COMING AND GOING

UPRIGHT AND LOCKED

When Insurance Isn't

Jana Huffman of the District learned a hard lesson about what appears to be a new standard in travel insurance.

Huffman was planning a multi-leg trip to Prague in March, with visits to Miami before and after. Knowing that the many connections on the Prague-Miami leg increased the odds that her luggage would be lost or delayed, Huffman bought a $100 insurance policy for that portion of her trip.

Sure enough, her luggage did not arrive with her on her return to Miami. Confident that her policy provided $500 for the purchase of incidentals if luggage was delayed, she spent more than $400 on clothes, prenatal vitamins and other necessities. Her luggage arrived two days later.

When she filed a claim with New York-based Berkeley Care, she was told her coverage for delayed luggage had ended when she landed in Miami, even though there were days left on her p olicy. She was told, she said, that the terms had changed last year when the carrier began using a new underwriter, and that luggage delays at final destinations are no longer covered.

"It's pretty much the industry standard now," Berkeley Care manager Sal DiStefano told CoGo. Huffman would have been covered, he said, if her luggage had been lost, but delays are treated differently. The copy of the policy he sent CoGo stated that coverage ends on arrival at a final destinat ion. A reasonable person might assume that if the luggage didn't arrive when you did, it would still be covered -- an assumption that turns out to be wrong in this case.

Moreover, Huffman said the brochure given to her by STA Travel, where she bought the policy, did not mention coverage ending on arrival rather than on the policy expiration date.

Lessons learned:

· Carry on expensive or hard-to-replace items.

· Insist on seeing a complete insurance policy and read the fine print before you buy. Pay particular attention to when your coverage ends: on a particular date or the moment you arrive.

WHEEL DEALS

We Got Zip

Zipcar , the membership-based car-sharing company that allows you to rent by the hour , can be a good alternative to traditional car rental. But it's not infallible.

CoGo recently rode the train to New York and arranged to pick up a Zipcar near Penn Station for a Sunday drive to the Bronx . The car was there, but CoGo's access card -- which has a radio-frequency ID chip -- wouldn't unlock the door . A garage attendant's card opened the door, and a Zipcar rep advised, by phone, where to find the secret spare card hidden in each car. Missing.

No card meant no way to lock and unlock the car during the trip (just try doing that in the Bronx). The Zipcar office that issues replacement cards is closed on Sundays , and no other Zipcars were available. CoGo had to scramble to rent the traditional way.

That combination of glitches was "very rare," said Peter Demers, Zipcar's director of member services. He offered to reimburse the cost of the car rental , saying that's standard procedure when problems occur through no fault of the customer.

To alert the company should you have a glitch, call 866-494-7227 or e-mail info@zipcar.com.

TRAVEL TICKER

BWI is a loser in Southwest's decision to "grow more slowly." The discount airline announced last week that its nonstop service from BWI to Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif., will end in October, and service to several other places, including Cleveland and Long Island, will be reduced. . . . New York's Museum of Modern Art will stay open until 9 p.m. every Thursday (except July 12) in July and August and will present live music at 5:30 and 7 p.m. in the outdoor sculpture garden. Regular $20 admission applies. Details: 212-708-9400, http://www.moma.org.

BARGAIN OF THE WEEK

Trim a Few Pounds

Fly Zoom Airlines from New York's JFK to London Gatwick for $559 round trip this summer (including $161 taxes). The new discount airline has the sale for travel through October; lowest fare is sold out on some dates. Fare on other airlines starts at about $754. The airline is also offering discount fares from New York to Bermuda. Info: 866-359-9666, www.flyzoom.com.

Reporting: Cindy Loose, Susan Morse, Carol Sottili

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles to:cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.