Insurance question

[Mal Ware]

Do those of you who fly a lot for work take out personal travel insurance for lost/damaged items etc?

Qantas recently lost my bag which had my laptop and other personal items, fortunately I got it back but had I not been able to it would have been a couple of grand down the drain.


My question is directed more so towards those who travel domestically.

 

[serfty]

For a start, when I travel domestically the only luggage I check would be Golf Clubs - and I take them with me rarely. So I need no cover for things like laptops. I guess I 'self insure' domestically.

With international travel I may take out an annual policy or maybe several short term policy depending upon the periods in which the travel occurs.

 

[robd]

Do those of you who fly a lot for work take out personal travel insurance for lost/damaged items etc?

Qantas recently lost my bag which had my laptop and other personal items, fortunately I got it back but had I not been able to it would have been a couple of grand down the drain.


My question is directed more so towards those who travel domestically.

Our company has all employees covered with international and domestic insurance.

I'm baffled as to why you would put your laptop in your checked luggage. Those bags get tossed around a fair bit.

 

[Airline Guru]

Putting your laptop in your checked baggage is never a good idea. (Ditto for car and house keys!!) Had that bag never been returned to you, the airline would have no reponsibiity in replacing your laptop. The 'conditions of carriage' that are accepted by the traveller as soon as an airline ticket is purchased will not cover the full value of the goods that you need to replace. Domestic travel insurance is not expensive especially when you consider the alternative. Even if you are a regular domestic traveller, an annual policy via an insurance company such as QBE is worth every cent and if you are a QFF then you will also earn points for purchasing the policy.
Suggest that you look for the youtube clip - Behind the Scenes: Your Bags Journey (Delta Airlines)

 

[serfty]

Putting your laptop in your checked baggage is never a good idea. (Ditto for car and house keys!!) Had that bag never been returned to you, the airline would have no reponsibiity in replacing your laptop. The 'conditions of carriage' that are accepted by the traveller as soon as an airline ticket is purchased will not cover the full value of the goods that you need to replace. Domestic travel insurance is not expensive especially when you consider the alternative. Even if you are a regular domestic traveller, an annual policy via an insurance company such as QBE is worth every cent and if you are a QFF then you will also earn points for purchasing the policy.
Suggest that you look for the youtube clip - Behind the Scenes: Your Bags Journey (Delta Airlines)

I would not waste my time and money with QBE ... there are quite a few far more cost effective annual policies out there ...

Also, for international travel to/from Australia, luggage comes under the Montreal convention and Carriers cannot simply cite terms in their Conditions of Carriage to get out of responsibilitywith respect to checked baggage, that exclude certain items, generally high-cost or fragile items such as electronics, cameras, jewelry or antiques, from liability for damage, delay, loss or theft.

Such exclusions, while not prohibited in domestic contracts of carriage, are in contravention of Article 17 of the Montreal Convention. Article 17 provides that carriers are liable for damaged or lost baggage if the destruction, loss or damage” occurred while the checked baggage was within the custody of the carrier, except to the extent that the damage "resulted from the inherent defect, quality or vice of the baggage."

 

[SeatBackForward]

And I assume domestic annual travel insurance would be claimable as a work related expense for tax purposes (on the basis that travelling regularly is a work requirement of course)

 

[Mal Ware]

Thanks for the replies.

Yes I know most people take their laptops as carry-on but I never use it when flying (thinking of getting an ipad for this) and it is an old big cough tough toshiba which has flown to Asia several times this year and domestically in my checked luggage in its case and packed in the middle, it would take a lot to damage it.

It was not just my laptop but other personal items that would have left me out of pocket.

I think I will hit my employer up for a yearly policy.

Side question, when I checked my bag in at Bne the tag reader read it correctly including my connecting flight, yet when they lost the bag they had a bag and I had to describe it to them, can they not scan my Qtag and see who owns it? I know they needed me to prove it was mine over the phone, but I had already given my name and ff number.

It seemed to me they had no idea who owned the bag.

 

[Hvr]

I know with my home insurance certain items are covered when I take them travelling within AUS/NZ. Maybe worth checking before buying more insurance you may not need.

 

[chrisb]

can they not scan my Qtag and see who owns it?

My understanding is that the tags don't have an owner. They simply have a serial number that's associated with your booking when you drop luggage off. If that part fails to register properly then it can be lost.

Qantas have made it clear that anyone can use anyone elses bag tags.

 

[mella2007]

I've got a yearly travel policy with TID plus Home & Contents plus Business Insurance which covers me for anything I've got listed in my policy and a few extras.

 

[TraceyK90]

We take out an annual policy that covers both domestic and international. It's with Columbus, very good to deal with and even covered a pre existing condition. It's under written by lloyds.

 

[Mal Ware]

I've got a yearly travel policy with TID plus Home & Contents plus Business Insurance which covers me for anything I've got listed in my policy and a few extras.

Is there any need to inform them when traveling? I travel every couple of weeks for work domestically and internationally once every 2 or 3 months?

Or does the year just cover you no matter where you are as long as your traveling?

 

[mella2007]

Yep the whole year worldwide

 

[Mal Ware]

Yep the whole year worldwide

Roger, thanks for that.

 

[PLANT]

TID don't do more than 38days....who to go with for longer trip?