If your checked bag doesn't appear, report it before leaving the baggage area, obtain a property irregularity report (PIR) number, and start a written claim. Keep itemized receipts for necessary purchases, confirm the deadline for your route, and don't wait for an app or tracker update before preserving evidence.

Which rules control the claim?

The itinerary determines the main legal and contractual rules:

What to do before leaving the airport

1. Report the missing bag at the airline's baggage desk

Go to the airline's baggage services counter before leaving the airport. Give the agent your baggage-claim tag, flight information, contact details, delivery address, and a precise description of the bag.

Ask for:

A PIR starts the tracing process, but it usually isn't the same as a compensation claim. If the counter is closed, use the airline's online reporting form immediately. Save the confirmation page, take screenshots, and ask the airline to confirm in writing that you reported the problem.

2. Check the baggage tag and itinerary

Compare the tag number on your claim stub with your boarding pass and booking details. A mismatch may help explain why the bag was misrouted.

Write down:

Give the airline a delivery address where someone can receive the bag. Update it if your plans change.

3. Describe the bag in useful detail

"Black suitcase" is rarely enough. Include the brand, approximate size, color, material, model, stickers, ribbons, scratches, broken wheels, and other distinguishing features. Attach a pre-trip photo if you have one.

If you used an AirTag or another tracker, provide a screenshot to the airline. A tracker can show that a bag is at an airport or on another aircraft, but it doesn't replace the PIR or prove the amount of your loss. Don't go to a tracker location yourself.

4. Buy only reasonable necessities

If you need toiletries, underwear, weather-appropriate clothing, or other basics, buy what you reasonably need while the bag is delayed. Keep the receipts and avoid luxury purchases, duplicate items, or a complete replacement wardrobe.

Ask the airline whether it requires preapproval for larger purchases. If you can't reach anyone, document why and keep the purchase modest. For U.S. travel, the DOT describes reimbursable delayed-baggage expenses as reasonable, verifiable, and actual incidental expenses, subject to applicable liability limits. See the DOT's Fly Rights baggage guidance.

Build a baggage claim file

Create one folder containing:

For each missing item, record its approximate age, purchase price, current replacement price, and proof of ownership. Pre-trip photos, order confirmations, warranty records, and card statements can help when you don't have the original receipt.

Understand the reporting and claim deadlines

There are two separate actions:

  1. The airport report: Tell the airline immediately that the bag is missing or damaged.
  2. The formal claim: Submit a written request for reimbursement or compensation through the airline's claims process.

For a U.S.-only trip, read the airline's contract of carriage and claim instructions. The airport report is not a reason to postpone the formal claim, and a verbal conversation at the baggage desk may not satisfy a written-claim deadline.

For an international itinerary covered by the Montreal Convention, the usual written complaint periods are:

Problem Typical Montreal Convention deadline
Damage to baggage Within 7 days after receiving the damaged bag
Delayed baggage Within 21 days after the bag is placed at your disposal
Bag not returned Start the claim immediately; if it isn't returned within 21 days, it is generally handled as lost

The 21-day period is not a reason to wait before reporting the bag or gathering evidence. The exact route, carrier, and applicable contract still matter. The French public-service explanation of international baggage claims is a useful overview of the Montreal framework, but U.S. travelers should also check the airline's own instructions.

Don't assume that a general "7-day rule" applies to every baggage problem. The international damage deadline and delayed-baggage deadline are different.

What compensation may be available

Necessary expenses during a delay

You can generally request reimbursement for reasonable necessities purchased because the airline did not deliver your bag. The airline may consider the length of the delay, the destination, the weather, and whether each purchase was proportionate.

A short delay may support a claim for toiletries and basic clothing. A longer delay may justify additional essentials, but the airline doesn't automatically owe the cost of everything you bought.

A refund of the checked-bag fee

A checked-bag fee refund is separate from reimbursement for replacement items. For flights covered by the DOT's automatic-refund rule, the airline must refund the fee when a bag is lost or significantly delayed, assuming the applicable conditions are met.

For this purpose, significant delay generally means the bag wasn't delivered within:

The refund is generally due within 7 business days when the fee was paid by credit card and within 20 calendar days for other payment methods. A fee refund doesn't resolve a separate claim for necessary expenses or the value of a lost bag. If the refund doesn't appear, send the airline your PIR number, baggage-tag number, and proof of payment.

The value of a lost bag and its contents

There is no automatic flat payment for inconvenience. A lost-baggage claim normally depends on the proven value of the bag and its contents, reasonable expenses, and the liability limit that applies to the itinerary.

For a U.S.-only flight, DOT rules generally set a maximum baggage liability of $4,700 per passenger. That is a ceiling, not a guaranteed award. You still need to show what was lost and its value, and the airline's contract may address depreciation, fragile items, high-value property, and other exclusions.

