Travel Tips for your Next Vacation

Traveling can be expensive, especially if you are flying. But it could be even more expensive if your luggage is lost or stolen along the way.  Your homeowner’s insurance may cover some loss, but preventing loss from happening is always the best option.  Here are some tips for your next vacation:

• Check your airline ticket for any luggage clauses that apply.  In a lot of cases, reimbursement for missing bags is based on weight.  So when your have a pound of cotton socks or a pound of gold jewelry, you would get the same reimbursement.  Talk to us about insuring the rest of your items.
• Make a list of the items you are checking and keep that list in your purse or carry on bag.  If your luggage goes missing, having an inventory will make it easier to locate.
• Keep expensive and/or irreplaceable items with you on your carry on bag.
• Always lock your bags to prevent them from being opened by accident or on purpose.  A very inexpensive and effective way to lock your bag is to use a zip tie.  Any tampering with the zip tie will be evident and you can cut it off when you are ready to open it.
• Remove old baggage claim tags.  If you want to keep them for nostalgia reasons, keep them at home.
• Clearly mark your bag with your identification (name, phone number, address) to make it easier to recover if lost.  Using a luggage tag with a cover is the best option.
• If your bag is lost, call the airline daily to get an update.  If 5 or more days have passed, you should file a claim with the airline for reimbursement for the lost items.
• Remember, items that are brought into the country illegally will not be covered by your insurance.

We hope your next trip is a great one!

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