Baggage Delay During Travel

Landing abroad after hours on a flight, only to realise your baggage did not come with you, is any traveller's nightmare. Hours and hours without your baggage anywhere in sight are not just uncomfortable but also can derail your entire itinerary. Fortunately, baggage delay is covered by many travel insurance plans. This coverage is specifically designed to help you get through the discomfort while your airline tracks your bags.

Individuals
Sr. Citizens
Students

Insurer Type:

Private Public

Plans for an individual of 30 years age travelling to USA for 15 days

What is Baggage Delay?

When checked-in baggage is not delivered to you within a specific time, it is called baggage delay. Your checked-in luggage may not arrive at your destination airport within a set timeframe and may be delayed for several hours or even days.

Unlike baggage loss, you eventually get your luggage back, but its absence causes you a lot of inconvenience. Baggage delay forces you to buy essential items to continue your trip, which can cost a lot and disrupt your budget. Thankfully, most comprehensive travel insurance plans cover baggage delay and reimburse you for the inconvenience.

How Baggage Delay Cover Works

In travel insurance, the baggage delay benefit reimburses you for the 'emergency purchase of essential items' such as medicine, toiletries, clothes, diapers, etc., if your baggage is delayed by your airline for more than the specified waiting period.

This waiting period varies from insurer to insurer, with some plans covering you after a delay of 6-12 hours while others covering you after 24 hours. You can claim coverage only when your baggage is delayed for more than this waiting period.

Please note that this delay is calculated from the time you arrive at your destination to the time your airline actually delivers the bag to you.

To give you an idea, here are some technical components to understand how your travel insurance plan covers you for baggage delay:

Important Terms	What You Need to Know
Waiting Period	Your policy will cover you for baggage delay only after the waiting period (6 hours to 24 hours). You won't get a payout for a delay shorter than this duration.
Common Carrier	This delay must be only while your baggage is in the care and custody of an authorised transport provider (airline/cruise).
Personal Effects	Baggage delay coverage is limited to 'essentials' only. This includes clothing, medication, and toiletries for the duration of the delay.
PIR (Property Irregularity Report)	For a baggage delay claim, you need to get a PIR. This official tracking document is issued by the airline.

What is Covered under Baggage Delay

If your luggage is stuck in another airport and is taking longer than reasonable, your travel insurance policy can cover the expenses for 'reasonable necessities', including:

Basic toiletries like toothbrush, deodorant, soaps, and shaving kits
Essential clothing, like a change of clothes, pyjamas, and undergarments
Medication, especially if your prescription medicines were in the checked bag

Ensure that you always have a list of items in your checked-in baggage. It helps you claim reimbursement later.

What to Do in Case of Baggage Delay

As soon as you realise your baggage is missing from the carousel (the designated conveyor belt), don't leave the airport without completing these steps:

File a Report: Find your airline's baggage counter and tell them the situation
Get the PIR: Ask for your property irregularity report or PIR. It is a unique reference number. This formal document is essential to later filing a baggage insurance claim.
Keep your Tags: Your boarding pass, small baggage claim stickers that are stuck to the back of your ticket - all of these are important.
Confirm Information: Make sure the airline staff has your up-to-date information, including local number, hotel address, etc., for your baggage delivery.

How to Claim for Baggage Delay?

You can file a claim for your baggage delay once you get your baggage back. However, you should inform your insurer within 24-48 hours of the delay to avoid confusion later. Moreover, if you contact your insurer sooner, they can guide you through the situation and tell you exactly what to do to minimise the inconvenience. Here's what you need to do:

Notify Insurer: Call or email your insurer within 1-2 days of the delay.
Prepare and Submit Paperwork: You need to prepare the documents your insurer specifies (original receipts, PIR, flight details, etc.)
Wait for Reimbursement: Your insurer will verify the delay and the necessary expenses before settling your claim as per your policy limits.

Documents Need for Baggage Delay Compensation

You must prepare the following documents to raise a claim for baggage delay:

Claim forms
PIR or Property Irregularity Report from your airline
Original receipts for all the items in your baggage (wherever possible)
Flight Details: Copy of your boarding pass and baggage tags

Baggage Delay: FAQs

Q. When can I claim for baggage delay?

Ans: You can claim for delayed baggage after the waiting period is over. This ranges from 6 hours to 24 hours.
Q. Are baggage loss and baggage delay different in travel insurance?

Ans: Yes, both are different benefits offered under baggage insurance benefits. Baggage delay will reimburse you only for reasonable, essential expenses, such as a change of clothes, a toothbrush, and medicines, while baggage loss compensates you for a fixed value of the contents.
Q. If my baggage is delayed on my return flight to India, will I be covered?

Ans: No, you won’t be covered for any baggage delay or loss during your journey back. Most insurers don’t cover the ‘return leg’ of your journey.
Q. What items are ‘essential necessities’ under travel insurance coverage?

Ans: Toiletries like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, basic clothing and prescription medication is considered essential in insurance terms.
Q. Will my travel insurance policy provide me with cash upfront in case of baggage delay?

Ans: No, you need to pay for these yourself first. Keep the original receipts and raise a reimbursement claim later.
Q. Can I still raise a travel insurance claim if the airline reimburses me for the inconvenience?

Ans: Several airlines offer a cash voucher or ‘survival kit’ in case of such inconveniences. However, you can still raise a claim. Your insurer will deduct this amount from the final claim payout to cover out-of-pocket losses.

Travel insurance companies

View more insurers

Disclaimer: The list of insurers mentioned are arranged according to the alphabetical order of the names of insurers respectively. Policybazaar does not endorse, rate or recommend any particular insurer or insurance product offered by any insurer. The list of plans listed here comprise of insurance products offered by all the insurance partners of Policybazaar. For complete list of insurers in India refer to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India website www.irdai.gov.in