Travel insurance advice as Heathrow bags pile up

Workers at Heathrow could take a week to clear the 28,000 bag backlog caused by the Terminal 5 "teething problems".

With countless holidays spoilt by the baggage problems, many are turning to their travel insurance to provide some recompense.

Passengers hit by delays or baggage loss should contact their insurance company as quickly as possible.

Direct Line has now issued some tips so people can get on with their holiday as quickly as possible.

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 you claim.

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

Chris Price, Direct Line head of travel insurance, said: "Representatives from our travel insurance team are available to respond to calls from our customers. Our priority over the coming days is to provide our customers with help and advice on how to process claims as quickly as possible.

“The problems at Terminal 5 have highlighted the importance of purchasing travel insurance, as arriving at a destination without your baggage can be a huge inconvenience and be costly to replace. Having travel insurance can offer that extra peace of mind should the unexpected happen."

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

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

Today and tomorrow British Airways is cancelling 50 flights from Terminal 5. Thirty-two and 34 flights are cancelled on April 3rd and 4th respectively.

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