Baggage blunders are behind almost one-fifth of all travel insurance claims with misplaced, stolen, damaged, left behind or lost luggage costing Australian travellers lost dollars.
The latest nib Travel data found luggage issues are the most common type of travel insurance claims, whether baggage has been misplaced by airlines, stolen, damaged or simply left behind.
The average cost for luggage claims last year was around $800, including everyday items such as smartphones, prescription medications and laptops.
Of all nib Travel luggage claims in 2024, 59 per cent were linked to items that were lost or stolen, 25 per cent were for damaged items and 16 per cent were due to delayed baggage.
Last year, nib Travel had travel insurance claims for lost or stolen luggage in 70-plus countries.
Europe luggage claims have a spike during the summer season (June – September), while US and Asia claims are steady year-round.
The most expensive claim was $10,379 paid to a passenger who lost a high-end camera and accessories, including irreplaceable wedding photos, on a trip from Denmark to Singapore.
While nib Travel couldn’t recover the lost images, the travel insurance claim covered the missing camera, lenses and accessories.
In another costly case, a couple visiting Chile pulled over to fix a flat tyre, but while distracted, their luggage was stolen from the car. A travel insurance claim of $8,705 was paid on return.
nib Travel Group Executive, Strategy & Development Matt Neat said: “People often assume travel insurance is just for major medical emergencies, but lost or missing baggage can cause enormous disruption and cost.”
