Travel Insurance for Luggage and Personal Effects

Fast Cover has a benefit available on selected policies called ‘Luggage and Personal Effects’. Luggage and personal effects means any personal items owned by you and that you take with you, or buy, on your trip and which are designed to be worn or carried about with you. This includes items of clothing, personal jewellery, photographic and video equipment, personal computers, electrical devices or portable equipment. Throughout this page, we may refer to these items as baggage and luggage interchangeably, as wherever customers are in the world, we know that some countries refer to luggage as baggage, and some countries refer to baggage as luggage!

You should be aware, luggage, personal effects and baggage does not mean a bicycle, any business sample, passports, travel documents, cash, bank notes, currency notes, unset precious or semi-precious stones, watercraft of any type (except surfboards), furniture, furnishings, household appliances, hired items or items that you intend to trade. There may be cover available under other Benefits such as Theft of Cash or as an add on such as the Bicycle Pack for bicycles. 

You should also make sure that you consider the PDS for full policy, terms and conditions prior to purchasing the policy and deciding whether this product is right for you.

Taking care of your luggage is important

When going on holidays, we all need to bring some baggage and personal belongings. Some may be valuable, some not, and some we might be better off leaving at home! There’s nothing worse than buying a new $500+ suitcase and then having it or your belongings either lost, damaged or even worse, stolen. Luckily, Fast Cover’s travel insurance luggage and Personal Effects Benefits may protect you from being out of pocket due to theft, loss or damage. 

What is luggage and personal effects insurance and what does it cover?

Luggage insurance refers to coverage provided by travel insurance should something happen to your luggage during a trip. There are two types of luggage coverage - luggage loss and luggage delay. 

In terms of luggage loss, cover can be provided should your baggage be lost, damaged or stolen during your trip. When looking at different coverage options, it’s worth noting that certain items such as electronic devices  may have different sub limits. Or certain terms and conditions apply, like you can’t transport your jewellery, mobile phone, camera, tablet device, video camera, personal computer, computer equipment or their accessories in the cargo hold of the plane. 

On the other hand, luggage delay coverage can provide reimbursement for expenses encountered when dealing with delayed luggage. This means that if you need to purchase toiletries, a change of clothes or other essentials while your bag is delayed, you can be reimbursed for these expenses. In order to be covered under luggage delay, luggage will need to be delayed for more than 12 hours. 

In the event of your luggage being lost, stolen or accidentally damaged, we will determine whether we pay you for (whichever is lesser):

• the cost to repair the item,
• the cost to replace the item, or
• the purchase price of the item less any depreciation that applies.

Why is it important to have luggage cover with travel insurance?

 Depending on the type of policy you take out, your luggage and personal effects may be covered for up to $15,000 AUD. So, if an opportunistic thief takes off with your bag that has your camera inside or you accidentally trip on the cobblestones and your phone smashes onto the ground, you can reduce some of the stress of these situations by knowing that you can put a claim in for the cost to replace or repair the items.

Other benefits of luggage cover may include:

• Coverage against in-flight thefts: there is no safety guarantee for your belongings, even when you may be near them. Luggage cover can provide protection against rising rates of in-flight theft. 

• Having coverage in place: some travel destinations are synonymous with pickpockets, whilst other times, an opportunistic thief can strike in seemingly safe cities. No matter the setting, you can  have coverage in place before you depart on your trip, so that if something were to happen, replacement or repair costs can be covered. 

• Reduced costs: when travelling without luggage cover, you run the risk of incurring additional expenses. Should an airline lose your bag, you will be responsible for purchasing essentials. With the appropriate cover, these expenses can be reimbursed if the delay is longer than 12 hours. 

What is the most  Fast Cover will reimburse me for my luggage and personal effects?

We distinguish your luggage and personal effects into 2 categories:

1. Unspecified items: are your items which you have chosen to not declare and pay an additional premium to cover the item. Unspecified items are subject to the sub-limits, and depends on the type of items you are claiming for.

