Lost, Delayed or Damaged Baggage: How to Claim From the Airline

You're standing at an empty baggage carousel, or your suitcase has come back with a wheel missing. It's frustrating, but international law gives you a clear claim against the airline – as long as you act within some quite short deadlines. Most of what follows comes from the Montreal Convention, the treaty that governs airline liability on most international flights, including those to and from the EU, the UK and the US.

First thing: report it before you leave the airport

Go to the airline's baggage service desk in the arrivals hall – usually run by the airline or its handling agent – before you exit the baggage hall if you can. Ask for a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). This is the standard form airlines use to log missing or damaged bags. You will get a reference number (often something like an airport code, airline code and five digits) that you will need for everything that follows.

Make sure the report includes:

• your bag tag number (the sticker you got at check-in),
• a description of the bag – colour, brand, size, distinguishing marks,
• the delivery address where you will be staying, with dates,
• for damage: a description and, if possible, photos taken at the desk.

The PIR is evidence that you reported the problem; it is not the same as a formal written claim. Many airlines need you to submit that separately, online, after you leave.

The deadlines you must not miss

Under Article 31 of the Montreal Convention, you must complain to the airline in writing:

Miss the 7- or 21-day window and the airline can refuse to pay, even if the fault was obviously its own. An online claim form or an email both count as "in writing" – keep a copy and the date you sent it.

How much the airline has to pay

Since 28 December 2024, the Montreal Convention caps the airline's liability for destroyed, lost, damaged or delayed checked baggage at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger. The SDR is an International Monetary Fund unit whose value is based on a basket of currencies; the amount in euros, pounds or dollars changes daily, so check a current rate.

Some points that matter in practice:

• It's a ceiling, not a fixed payment. You get your actual, proven loss up to that limit – usually the depreciated value of the items, not the price of new ones.
• Checked bags: the airline is liable unless the damage comes from a defect in the bag itself (wear and tear, an already split seam).
• Cabin bags: the airline is liable only if you can show it was at fault.
• Valuable contents: if you are carrying something worth more, you can make a "special declaration of interest" at check-in, sometimes for a fee, which raises the limit. Most people are better off keeping valuables, medicine and electronics in hand luggage – many airlines exclude them from liability anyway.

Domestic US flights are not covered by the Montreal Convention but by DOT rules, which set a separate limit – $4,700 per passenger for travel since 22 January 2025.

Delayed bags: what you can claim meanwhile

A delayed bag is the most common problem, and it usually turns up within a day or two. While you wait, the airline should cover reasonable interim expenses – toiletries, a change of clothes, a phone charger. Some airlines pay a daily allowance; others reimburse receipts. Either way:

• keep spending proportionate to the trip (a business suit for a meeting may be reasonable; a new wardrobe is not),
• keep every receipt,
• ask the airline what it will cover before you shop, if you can reach the desk.

On flights covered by US rules, you can also get the checked bag fee refunded if the bag was significantly delayed – more than 12 hours on domestic flights, and 15 or 30 hours on international flights depending on their length – provided you filed a mishandled baggage report.

What to keep for your claim

• Boarding pass and bag tag stub
• PIR reference and copy of the report
• Photos of the damaged bag and contents
• Receipts for interim purchases
• Receipts or bank statements showing what lost items cost (if you have them)
• A written list of the contents of a lost bag with approximate age and value
• All correspondence with the airline, with dates

If the damaged bag can be repaired, the airline may ask for a repair estimate first. Don't throw away a broken suitcase until the claim is settled – the airline may want to inspect it.

Travel insurance and card cover

Airline liability is often not enough for expensive luggage, and a claim can take weeks. Travel insurance policies frequently cover baggage delay (a fixed amount after a set number of hours) and loss, and some credit cards include similar benefits when you pay for the flight with them. Two cautions:

• Insurers usually require the PIR and the airline's final answer, so file with the airline anyway.
• You cannot be paid twice for the same loss; the insurer may deduct what the airline paid.

Read the policy's single-item limits before you rely on it.

If the airline refuses or ignores you

Escalate the same way as for flight disruptions: a written complaint, then the national enforcement body or ADR scheme where available (see our EU261 and UK261 guides), or the DOT for US flights. Small claims courts handle baggage claims routinely – just remember the two-year limit.

Last checked: 29 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.