Before You Fly, Check Out What You’re Checking In Your Luggage
By Jim McCafferty

Traveling through airports today requires more than just checking your itinerary. You need to examine what1s in your carry-on baggage before Transportation Security Administration agents do.

Since August 10, a crack-down on items allowed in carry-on baggage has produced a 40% increase in checked baggage without any corresponding increase in airports1 baggage handling personnel.

Result:  More lost baggage, longer waits for luggage after arrival and heightened anxiety about luggage mishaps.

We can’t carry make-up powder, hair gel, nail scissors, toothpaste, shampoo or perfume onto the plane and their loss might be inconvenient, but losing our larger, more traditional luggage might be financially painful.

Here are some tips for protecting your property while traveling over this holiday season.

• Travel insurance:  An essential to purchase if you fear your
  luggage may be lost, damaged, or stolen during travel. You can buy coverage for your personal property during the trip and also protect yourself against the trip being cancelled or interrupted.  Good travel insurance can be purchased, in most cases, for less than $50.
  
  
• Homeowners insurance: This is the secret to travel insurance.
  Review your policy when planning your trip to learn exactly what property–and coverage amounts–are included in your standard policy. While many common perils may be covered, it is also important to know what is not covered. Limits usually range from $2,500 for a piece of jewelry with a maximum claim of $5,000. Higher coverages can be added but it is most important to look at what actions are covered. For example, under the normal homeowner1s policy, 3mysterious disappearance2 is not a covered peril.
  
  Therefore, if your luggage “disappears” instead of being stolen, it would not be covered.
  
  
• Personal Articles Floater: This is additional coverage, added to your Homeowner1s policy that usually costs about $1 per hundred dollars in value. That would mean $50 for a $5,000 diamond necklace. You may want to insure your golf clubs, furs, jewelry or any valuable. All you do is add an endorsement for the documented value of the item. There is usually no deductible and it covers theft and loss of luggage– any of  your identified personal items– worldwide. Be sure and keep a list of what you have in your checked luggage.
   

Jim McCafferty is president of The Members Insurance Company. Call your AAA Carolina insurance consultants for more information at 877 766-6222 or go to AAA.com