Laptops on airlines… are you covered?
By Jeremy Clayton
Carrying your portable office equipment
Most of us will have seen the latest travel news relating to the carrying of laptops, tablets and larger mobile phones on certain flights. The new rules apply to certain flights only, and customers should of course check, but simply the requirement is that this property must be checked into the hold and not taken onto the cabin.
Whilst we are not questioning the reasons for this change, we do question whether anyone has actually considered the insurance implications of this announcement.
Most business people and the majority of private travellers will have some form of mobile equipment that comes under the definition stated. Further, most of these people will have insurance on these items, whether in the form of a Travel insurance policy, an extension to their Household insurance or a Business All Risks cover. Unfortunately, the common denominator to these policies is the exclusion of ‘loss owing to the item being left unattended’.
In simple terms, when you travel by aeroplane, should the items be placed in the hold, they may no longer be insured by your insurance policy.
Of course, airlines may take responsibility for them, but we can imagine they will be making moves to avoid liability in respect of these items, so where does that leave you? Well, at JW Seagon, we have taken the initiative and have agreement on each of our insurance schemes, including the unique ‘Safari Plan’ policy, where our clients will continue to be provided with the cover.
With immediate effect, our Insurers have agreed that the cover will not be affected, however, in view of the small additional risk, in the event of a loss, there will be the equivalent of an additional equivalent of $100 excess to be paid. Each policy will be endorsed at renewal so there is nothing our clients need to do at this stage.
For more information and guidance on this development, please contact [email protected]
