You may not think travel insurance is the most interesting topic, but we beg to differ – and these trends from 2018 prove it. From the riskiest destinations to the flakiest generation, here are the items that grabbed our attention while reviewing the year that was.
Skip ahead to read:
- Top 4 Travel Insurance Trends of 2018
- Lost Luggage Blackspots
- Which Generation is the Flakiest?
- The 7 Weirdest Claims of 2018
Top 4 Travel Insurance Trends of 2018
One of the worst parts of being delayed is the potential for your luggage to keep travelling without you. So, we’ve investigated the top five lost luggage blackspots below.
Lost Luggage Blackspots
The Bermuda Triangle might have a reputation for disappearing planes, but what’s not as famous are the spots where luggage goes AWOL. And what might surprise you is luggage doesn’t just go missing in a single spot – there are five common threats to Kiwi luggage.
Don’t fancy losing your luggage in these baggage blackspots? Here’s how to minimise the risks of arriving somewhere without your bags in tow.
5. Fiji
This island nation might be one of the best places for a tropical escape, but your luggage is also looking for a little time off in Fiji. So much so, Fiji was the country that had the fifth most claims for Kiwis’ lost luggage in 2018.
4. United Kingdom
The trip from New Zealand to the UK is one of the longest on the planet, so if there’s one place you don’t want to lose your luggage, it’s here. Nonetheless, the UK ranked fourth for losing our luggage.
3. United States
LAX has a reputation for making flight connections as “easy” as a jigsaw puzzle in the dark. But it seems it’s no better at organising luggage than it is at organising planes.
2. New Zealand
Okay, we should cut the nations above some slack, because we’re apparently not brilliant at this whole “luggage protection” thing ourselves. In fact, we rank second worst for losing our own luggage.
1. Australia
But there’s no need to be nice to the Australians, because there are more insurance claims made on Kiwi luggage loss, theft or damage that occurs across the ditch than in any other nation.
What to Do If Your Luggage Goes Missing
Stay calm
Firstly, don’t panic. Sure, it’s likely you’re going to be stressed, annoyed, and angry, but unless you flew with an extremely budget airline where the people on the desk also move the luggage, the person you’re talking to is not at fault.
You’re also not the first person to have lost their luggage, so there are easy procedures already set in place to help you get it back.
Make a baggage claim
This step should be completed as soon as possible. Not only will it get the airline working on recovering your luggage, but it also creates a paper trail, which can come in handy if an insurance claim needs to be made.
To do this, you’ll need to find the airport’s baggage claim office. Once there, be sure to ask for a copy of all reports, and take note of the name of the person who helped you. All these details can come in handy as you follow up on your lost luggage.
Forgive, but don’t forget
Chances are your luggage isn’t under their desk. So, the best thing you can do is check into your hotel, and ensure you don’t miss out on the start of your holiday. But don’t just wait for the phone to ring, either – be on the front foot, and follow up with the airline.
Get that money
You paid top dollar for your checked baggage fee, and the moment your luggage was lost, the airline failed to deliver the service you paid for. So, naturally, you deserve a refund on that fee. If the worst happens and your luggage is lost, you’re also entitled to compensation for all your lost items.
Is There Anything I Can Do to Protect My Luggage?
Absolutely. Here are a few simple tips that can either help protect your belongings or make claims a little smoother:
- Put an uncommon, easily recognisable sticker or bandana around the handle of your luggage, to make it stand out as possible.
- Never put fundamental or sentimental items in your checked baggage – take them on the plane with you.
- Take photos of all your luggage and belongings before you set off, just in case you need to make a claim.
- Ensure your luggage tag has your name, email and phone number – but not your home address. (You don’t want people knowing where you live and that you’re probably not home.)
- Make sure you don’t lose your baggage claim tickets.
If you’re prone to losing things, take clear photos of your baggage claim tickets.
Sometimes it’s not the airline baggage team that’s flaky, but the traveller. Check out which generation is the flakiest of them all below!
Which Generation Is the Flakiest? (Spoiler Alert: It’s Millennials)
There’s no nice way to say this. Millennials may be as flaky as a Cadbury Flake itself. In fact, our data reveals more than 1,500 millennial travellers from New Zealand used their cancellation cover this year.
Why Do Millennials Cancel Travel Plans So Often?
Well, there are plenty of reasons. But mostly it comes down to changes to their work schedule, illnesses, injuries, and changes to the event they were attending.
Although, you do still hear some weird and wonderful reasons a person wasn’t able to travel. One that’s come up more than once has been a person flying internationally wasn’t allowed to board their plane.
Their mistake? They arrived at the domestic terminal.
It could be worse – they could have turned up at a train station to catch their flight.
So, How Flaky Are Other Generations?
Well, compared to millennials, they’re actually quite reliable. The stats for 2018 show millennials are:
- 3.7 times more likely to need cancellation cover than those aged 35-49
- 4 times more likely than those aged 50-59
- 3.7 times more likely compared to people 60-69
- 3.3 times more likely than those in their 70s.
How Can I Protect Myself Against the Costs of Cancelling a Trip?
Travel insurance
There’s one key way you can protect yourself against the massive costs of cancelling your travel plans. Travel insurance with Cover-More can help you recover your losses if you’re required to pull the classic millennial flake.
The Frequent Flakers Card
This one is the perfect way to prevent your overly flaky friend from constantly cancelling their trip – especially if it’s for a relatively soft reason. In honour of the major flakers of society, we’ve created our very own Frequent Flakers Card.
This brilliant card honours the flaky friend that skips travel plans like Netflix intros. So, why not share it with them and present them with their well-earned card?
And if that flaky friend is you, well… Maybe you can redeem yourself by scoring full marks on our last-minute travel cancellations quiz below.
Which Destination Has the Most Claims?
Think you know where Kiwi travellers make the most claims? See if you can ace our quiz.
Interested in what some of those claims might be? Check out the seven most bizarre claims of 2018 below.
The 7 Weirdest Claims of 2018
Ready to Cover Yourself?
If there’s one trend apparent throughout 2018, it’s that travel insurance can save the day – no matter where you’re headed.
For cover across luggage and travel documents, unforeseen medical expenses and emergency assistance, chat to Cover-More today.