Erica Lamberg is a personal finance and travel writer based in suburban Philadelphia. She is a regular contributor to USA Today and her writing credits include NBC News, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Oprah Magazine and Creditcards.c.
Erica Lamberg ContributorErica Lamberg is a personal finance and travel writer based in suburban Philadelphia. She is a regular contributor to USA Today and her writing credits include NBC News, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Oprah Magazine and Creditcards.c.
Written By Erica Lamberg ContributorErica Lamberg is a personal finance and travel writer based in suburban Philadelphia. She is a regular contributor to USA Today and her writing credits include NBC News, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Oprah Magazine and Creditcards.c.
Erica Lamberg ContributorErica Lamberg is a personal finance and travel writer based in suburban Philadelphia. She is a regular contributor to USA Today and her writing credits include NBC News, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, Oprah Magazine and Creditcards.c.
Contributor Michelle Megna Lead Editor, InsuranceMichelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.
Michelle Megna Lead Editor, InsuranceMichelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.
Michelle Megna Lead Editor, InsuranceMichelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.
Michelle Megna Lead Editor, InsuranceMichelle is a lead editor at Forbes Advisor. She has been a journalist for over 35 years, writing about insurance for consumers for the last decade. Prior to covering insurance, Michelle was a lifestyle reporter at the New York Daily News, a magazine.
| Lead Editor, Insurance
Updated: Jun 28, 2023, 4:42am
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
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Baggage coverage is a very important benefit within travel insurance plans. It can provide monetary assistance when things go wrong with your luggage during a trip. There are two forms of baggage coverage: Baggage loss and baggage delay. Here’s how they work so you can make your travel insurance plans accordingly.
Baggage loss insurance covers baggage that is lost, damaged or stolen during your trip. But not everything in your bags might fall under the insurance coverage.
“Depending on your insurance provider, certain items could be excluded, such as electronics, watches, silver, gold and platinum,” says Bailey Foster, a spokesperson with Trawick International, a travel insurance company. (Trawick’s policies do not exclude these items.)
If you travel with laptops, cameras and other electronic equipment, you want to make sure your travel insurance plan includes these items.
“So if your luggage was stolen or lost, you should have some protection for these items,” says Foster.
The best travel insurance plans provide $2,500 and higher for baggage loss. If your suitcase is full of flip-flops and T-shirts, this is likely much more coverage than you’ll need.
The maximum coverage per person for baggage insurance on most travel insurance plans ranges from $250 to $3,000, says Steven Benna, a spokesperson for Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison provider.
Most travel insurance policies also have a per item coverage cap of $50 to $250 (such as one suitcase or piece of clothing). This is important to note because if you have very expensive items, such as a pricey suitcase, there may be a big gap between the amount you paid for it and what your insurance compensation would be. For example, if you have a $250 per item cap and you lose your $14,500 ridge black Fendi suitcase, you’d only be reimbursed $250 for that item.
Most policies also include a “specific items” limit for expensive items such as jewelry, cameras and electronics, among other things. Benna says this amount typically ranges from $250 to $500 per specific item, but some policies can reimburse between $1,000 and $2,500 for one item.
For example, the TripProtector Preferred plan from HTH Worldwide provides an overall baggage loss limit of $2,000.
“Each item is subject to a maximum amount of $500, with a combined maximum of $1,000 for valuable items such as jewelry and electronics equipment,” explains Don Van Scyoc, a vice president with GeoBlue, which administers HTH Worldwide travel insurance plans.
Baggage loss coverage is typically secondary to other claims you can make, such as reimbursement from the common carrier (like the airline) or from a homeowners insurance claim.
If you do file a travel insurance baggage claim, it’s important to know that reimbursement may not equal the amount to replace the item with a brand-new item. Reimbursement could be the cost for repair or replacement of the item, or the actual cash value of the item, whichever is less, says Van Scyoc.
Baggage delay insurance reimburses you for expenses you have to pay because your baggage is delayed. Check the policy for the rules on the baggage delay times and reimbursement maximums.
“For example, if your luggage is delayed for over 12 hours, you can submit a claim associated with your delayed baggage if you have a Trawick International travel insurance policy,” says Foster. “On certain Trawick International plans, our benefits allow travelers to submit a claim if their baggage is delayed for eight hours.”
Arriving at your destination without your bags can put a wrench in your vacation for sure. If you are without necessary personal items, you can be reimbursed for these expenses under baggage delay coverage.
For example, if you need toiletries, a change of clothes, shoes or other necessities while your baggage is vacationing somewhere else, you can make a claim under baggage delay coverage.
Typical daily allowances for baggage delay reimbursement are in the $200 range, per person, per day. This modest allowance is designed to help pay for necessities, not replace your entire bag’s contents.
As with baggage loss insurance, baggage delay coverage is often secondary to other claims you can make, such as a claim with the airline.
HTH Worldwide’s baggage delay coverage, though, is primary. “This plan offers primary coverage for all benefits, including baggage, which means you may submit your claim first under this plan and you’re not required to go to your other potential sources of insurance coverage such as a homeowners policy,” says Van Scyoc.
Read your policy to understand per-item limits, exclusions like pricey jewelry, and also limits on the amount you can file for the luggage itself.
