MP urges quicker payout of travel insurance claims

Amid numerous reports of airline passengers’ baggage going missing, National MP Shane Reti said that travel insurers should work faster to pay out claims to affected travellers.

Over the past several weeks, queues at Auckland airport have been up to three hours long as travellers and staff struggle to locate missing baggage. This situation is expected to continue in the coming months, according to a spokesperson for Air New Zealand.

Reti said he took on the issue after he saw and took a picture of Auckland Airport’s arrivals hall overflowing with lost luggage on Boxing Day, RNZ reported. Reti said the public response to the photo made him aware of the issue’s magnitude, which he communicated to the airline.

“I was made aware from a Facebook post that travel insurers may need to do a better job to play their role in what we’re seeing at the moment,” Reti was quoted as saying by RNZ. “I wouldn’t have known that until a number of people communicated to me so I found myself more as a broker of information rather than anything political.”

According to the report, Air New Zealand said that it is working to resolve the situation, implementing measures such as additional personnel, using technology to help log and locate mishandled bags, and increased cooperation with other airlines on baggage tracking.