The carousel emptied and your suitcase never showed. Do you walk out and hope the airline emails you later, or do you stop at the desk first? Stop at the baggage desk before you leave.
Report the missing bag at the airport, keep the report number, and then send a written claim with receipts and other evidence of what you spent or lost. Don't wait for anyone to call the bag lost.
You can seek reasonable costs the delay caused as soon as those costs show up. The airline's home country is not the deciding factor. Your itinerary is.
Start with the rule that controls your itinerary
| Itinerary | Primary framework | What matters most |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. domestic flight | DOT baggage rules and the airline's contract of carriage | The current domestic baggage liability limit is $4,700 per passenger. |
| International itinerary covered by the Montreal Convention | Montreal Convention | Liability limits are stated in Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, rather than a fixed dollar amount. |
| Some older or non-Montreal international routes | A different treaty framework may apply | The calculation and notice rules can differ, including possible weight-based rules under the Warsaw system. |
Checked-bag money claims on international routes are generally handled under the applicable treaty, not EU Regulation 261/2004. That EU rule mainly addresses flight disruptions such as cancellation and delay.
The $4,700 domestic figure is only a ceiling. You still need to show what was lost, damaged, or reasonably purchased because the bag was delayed. It is not an automatic payment.
Domestic protections are covered in the U.S. Department of Transportation's baggage guidance. For international context, the French government passenger guide also distinguishes Montreal Convention baggage claims from older Warsaw Convention rules.
Don't rely on old airline compensation tables. SDR values move with exchange rates, and a maximum quoted for one route may not apply to yours.
Report the missing bag at the airport
Ask for a Property Irregularity Report, often called a PIR, at the airline's baggage desk or its ground-handling agent as soon as you can. Get that report opened before you leave.
The PIR starts the search for your bag. It's not always the same as a formal compensation claim.
- Give the agent your baggage-tag number, boarding pass, itinerary, and a clear bag description.
- Get the PIR reference number in writing or save a screenshot of it.
- Confirm your local delivery address, phone number, and email address.
- Photograph your baggage tag and any tracking screen shown by the airline.
- Ask where and how the airline wants a separate expense, damage, or loss claim submitted.
- If the desk is closed, report the problem through the airline's app, website, or phone support and save proof of the time you tried.
Use the airline's claim process as well, even if the tracker says the bag is still being located. Keep every confirmation email you get.
Write down flight arrival time, report time, bag updates, purchases, and the date the bag was returned. That timeline will help later.
Claiming costs while your bag is delayed
Keep purchases proportionate to the trip. Basic clothing, toiletries, or an item needed for the weather can be easier to justify than a full replacement wardrobe.
| Type of claim | Useful evidence | What to explain |
|---|---|---|
| Delayed bag expenses | Itemized receipts, dates, itinerary | Why the purchase was necessary during the delay |
| Damaged bag | Photos, repair estimate, bag purchase record | The condition before and after the flight |
| Bag treated as lost | Packing list, order confirmations, photos, card records | Each item's age, condition, and approximate value |
For U.S. domestic travel, DOT says airlines must compensate passengers for reasonable, verifiable, and actual incidental expenses caused by a delayed checked bag. Those payments stay subject to the applicable liability limit. U.S. rules do not set a flat daily allowance.
Thing is, receipts are the strongest proof. They are not your only evidence. A card statement, store order email, product photo, warranty record, or a dated photo showing you using the item can help establish ownership and value.
If you were headed to a wedding or a cold-weather work trip, write that down too, because a needed jacket or basic clothes can make sense in context, and context is often missing from a bare receipt.
When a delay becomes a lost-bag claim
Waiting usually makes documentation harder. Send your detailed claim while the airline is still searching.
For U.S. domestic trips, the carrier's contract of carriage may set its own claim procedure and deadline. Check it right away. Submit the claim through the stated channel and save the confirmation page, email, or certified-mail record showing when you filed.
For an international itinerary governed by the Montreal Convention, these written-notice periods matter. Send a written damage complaint within seven days after receiving the bag, and send a written delay complaint within 21 days after the bag is placed at your disposal. Those clocks start from different events.
If the bag has not arrived 21 days after it should have arrived, the passenger can enforce rights against the carrier as a loss claim under the Convention. These treaty deadlines do not mean you must wait 21 days to report a missing bag or seek delay expenses. Report it immediately.
Limits, valuables, and proof problems
Airlines go through the evidence. The domestic $4,700 liability limit does not mean every claim is worth $4,700.
They may ask about an item's purchase date, condition, repairability, and proof of ownership, and they will look at the bag and what was in it, which is the sort of messy follow-up that gets harder once you're reconstructing a suitcase from memory.
Cash, jewelry, collectibles, fragile items, and expensive electronics can draw extra scrutiny because carrier contracts can also contain restrictions for certain goods or packing methods. Read the baggage terms for your specific carrier. A carrier process does not replace the legal framework that applies to the route.
Open the claim instructions early if you bought a declared-value option, travel insurance, or a card benefit with baggage cover. Their deadlines may be separate from the airline's.
To be honest, photos and receipts taken before a trip are far more useful than trying to reconstruct a suitcase after it disappears. For the current claim, gather what you have rather than guessing at values.
If the airline rejects or ignores your claim
You need to know whether the airline disputes the bag's value, says an item is excluded, wants more evidence, or believes you filed late. Ask for that decision in writing.
Don't resend the same screenshot bundle. Reply with a short, organized follow-up that restates the PIR number, lists the disputed items or expenses, attaches the missing proof, and requests a written reconsideration.
For a U.S. complaint, use the DOT baggage guidance to review federal protections and reach the aviation consumer complaint process. A regulator complaint can bring the problem to DOT's attention. It does not replace your airline claim or extend a filing deadline.
A France-connected claim may have another route. The French government guidance says an eligible passenger may contact Mediateur Tourisme Voyage after a refusal or no response for two months, if the airline has signed its mediation charter. That option is France-specific. Don't assume it applies to a U.S. claim.
Common sticking points
The airline's tracker is not a settlement decision. Keep checking it and still meet the written-claim deadline even while the search remains open.
Reasonable essentials can be claimed before the bag is declared lost, so keep itemized receipts, explain why each purchase was needed, and send the money claim separately from the PIR. The PIR helps locate the bag, while a written claim asks for money.
No original receipt does not end the claim. Submit alternative proof of ownership and value, then explain what each document shows.
Turns out, a one-page chronology with clearly named attachments is often easier for a reviewer to follow than dozens of unlabeled files.
Start by locating your PIR number, baggage tag, itinerary, receipts, and any photos of the bag or its contents. Put those items in one folder. Submit the airline claim through its stated process, and save proof that it was filed.