Travel insurance for luggage delays

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Comparison of luggage delay cover by brands on Finder

Brand	Maximum benefit paid for delayed luggage	Apply
Medibank	$1,100	Bonus Get quote
Freely	Optional Add-on: $1,000	Bonus Get quote
Freely	$300	Bonus Get quote
Zoom	$250	Get quote
Fast Cover	Single - $750 Duo (per person) - $750 Family - $1500	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
Insure4less	$350	Get quote
Travel Insuranz	$500	Get quote
InsureandGo	$750	Finder AwardBonus Get quote
Tick	$400	Bonus Get quote
World2cover	$750	Get quote
Cover-More	$1,500	Bonus Get quote
Southern Cross	$1,000 - for each person $5,000 - for each journey	Finder Award Get quote
Travel Insurance Saver	$500	Get quote
Easy	$1,100	Get quote
1cover	$250	More info
Australia Post	$750	More info
Webjet	$1,000	More info
World Care	Single - $500 Duo (per person) - $500 Family - $1,000	More info

Note: This information was last updated July 2022

How travel insurance works for luggage delays

If your luggage was delayed, your insurance policy can help pay for essentials. The amount paid, and how it’s paid, varies depending on the insurer and the policy you get.

What to do if your luggage is delayed

If your luggage is delayed, inform your insurer as soon as you can and get a written confirmation of the delay from your airline. With the right policy, you can then get reimbursed for essentials, such as clothing, toiletries or other necessary items, that you bought while waiting for your bags to arrive. This type of claim is generally excess-free.

Your policy won’t pay for non-essential items such as fragrances, alcohol, sporting equipment or entertainment items.

To make sure your allowance for essentials is high enough, most policies will typically increase the allowance based on the number of people covered by your travel insurance.

The differences between policies

• Length of the waiting period. Some policies will only pay out for delays of a full day, while others will reimburse you after only a few hours.
• What you can buy. Some policies will specify the purchases that you can claim.
• Limits. You will have limits on the amount you can claim within a specific time period. For example, a policy might let you claim $200 for every 12 hours your luggage is delayed. This will generally cap out at a certain amount, regardless of how long the delay is overall.

If your bags never arrive, then you need to start looking at getting reimbursed for what was lost.

When you will not be covered for luggage delays

In certain situations, depending on your insurer and your policy, your claim may be denied. Your insurance will not pay out in the following situations:

• If you’re on the way back home
• If you try to claim non-essential purchases
• If your bags were detained by customs official or other authorities
• If you were sending your bags separately
• If your luggage was handled by someone other than your transport provider

It's worth noting that, if your luggage never turns up and you make a claim for the lost or stolen bags, your payout may be reduced by the amount you've already claimed under your delayed luggage allowance.

Gary Ross Hunter
Insurance and innovations editor

How to claim

Once the amount of time specified by your policy has passed and your bags still haven’t arrived, you may start claiming the cost of essentials.

Save your receipts because you’ll need to show how much you spent and that you bought them within the appropriate timeframe.

You also need to contact your carrier and get them to provide a written statement confirming that there was a luggage delay, the reason for the delay and the time your bags eventually arrived.

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Frequently asked questions

• Can I claim on travel insurance for delayed baggage?

  Yes, you can claim compensation for delayed luggage, usually after 12 hours without it. Just make sure you get written confirmation from your carrier that your luggage has been delayed. You will need this when you make a claim.

• Do I get compensation for delayed luggage?

  Yes, most comprehensive travel insurance policies can cover you if your luggage is delayed – but not when you're travelling home. It lets you claim for essential items after your luggage has been delayed for a specific period of time (often between 12 and 24 hours).

• What is covered by baggage delay insurance?

  Baggage delay insurance covers essential items you need as part of your trip, such as toiletries. It won't cover non-essential items. Non-essential items is considered anything that you don't immediately need.

• How much compensation do I get for delayed luggage?

  It's typically around $200 but it can go as high as $1,500, depending on the insurer and the number of people on the policy. For example, family policies usually come with a higher allowance.