling with sports equipment like golf clubs or skis, pay close attention to your policy. Some plans offer optional add-on coverage specifically for these items. This coverage can reimburse you, up to a stated limit, for renting replacement equipment if yours is delayed for the minimum number of hours outlined in the plan.
Do Airlines Offer Insurance for Baggage?
Yes, some airlines offer insurance for baggage. Depending on the airline or other carrier, it is sometimes possible to get insurance for your luggage while booking a flight or cruise.
Baggage insurance from airlines often only covers certain issues on your domestic flight and will not extend to cover the rest of your trip.
Airline-issued baggage insurance may leave gaps in coverage when it comes to:
- International trips
- A long list of excluded items
- High-value bags or items
- Theft during your trip
- Reimbursement for essential item purchases
Airlines may also only provide future travel vouchers instead of cash reimbursements, and only up to the amount of the depreciated value of your items, not the price you paid or the replacement price of your item(s). To fill in many of these gaps, we strongly recommend buying luggage insurance from a dedicated travel insurance provider.
How to Buy Travel Baggage Insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance can include baggage insurance along with other health- and travel-related benefits. Limited baggage coverage is also included with some travel medical plans. Just be sure to review your plan’s coverages to confirm the benefits you’re looking for before buying.
To find a variety of plans that include coverage for your luggage, start a travel insurance quote and select the coverage you’re looking for.
Can I Buy Baggage Insurance Only?
Yes, you can purchase baggage-only coverage, but it typically offers more limited protection than a comprehensive travel insurance plan. Coverage limits are often lower; fewer items may be eligible, and time requirements can be stricter.
Some credit cards may also include baggage benefits. However, those benefits can come with limitations and potential gaps.
That’s why many travelers choose a comprehensive travel insurance plan. In addition to baggage loss and delay coverage, it can offer broader protection for other unexpected travel issues, giving you more complete peace of mind.
How to File a Baggage Claim Step-by-Step
- Document your items’ value: Keep receipts for items over $150; photograph valuable items before traveling.
- File with the airline first: Report lost or delayed baggage immediately at the airport baggage service counter.
- Get written confirmation: Obtain a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) number from the airline.
- Keep all receipts: Save receipts for any essential purchases made during a baggage delay.
- Contact your travel insurance provider: File a claim for remaining losses not covered by the airline.
- Submit required documentation: Provide receipts, PIR number, airline correspondence, and proof of travel.
For baggage loss, to receive reimbursement for higher-value items (generally above $150 value), you may have to provide the original receipt. Some insurance providers will provide the actual cash value if you can’t provide a receipt.
For baggage delay, you’ll need to show that anything you have bought is a reasonable expense and fits within the coverage limits defined by your policy. Keeping receipts for anything you are buying while your bags are delayed is strongly recommended.
