Dude, Where's My Bag?

As any parent knows, when you are traveling with kids, you are traveling with lots of luggage. In the chaos of leaving airports and boarding trains, I am constantly counting to make sure we have everything. I perish the thought of arriving somewhere without one of the bags, or strollers or baby backpacks. But, it happens.

When our youngest, Nathan, was a baby we took a six-week trip to Spain, Morocco and Ireland. After surviving our first overseas flight with infant in tow, we thought we were doing pretty well. One early morning layover in Belgium, and we arrived in Madrid, where we were immediately taking the train south to Sevilla. As we deplaned, Nathan still sound asleep in my arms, and bags hanging from every limb, we picked up our stroller and headed to baggage claim. As each piece of luggage (we had a lot as this was our first trip with baby) came off the carousel, I made a mental note…1, 2….and then the conveyor belt stopped. A million questions flooded my brain. What happened to bags #3 and #4? What was in bags #3 and #4? How were we going to get bags #3 and #4 when we were taking a train four hours away?

After speaking with representatives at the airport baggage desk, we found that they could forward our baggage to our hotel in Sevilla; however, it would take a couple of days. A couple of days without efficient baby supplies? Without adequate changes of clothes? Have they never seen a baby blow-out? I need those extra clothes!! I have to admit, I was not the coolest cucumber and I was not a happy Momma! What a way to start our first family trip! But, luckily for us, and the airline clerk, we had travel insurance. And it was baggage delay to the rescue!

When we got to Sevilla, we called the insurance company and they confirmed that we had baggage delay reimbursement of $200 per insured person who was affected, which means I had $400 to buy alternate clothing and baby supplies. In the end, I was able to get Nathan and me some new clothes, which became after-the-fact souvenirs from the trip, and purchased diapers, baby food and other supplies I needed until the luggage arrived two-days later. And, yes they do sell diapers and baby food in other countries that are just as good, sometimes even better, than the ones from home. The trip turned out to be a wonderful first-step to traveling with kids and I have amazing memories of touring the pedestrian streets and churches of Sevilla, playing on a camel-strewn beach in Morocco and roaming sheep-filled hills in Ireland. And I even still own one of the replacement shirts I bought in Sevilla. It reminds me how I did not panic...at all…when our bags were delayed.

To find out more about Baggage Delay coverage and travel insurance in general, visit
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