Travel insurance Lack Cover For Heathrow Terminal 5

It has been reported that some travel insurance policies are not offering cover for baggage lost by customers flying out of Heathrow's Terminal 5. Thousands of items of luggage have been lost and delayed in the recent turmoil, and the British Airways' website is still warning of problems for travelers.

Currently, insurers including Direct Line and Churchill, both owned by Royal Bank of Scotland, have said they will exclude baggage loss and delays from new insurance policies.

A spokesman for Direct Line stated: "It is a general principle of all insurance that it only covers unforeseen chance events. Once something becomes widely known like this it is no longer unforeseen."

Those who are not covered should have been alerted to this when they bought the policy. Policies bought before the decision was taken are not affected, so a customer who has annual cover, for example, will still be entitled to a pay out.

Direct Line's spokesman added: "Every claim we get we consider on its own merits anyway."

A spokeswoman for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said it was up to individual insurers whether they offered cover in these circumstances.

"Insurance is there to pay for the unexpected, but some companies are taking the position that you can't help which terminal you fly out of and are still offering cover," she said. "Our advice is to check with your insurance provider."

She added that passengers could take up claims for lost or delayed luggage with their flight operator.

Many insurers are still offering cover, including Norwich Union, Saga and direct travel cover provider InsureandGo.

InsureandGo's managing director, Perry Wilson, said: "Some insurers are hiding behind the excuse that problems at Terminal 5 are not 'unforeseen' because they have been going on for weeks. That is like saying you're not going to cover someone against being mugged in Johannesburg because crime is so rife there."

Sofia is an author of several articles pertaining to Travel Insurance. She is known for her expertise on the subject and on other Business and Finance related articles.