Going on holiday is always an exciting time, and with summer just around the corner, many of us will be getting ready to jet off.
But there's nothing more gut-wrenching than arriving at your destination only to find that your luggage has been damaged or lost along the way.
It can put a real dampener on your holiday, and you may be forced to go out and buy some new clothes when you get there, but there are steps you can take to replace your suitcase's contents if it goes missing or gets damaged in transit.
It was recently reported that a staggering 26 million pieces of luggage were delayed, lost or damaged last year.
So Jac Morris, Confused.com travel expert, has issued some advice on what holidaymakers can do if this happens.
She said: “Losing your luggage can be a frustrating experience and last year, millions of luggage was reported either delayed or lost through various airlines. So for those going abroad this summer, it's a good idea to make sure you have the right insurance in place should something go wrong.
"If you find your luggage is lost, stolen or damaged, you can make a claim against the airline itself. But this value could only be to cover costs for the bare essentials and up to the value of £1,000.
"With travel insurance, claims could be as much as £2,000, which could be really helpful if your luggage does go solo and you have lots of items to replace."
These 'bare essentials' that the airline may cover include things like toiletries and underwear.
And although you can claim from the airline, you may not be able to claim as much as you would with travel insurance.
You should also make sure to check the details on your travel insurance policy. Some insurers might impose single-item value limits - for example between £200 and £300 per item.
Others may charge an excess, which is the amount you have to pay when you need to make a claim.
It's a well-known fact that going on holiday often means some time to rest and relax, but it's often a drain on your hard-earnt savings from throughout the year.
Therefore, it's really important to be prepared before you go in order to avoid any extra costs on top of the trip - and this often includes having insurance in place, as well as knowing the hand luggage rules for your chosen airline.
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