What is delayed baggage or lost baggage?

Specifically, this relates to the status of your checked-in baggage while you’re taking a flight. Upon arrival, if your bags don’t turn up at the carousel, it could either be delayed (may arrive later) or permanently lost (not arrive at all!)

What causes a checked-in baggage to be delayed?

There are a few reasons why your checked-in baggage is not on time:

• A full flight: If you’re flying a flight that’s at 100% capacity and all passengers are carrying a lot of baggage, it could actually take a lot of time to unload all the bags, especially at smaller airports. In rare cases, bags might be left behind at the source city, to be flown in later on another flight
• Extreme weather: If you’ve landed at your destination and there is severe weather such as storms, heavy rain and lightning, the ground crew i.e. the baggage handlers might be ordered inside until the weather clears. And no baggage handlers, means no one to unload your bags!

What causes a checked-in baggage to be lost?

A couple of reasons why that happens:

• Human error: Either your baggage gets loaded onto the wrong luggage cart or, while checking-in, the attendant types in the wrong destination airport code. Either way, your suitcase gets onto the wrong plane and ends up taking a trip to a totally different destination!
• Routing label damage: Especially on connecting flights, if the tag on your suitcase is misprinted or gets torn off mid-way, your suitcase can never make it onto your flight.

You know that sinking feeling when you’re waiting at the luggage carousel, and it finally grinds to a halt… without your bag appearing. All those clothes, the sunscreen, more importantly, all that trip cash – gone without a trace. But all need not be lost…

Thankfully, there’s insurance (such as Digit’s Travel Insurance) that covers your checked-in baggage for these specific instances:

• Delay of checked-in baggage
• Loss of checked-in baggage

What is the advantage of having insurance like these?

Bad Trip 1: “I’ve just been told by the airline that my baggage is delayed! What insurance benefit do I get?”

If your checked-in baggage is delayed by more than a certain time, you will get a benefit amount as specified in your plan. Use the money to buy essentials/clothes to help tide you over the delay.

Digit’s international travel insurance has coverage against baggage delay as part of the policy, meaning you’ll get upto $100 in case of baggage delay!

Bad Trip 2: “The airlines have lost my baggage …grrrr! What insurance benefit do I get?”

If the airline eventually informs you that your baggage has indeed been lost, you will get the benefit amount as specified in your plan. If only part of the baggage is lost, you’ll get an amount that’s proportional.

For instance, if 2 of your 3 checked-in bags get lost, you’ll get 2/3rds of your sum insured. Digit’s international travel insurance has coverage against baggage loss as part of the policy – for instance, we pay upto $500 in case this happens.

Bad Trip 3: “I noticed that there’s an item missing from my bag. Will I get insurance benefit for that?”

Unfortunately, there’s no compensation for that since that’s classified as partial loss. For your benefit amount to kick-in, the entire baggage has to be lost.

• Step 1: DON’T PANIC!
• Step 2: Report to your airline right away - Every airport has a grievance counter or an airline office. Get there and tell them that     your baggage has not yet arrived. You might even want to ask them for appropriate compensation to replace essential items as you wait for your baggage
• Step 3: Get a written report - Get a written Property Irregularity Report (‘PIR’) from the airline confirming the delay and any compensation they offer to you
• Step 4: File a claim with your insurance company

If your baggage is delayed or lost, all you need to do is:

• Just drop a missed call to our tollfree number (from wherever in the world you are) and we’ll call you back in 10 minutes.
• We’ll send you a link on your mobile number where you can upload certain documents and your bank account details.
• That’s it! We’ll transfer your benefit amount to your bank, and you can rest easy!

In conclusion, while loss or delayed baggage can be the worst possible start to a trip, there’s always a way to mitigate the pain. Just get yourself a travel insurance policy that covers these, such as Digit’s International Travel Insurance.

Digit’s insurance covers not only baggage loss/delay, but a whole host of other perils such as accidental hospitalization, flight delay, loss of passport and so on!

Happy travelling!            

Interested in protecting your checked-in baggage from delay or loss? Buy Digit’s International Travel Insurance.