For international carriage, the Montreal Convention uses a liability limit stated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). The dollar equivalent changes, and the treaty limits can be revised, so don't rely on an old dollar conversion found in a forum or an outdated article. A special declaration of interest or value at check-in may provide additional protection when the airline offers that option and accepts the required fee.

Don't assume missed events, replacement tickets, emotional distress, or other consequential losses will be paid automatically. Ask the carrier to identify the rule supporting any denial or limitation.

Damage to a bag

Photograph the damage before repairing or discarding the bag. Ask whether the airline will arrange a repair, reimburse a reasonable repair, or pay the bag's depreciated value if it cannot be repaired.

Keep damaged luggage until the airline tells you what to do. Throwing it away can make it harder to prove the condition and extent of the damage.

How to submit a formal lost-baggage complaint

Use the airline's baggage-claims portal, email address, or mailing address listed in its contract of carriage. Submit before the applicable deadline even if the tracing process is still open.

Include:

For an international claim, you can state: "I am making a claim under the Montreal Convention for delayed, damaged, or lost baggage." Use that wording only when the itinerary is international and the convention applies.

Simple claim template

Subject: Baggage claim - PIR [number] - [flight date]

Dear Baggage Claims Department,

I am submitting a written claim for baggage that was not delivered on flight [number] from [origin] to [destination] on [date].

The bag contained the items listed in the attached inventory. I am requesting reimbursement of the attached reasonable expenses totaling $[amount], any applicable checked-bag fee refund, and the next step for processing the bag as lost if it is not returned within the applicable period.

For this international itinerary, this is a claim under the Montreal Convention: [include only if applicable].

Please confirm receipt, provide the claim number, and explain in writing the basis for any proposed deduction or denial.

Sincerely,
[Name]
[Address]
[Phone]
[Email]

Submit copies rather than irreplaceable originals, and keep proof of submission.

If the airline says the bag is lost

You don't have to wait passively before organizing the lost-bag portion of the claim. Start the inventory and gather proof as soon as it becomes clear that the bag may not be recovered.

Ask the airline:

Read any release carefully before signing. If the airline's calculation is unclear, request the calculation and the contract provision it used.

If the bag is eventually delivered, update the claim rather than treating it as a total loss. You may still be able to request reasonable delay expenses and an applicable checked-bag fee refund.

Credit-card and travel-insurance claims

Travel insurance, homeowners or renters insurance, and some credit cards may cover baggage delay or loss. Coverage isn't a substitute for the airline claim, and it doesn't follow one universal process.

Check the policy or card benefit guide for:

Some card benefits require you to submit a claim to the airline first. For example, Chase's baggage-delay reimbursement guide tells cardholders to check the carrier claim process before seeking the card benefit.

Notify the insurer or card benefits administrator before its deadline, even if the airline is still tracing the bag. Send the PIR, airline claim, receipts, proof of payment, and any airline settlement. Never seek payment twice for the same expense; disclose what the airline or another insurer has paid.

How to escalate an unresolved complaint

Escalate in this order:

  1. Baggage services: Confirm the PIR and tracing information.
  2. Claims department: Submit the formal claim through the airline's required channel.
  3. Customer relations: Send a short written chronology with the claim number and the specific remedy you want.
  4. Regulator: If the trip is covered by U.S. rules, file with the DOT's air travel complaint form.
  5. Insurance or card administrator: Open a separate benefits claim before its deadline.
  6. Other national authority or dispute process: For an international route, check the relevant country's aviation authority or approved alternative-dispute process.

A DOT complaint can bring regulatory attention to an airline's handling of the matter, but it isn't a guaranteed award of private compensation. Keep pursuing the airline claim and preserve the evidence separately.

Your escalation message should include the dates of travel, the date you reported the bag, PIR and claim numbers, amounts requested, documents attached, and the airline's response. Ask for a written explanation rather than relying on another phone promise.

Mistakes that weaken baggage claims

Frequently asked questions

Is a PIR the same as a lost-baggage claim?

No. A PIR records the missing or damaged bag and starts tracing. A formal claim requests reimbursement or compensation and may require a separate online form, letter, or deadline.

What if I already left the airport?

Report the problem through the airline's website or claims contact immediately. Request written confirmation and explain why you couldn't report it at the airport. Keep that confirmation with your travel documents.

Does an AirTag prove that the airline owes me money?

No. It can help locate the bag and show that it may be at a particular airport, but it doesn't establish the value of the contents or replace the airline's reporting process.

Does EU261 provide compensation for a lost suitcase?

Generally, no. EU261 addresses certain flight delays, cancellations, and denied boarding. International baggage loss, damage, and delay are generally handled under the Montreal Convention and the airline's applicable terms.

Should I claim from the airline or my insurer first?

Notify both promptly, then follow the policy terms. A card benefit may require an airline claim first, while a travel policy may have its own notice deadline. Tell each provider about payments made by the other.

Open the airline's baggage confirmation now, locate the applicable claim deadline, and keep the PIR, receipts, inventory, and every written response in one folder.