One of the busiest times of the year for travel is now underway— with wave season already on cruise control, spring break heatingup and summer holidays right around the corner. While the feelingof anticipation prior to taking a trip can placate even the mostorganized packers among us — losing that precisely packed suitcasecan quickly drain the excitement from any vacation.

Related: Summer travel insurance do's anddon'ts

So, what do you do if your luggage is lost or stolen? Well,hopefully you have travel insurance that covers baggage.

Not all travel insurance plans cover baggage

Many consumertravel insurance plans cover lost or stolen baggage atvarying levels, depending on the type of plan. However, not allplans do cover baggage, so make sure you check your policy,preferably before you buy it.

If you have any questions on whether your policy covers luggage,make sure you contact your insurance company.

What your insurance clients need to know

If you do find yourself in the precarious situation of beingleft with only the clothes on your back, here are five things youshould know before you file a claim with your insuranceprovider:

1. You will most likely need to be able to substantiatethe claim. If your suitcase was misplaced by your airline,they will provide you with a report that confirms the bag was lost.The same is true if your bag was damaged while in their custody. Ifyou're luggage or personal effects are stolen, you will likely needa police report to substantiate the claim.
2. If you are travelling with high-value items, such as designergoods, cameras, or electronics, take a picture ofvaluables while you're packing as proof that you had them.This will expedite the claims process.
3. Receipts can be very helpful. While it'sunrealistic to expect you to have the receipt for those designerjeans you bought last year, do keep receipts of anything youpurchase while on your trip. Some insurance companies will deductthe amount payable if you don't have receipts for your items.
4. Keep in mind that if you do indeed have baggage coverage aspart of your travel insurance policy, you might alsohave baggagedelay coverage. This coverage will reimburse you foressential items like clothing and toiletries if your bags aredelayed in being recovered, but not outright lost.
5. Lastly, many travel insurance policies areexcess — or secondary —to other coverage providers such as homeowners' or renters'insurance, or to any reimbursement provided by a common carrier(e.g. an airline). You might need to file a claim with one of thoseentities first, but, if they don't cover everything you can alsofile a claim with your travel insurance provider. As an example,say your claim is for $700, but you have a $500 deductible on yourhomeowners' policy. You would first file a claim with yourhomeowners' insurance provider first, then file with your travelinsurance provider to show that you were only reimbursed $200 ofyour $700 loss and they will make up the excess.

Read policies carefully

Even the best planned trips can be impacted by the unforeseen,like losing your luggage. But, with the proper travel insuranceplan, you can have some peace of mind that you will be covered, sothat you can go on to enjoy your trip without the stress of addedexpenses looming.

Travelers are encouraged to read their insurance policiesclosely to make sure they have the coverages they need and, moreimportantly, reach out to their insurance provider if they have anyquestions.

Related: Submitting a travel insurance claim? Here's whatyou need to know

Chris Carnicelli is the CEO of Generali GlobalAssistance, North America, a subsidiary of Generali Group. CSATravelProtection, recently rebranded to Generali Global Assistancefor travel insurance. For more information, contact himat [email protected].