If you’re an adventure traveler, it can be incredibly frustrating to arrive at your destination only to find that the sports equipment you handed over to the airline alongside your checked baggage did not successfully make the trip.

An early tee off time the next morning or plans to set out on a scuba diving trip soon after arriving can be seriously derailed by such an eventuality. And airlines can’t always find your lost luggage as quickly as you might hope — you may be waiting days for your clubs, skis, or surfboard to make it back to you. That’s why if you’re traveling with your own sporting equipment, it may be wise to consider taking out sports equipment delay coverage, which can reimburse you for the cost of having to rent equipment until your own gear arrives safely.

 

Do I need sports equipment delay coverage?

Sports equipment delay coverage goes hand and hand with sports equipment insurance — and both may be included in the standard baggage insurance benefit that is part of a comprehensive travel insurance policy.

Just like baggage insurance, sports equipment insurance provides coverage if your gear is lost, stolen, or damaged by a common carrier. Whereas sports delay coverage is similar to baggage delay benefit: it provides reimbursement for the cost of renting sports equipment (or even purchasing it in some policies) if your equipment is delayed in arriving. Note that both kinds of benefits are distinct from trip delay, trip cancellation, and trip interruption coverage, though these are commonly included in standard travel insurance policies as well.

It’s a great idea to take out a travel insurance policy that includes sports equipment delay if you have scheduled sports and adventure activities on your trip that you don’t want to be disrupted or delayed. This kind of coverage will give you peace of mind in knowing that your planned itinerary can go ahead even if your sports equipment and personal effects arrive days after you do.

Look at it this way: if it’s worth traveling with your own sports equipment, then it’s worth insuring it so that you don’t end up having to pay out of pocket if something unexpected happens.

 

What does sports equipment delay cover? What is not covered?

As with any travel insurance benefit, there are some exclusions and limitations on what is covered by sports equipment delay. Your equipment’s arrival must be delayed for a covered reason, usually a mistake or error by a common carrier — not because you forgot to pack it and asked your friend who is arriving on a later flight to bring it along for you.

Typically, a delay of just a few hours or half a day will not be covered, and there will often be a minimum time limit (maybe 24 hours) which applies before you can be reimbursed for any equipment rental or replacement costs.

In addition, sports equipment delay coverage only applies for delays that happen while you are on your covered trip. That means that delays to your baggage or equipment once you return home are generally not covered. So, for example, if you’re going to need your golf clubs immediately after your return flight, any golf equipment delay will not count as a covered reason once you’ve returned back home from your trip away.

There is typically also a maximum limit shown in your policy document which you can claim up to. battleface offers reimbursement for sports equipment rental or purchase of up to $100 per day, for a maximum of $500 for your trip.

 

Making a sports equipment delay claim

If you do run into a delay of your sporting or golf equipment, then you’ll want to know how to make a successful claim. Familiarizing yourself with your policy terms before setting out on your trip can help ensure that you know what to do if faced with this situation.

First, ensure that the delay itself is listed under one of the covered reasons in your policy documents. Second, you must keep all receipts and documentation for any incurred expenses and additional costs related to renting or purchasing replacement sports equipment. If you don’t have receipts, then credit card statements may suffice — but the more documentation you can provide, the more likely you are to be able to make a successful claim.

You’ll need to ensure you have filed an incident report with the airline or common carrier that confirms the delay, and verifies that it was indeed their fault. And finally, you’ll need to ensure that the amount you’re claiming reimbursement for falls under the maximum limit shown in your policy document.

Traveling with lots of baggage and equipment always implies a certain degree of risk. With sports equipment delay coverage, however, you can minimize the financial risk you may face if your sporting equipment ends up being delayed.