What is covered by the Baggage and Personal Items Loss benefit?

Last Updated: October 25, 2013May 30, 2023

Short Answer

The Baggage and Personal Items Loss benefit provides reimbursement for items that are lost, damaged, or stolen while traveling.

More Detail

The Baggage and Personal Items Loss benefit provides reimbursement for items that are lost, damaged, or stolen while traveling, and the benefit typically comes with a per-person benefit amount. This benefit can also have limits for the amount reimbursed per item and for specific items. Specific items are outlined in the policy, and typically include expensive items, including items made of gold, silver, platinum, furs, cameras and their equipment, electronics, etc.

Some policies restrict this coverage to checked luggage only, meaning items will only be covered while checked on a common carrier. If a policy has this limitation, the Policy Detail, found on the Quote Results page, will state “Checked luggage only” for the Baggage and Personal Items Loss benefit.

In order to file a Baggage and Personal Items Loss claim, most travel insurance providers require proof of original purchase as well as proof the item was lost, stolen, or damaged. This can be in the form of an official report, including a police report, or a report with the airlines, hotel or cruise. If a claim is approved, the provider may reimburse 100% of the item’s cost or the depreciated value.

As the Baggage and Personal Items loss benefit is typically a limited amount, we recommend insuring expensive items valued at $1,000 or more through other sources, including homeowners or renters insurance or through the credit card the items were purchased with.

Some providers exclude specific items, such as cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc. Travelers should always double check the policy certificate to ensure the items they are concerned about can be covered.

This information can vary based on the travel insurance policy. Please review the policy certificate to verify coverage. If you have questions about a specific policy, please contact us directly at 800-240-0369. Our customer service representatives are available from 8am to 10pm ET seven days a week and are delighted to help!