• $3,000 AUD for your computer, video recorders and cameras – whether digital or manual
• $1,500 AUD for mobile phones, other communication equipment and satellite phones
• $1,000 AUD for small hand-held computers including tablet devices like iPads
• $750 AUD for other unspecified items or sets

We will pay up to the original purchase price of the item less the depreciation that applies.

2. Specified high value items: are high value items which you declare and pay an additional premium to cover the item. Refer to ‘Can I increase the benefit limit to cover for my valuable belongings?’ section below for more details.

Pairs or sets

If your item is a part of a pair and set, we will pay for nothing more than the value of the item lost, stolen or damaged. This does include items that are used as a pair, related to one another or considered one item such as:

• Cameras, lenses, whether they are attached or not, tripod and accessories
• Matching pair of earrings.

Items stolen from your car

If your luggage and personal effects, including Specified High Value Items (see ‘Can I increase the benefit limit to cover for my valuable belongings?’ section below for more details) are stolen from a locked compartment, boot or unattended motor vehicle during daylight hours, the most we will pay is:

• $200 AUD for each item, and
• $2000 AUD in total for all stolen items.

Policy benefit limits

The most we will pay for unspecified and specified items combined depends on the level of cover you take out. The benefit limits for each policy are:

 The benefit limit for a Frequent Traveller Saver policy is $15,000 for all travellers combined.

What’s not covered by my luggage insurance?

As much as we would like to cover you for everything, there are some situations where we just can’t cover you for, including (but not limited to):

We will not cover you for your luggage and personal effects if they are left unsupervised or in a public place.

Our luggage cover won’t cover you for your items if they are stolen, lost or damaged as a result of them being left behind in your accommodation, hotel or motel room after you have checked out. This also includes items that have been left behind in -

• Any aircraft
• Cruise ship
• Ferry
• Train
• Tram
• Taxi or bus
• Rental vehicle
• Restaurant, bar or café

There is no cover for the loss, theft, or damage of jewellery, mobile phone, camera, video camera, personal computer, computer equipment or their accessories that are transported in the cargo hold of any carrier, unless you have been instructed by the airline or relevant authority to check the devices in due to government regulation.

Our luggage insurance won’t cover you if your jewellery, watches, mobile phones, camera, video camera, personal computer, computer equipment, are lost or stolen from your accommodation where a safe or locker has been provided and you have not used it.

There is no cover if the luggage and personal effects are left in an unattended motor vehicle overnight, even if they are locked in the boot or a locked storage compartment.

You should refer to the PDS for full details on policy terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations. The claims team assesses all claims on a case-by-case basis, and the outcome will depend on the particular circumstances of the situation.

Can I increase the benefit limit to cover for my valuable belongings?

If you have valuable items worth more than the sub-limits for unspecified items, you can choose to pay an additional premium to declare that item, subject to the Specified high value item limits below. These are classified as ‘Specified High Value Items’ and are not subject to depreciation.

Specified high value item limits

We will pay up to the cost price of the Specified High Value Item or set, up to the maximum limit of  $5000 AUD, and the maximum we will pay for all specified high value items combined is $10,000 AUD.

Jewellery, watches (other than Smart watches), fragile or brittle items, bicycles and water craft (other than surfboards) cannot be declared as Specified high value items.

Making a Claim for lost luggage or personal effects

1. Report your missing luggage and items within 24 hours

You must report the items lost, stolen or damaged as soon as it is practicable to do so, but preferably within 24 hours of you being aware of the event to the police, bus, air, shipping line or rail authority or accommodation provider when the loss, theft or misplacement occurred.

You will need to prove that you have made the report by providing us with a written statement from whichever authority you reported it to.

2. Provide documents to support your claim

To support your claim, you will need to provide supporting documentation including, (but not limited to):

• Police report or written report from a relevant authority or Travel Provider (Airline, hotel, Cruise Liner, Tour Company etc.)
• Damage or Repair report
• Quote for repair or replacement
• Purchase receipt or other Evidence of Ownership for each item claimed  
• For losses caused by your Transport Provider, a 'Property Irregularity Report' from the Transport Provider
• For mobile phone claims, please block the IMEI with your network provider and provide written proof of this

If you are unsure of what documentation you need to provide, the claim form details the documentation that you need to support your claim.

