"The spectacular scenery...", in the USA  

 Hugh, 65, and his family from Milford were shocked to find their luggage had been damaged in transit. 

"We ventured from the wilds of Alaska to downtown Harlem in New York to see what was on offer. Our trip took us around the Canadian Rockies and eastern provinces before returning to the west coast of the USA and the National Parks with canyons, arches, geysers and spectacular scenic places there.  We saw mountains, skyscrapers, National Monuments, Churches, historical sites across both countries and people from all walks of life.  The spectacular scenery has to be seen to be appreciated!"

"Two of the zips were broken..."

"We travelled from San Francisco to Los Angeles by plane on our flight to Australia. Homeland security had time to check through our suitcases once they had been checked through on our journey home and were not easy on the zips or locks.  Two of the zips were broken and the TSA locks either damaged or lost from the suitcase.  These were new suitcases and locks, so we were surprised at how damaged they became."

"Fast and simple!"

"Fast and simple. The form was easy to complete and attach photographic evidence to. All details needed were clearly identified."

Hugh – 65 year old traveller from Milford, QLD

Hugh's trip was unexpectedly halted because of baggage but was reimbursed soon after! 

Hugh and his family flew home from San Francisco after a spectacular tour around Alaska, Canada and the USA. When they collected their bags at the airport carousel, they were shocked to see how badly their luggage had been handled by US security. Two of the zips on their brand new suitcases were broken and the expensive TSA locks were damaged or missing. Hugh submitted an online claim, attaching receipts and photographs of the damage, and was promptly reimbursed for the cost of replacing the suitcases and locks.

What travellers can learn from Hugh sharing his experience 

1. Research the benefits of policy in detail before you buy so you'll know exactly what you are and aren't covered for. Some policies have luggage cover and others don't. Be sure to ask if you aren't sure. 

2. Take pictures and save copies of your belongings in the event that they get damaged, lost or stolen.

3. Consider buying sturdy luggage sets and not just the coolest one on the market, as they may get manhandled by the flight crew. 

4. You can never have enough locks! Protecting your luggage will give you peace of mind while you travel.

 Fast Cover thanks Hugh for sharing his story to highlight the importance of purchasing travel insurance and how it helped in his specific circumstances. If you'd like to share your travel insurance claim story to help your fellow travellers, you can fill out our online travel insurance claims stories form.

Traveller details have been changed to protect their privacy.

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