Travel insurance claims for lost luggage have risen 40 per cent this year, as British Airways, the UK’s largest international carrier, has faced a baggage crisis.

Norwich Union said that its travel insurance claims for lost luggage had risen 40 per cent in the first six months of the year. Last week Insure-andGo said that its claims had risen by 85 per cent in the same period.

BA has faced numerous problems with its baggage system, particularly at Heathrow, where a conveyor that moves bags between terminals broke down. The Association of European Airlines ranked BA among the worst for losing baggage. During the first half of the year 28 passengers in 1,000 did not receive their baggage at their destination.

Ryanair, the largest low-cost European carrier, seized on the insurance claim figures yesterday. It is demanding that insurance providers offer discounts for passengers according to the airline they book with. The budget carrier asserts that it loses only 0.4 bags per 1,000 passengers, although many people avoid checking in luggage with Ryanair because it charges for each item.

Peter Sherrard, a Ryanair spokesman, said: “For years the car insurance industry has provided discounts for low-risk categories such as women drivers and the over30s. The time has come for passengers flying with airlines that deliver the best customer service to enjoy the same discounts. The statistics prove that airlines are far from equal, yet insurers do not differentiate.”

The airline has written to the Association of British Insurers to request the change. However, Norwich Union is unimpressed. Luis Berraondo, a travel underwriter for the insurer, said: “Tracking each individual airline or far-flung airport would be extremely difficult and would add unnecessary bureaucracy and cost to an otherwise simple process.

“While losing or having your luggage delayed is very frustrating, it is still only the third-biggest area for claims on travel insurance. Medical emergencies and cancellation are by far more frequent and expensive.”

This summer BA had a backlog of 22,000 items of luggage that had missed their owners. The airline had to move the bags to Italy to unsnarl the problem.

— Ryanair confirmed yesterday that it had increased its stake in Aer Lingus by 4 per cent to 29.4 per cent.

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