3. Understand depreciation and what impact it might have on your claim 

Depreciation is applied to all unspecified items. The Depreciation amount is applied from the date of purchase – for each month you have owned the item.

No depreciation will be applied to luggage and personal effects purchased duty free prior to your departure, luggage and personal effects purchased during your trip, or Specified High Value Items listed on your Certificate of Insurance.

Depreciation Table for Unspecified Luggage and Personal Effects

(not applicable to Specified High Value Items or items purchased whilst on your trip)

What do we mean by ‘Unsupervised’ items?

When we say ‘unsupervised’ this means:

• Luggage or personal effects that are with a person who you did not know prior to leaving for your trip
• Baggage that is left with a person not listed or named on your Certificate of Insurance or who is not your travelling companion listed on the policy
• Luggage that is left in a place where it can be taken without your knowledge, including but not limited to:
• In the seat pocket of your plane seat – including if they are taken while you are sleeping
• Luggage that is left at such a distance where you are unable to prevent it from being stolen like leaving your items at the side of the pool or at the beach while you swim
• Baggage that you have misplaced or forgotten to take with you. For example, if you leave your backpack on the seat of a café or bar and you walk out after you have finished eating or drinking.

Am I being covered if my luggage is being shipped over by a courier?

Unfortunately, we do not cover luggage and personal items that have been shipped or posted independently and unaccompanied via a courier or freight contract. You do need to have your items within a reasonable distance where you are able to prevent your items from being stolen.

Is my bike or surfboard covered under this benefit?

Loss or accidental damage to surf boards and sporting equipment are covered EXCEPT while they are in use. Bikes can only be covered if you have purchased the Bike pack at an additional premium.

Is there cover for my drone?

Drones are covered up to $750AUD as an unspecified item, however, we do not pay for the damage to a drone while in use or if confiscated by authorities, whether in use or not.

Am I covered for damage to my personal belongings as a result of normal use and repair?

Ordinary wear and tear, deterioration, atmospheric or weather conditions, insects, rodents or vermin and loss or damage of your items in the process of cleaning, repairing or alteration are not covered in our policies.  Our luggage benefit can only cover for unexpected and unforeseen situations.

Get luggage cover with Fast Cover Travel Insurance

Jetting off on a trip is often the culmination of months of research and planning. Whether travelling for a relaxing holiday, a business trip or an adventure, the last thing you want to deal with is lost, stolen, damaged or delayed luggage with no recourse. 

By taking the time to research luggage cover, you can provide an extra element of comfort that you can have some reimbursement protection  for luggage or personal effects taken with you on your trip. It’s always a good idea to limit the amount of luggage and personal belongings that you bring with you on your trip. The less you bring, the less you have to carry, but more importantly, there’ll be less of a chance of you losing your items and consequently more of a chance of you having a relaxing  trip!

Take the next step in your journey towards an unforgettable trip, or contact Fast Cover today and speak to one of our expert consultants.

How much can I claim if my luggage is delayed by my carrier?

Comprehensive, Snow Sports Plus and Frequent Traveller Savers policies provide cover if your luggage is delayed by your transport provider under the Delay of Luggage and Personal Effects benefit. You can submit a claim for the cost of purchasing essential items, including:

• Toothbrush and other toiletries
• Clothing (undergarments if appropriate)
• Food or items for children that are considered important or essential

What can’t I claim on if my luggage is delayed?

The situations which are not covered under the Delay of Luggage and Personal Effects benefit include (but is not limited to):

• Your luggage is delayed for less than 12 hours
• You are claiming for someone else not insured on the policy
• Your luggage was delayed by another mode of transport not listed or mentioned in the PDS
• You do not have written confirmation of the delay of your luggage from your travel provider. 

Do I need a police report or letter from the carrier if my luggage is delayed?

You will need to provide written proof of the delay from your transport provider. You do not need to provide a police report unless there is reasonable cause to provide such a report.