Plan Ahead to Avoid Luggage Chaos

8th August 07

HOLIDAYMAKERS worrying about luggage handling chaos this summer should plan ahead to avoid being caught up in the bedlam.

This week Italian Police launched an investigation after thousands of pieces of baggage went missing at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport.

Lost luggage accounted for 40% of claims made by Go Travel Insurance between June 2006 and June 2007, according to the company’s chief executive Christian Young.

He added that simple steps such as making sure your luggage has a distinguishing mark or feature so that it’s easy to spot, and that it is correctly labelled, is often half the battle.

“If travelling with your family it is always advisable to split essential travel items into other suitcases so if one bag goes missing you still have some essential items in another bag,” said Young. “Travellers should also avoid taking expensive clothing and jewellery on holiday but if unavoidable carry expensive items with you rather than checking it in.

“Taking out a comprehensive travel insurance policy will cover you for most eventualities if your cases do go missing, offering peace of mind that you will be able to sort the situation out.”

Go Travel Insurance offers up to £1,500 baggage limit and £300 limit per single item on their standard single trip and annual multi trip policies.

However if you’re unlucky and your luggage does go missing on the outbound flight, Young advised travellers to keep all receipts from items they buy to claim back from their insurance provider on returning to the UK.

He said: “Go Travel Insurance provides cover of £50 per day up to £300 limit, but clients must provide all original receipts and they have to be without their luggage for 24 hours before they are covered for emergency purchases of essential items. 

“They must also provide evidence of when they were reunited with their luggage and keep check tags and flight tickets, if applicable.”

If your luggage doesn’t turn up at all then policy limits will apply per person as does the maximum amount of £1,500.  Valuables must be carried in handluggage and not checked in otherwise they are not covered.

Young added: “If the luggage is not located and deemed as being a total loss by the airline, the passenger has to await a certain period for the airline to carry out extensive tracing actions and the time that this takes varies depending on the airline. Once the property is considered by the airline to be irretrievably lost the passenger can claim from their insurer for the value of the property up to the limit of £1,500 per person.”

Go Travel Insurance travel insurance policies start from £3.95 for single trip and £31.95 for annual cover and provides £10 million in medical cover.

ENDS
Notes for editors:

• Go Travel Insurance is a division of Drakefield Insurance Services Limited an AA Group Company. Drakefield is an experienced operator of established travel insurance websites and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
• Go Travel Insurance offers a truly end to end service, with claims, call centre and medical screening, all handled in-house in the UK, giving a customer-focused and professional service every time.
• The Go Travel Insurance website has been operating since 2000 providing instant quotes with quick, easy and secure online buying  www.gotravelinsurance.co.uk
• Go Travel Insurance is committed to customer service, always ensuring that the customer is delivered a quality product at a competitive cost:

• Single Trip cover from £3.95
• Annual Multi Trip cover from £31.95

Drakefield is an AA Group company and works with the following organisations:

Financial Services Authority
Financial Services Compensation Scheme
British Insurance Broker Association (BIBA No. 005340)
Association of British Travel Agents (associate member)
Institute of Travel and Tourism
Association of Travel Insurance Intermediaries
Foreign and Commonwealth Office “Know Before You Go” campaign

For more media information call Louise Prior at Prior PR on 07786 227572 or louise@priorpr.com