In the Wake of Terminal 5-Gate, Insuremore Offers Travel Insurance Advice

London, UK (PRWEB) April 5, 2008 -- The grand opening of Heathrow's Terminal 5 was not as grand as the airport had hoped, with thousands facing flight delays and cancellations, and singer-songwriter Calvin Harris reportedly losing the only copy of his new album in the chaos. As British Airways continues to reunite a mountain of luggage with its owners, holidaymakers are realising the value of good quality travel insurance.

It is unclear how large the luggage mountain was - British Airways estimated the total of stranded bags at 20,000, while aviation minister Jim Fitzpatrick put the figure at 28,000. What is clear is that many of the passengers without travel insurance stand to lose out as a result of the chaos.

Here are some tips from travel insurance company Insuremore on how to make sure you choose the right travel insurance policy and how to get the most out of your travel insurance when things like this go wrong.

Travel insurance buying tips:

Shop around to find a good price and the right product rather than opting to travel without cover. Many companies offer good quality cheap travel insurance, so you don't have to break the bank.

When it comes to insuring your possessions, you can normally choose the limit in your travel insurance policy. Limits for single items such as cameras and jewellery can vary from as little as £150. Travel insurance also limits the total payable for all your valuables. Check these limits are adequate and realistic and, if you are not happy with the limits, make sure your household insurance covers your valuables while you are away.

Consider annual multi-trip travel insurance cover if you make several trips a year -- you'll save time and money overall.

Lost baggage on flights:

As the Heathrow traumas are being blamed on problems in baggage handling, travel insurance cover will be a comfort to those whose luggage is damaged or goes missing during the chaos.

Do not rely on compensation from an airline if it loses your luggage. By law, airlines only have to pay a specified minimum value per kilo of lost luggage, and this is unlikely to cover the full value of your things.

Some travel insurance policies cover the cost of emergency purchases should your bags go astray, so it is important to keep hold of any receipts.

Before flying make sure your bag is clearly marked and labelled with your address and meets the airline's baggage restrictions.

Read your airline's baggage policy to ensure your baggage is within size and weight limits for your particular journey.

Keep hold of receipts, guarantees, instruction manuals, valuations or photographs of your belongings as these may help to support any travel insurance claim for lost baggage.

Travel insurance cover for stolen, lost or damaged possessions:

If a bag is misplaced the first step is to report any damage or temporary loss to the airline and obtain a 'Property Irregularity Report' ('PIR'). Any damaged items must be kept for inspection to help your travel insurance claim.

Take as much care of your property as if it were uninsured. All travel insurance policies say that you must take care of your belongings at all times. If you don't, the policy may not pay out.

You should report a loss to the Police within 24 hours. Proof of notification will be required when you make your travel insurance claim.

Travel insurance for flights cancelled or delayed:

Airlines are not obliged to offer remuneration for delayed and cancelled services, which is where travel insurance comes in. Holidaymakers should be aware of what compensation they can expect to receive when flights are cancelled and delayed.

In situations such as the Heathrow debacle, passengers hit by delays or baggage loss should make sure they contact their travel insurance company as quickly as possible.

For those facing delays and wanting to make a travel insurance claim, it is key to get all the correct documents from the airline. Passengers experiencing delays should obtain written confirmation from the airline, giving exact details of the reason for and length of the delay.

For further press information about Insuremore, please contact Natalie Young at on 0845 257 9248, nataliey@journeystravel.co.uk

About Journeys Travel:

The commercial travel insurance website for Journey's Travel, Insuremore, (http://www.insuremore.co.uk) offers cheap worldwide travel insurance packages for families, singles, children and skiers with free cover against acts of terrorism and a quick and easy online claims feature.

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