If your checked bag is missing, report it before leaving the airport if you can. Keep the baggage tag, claim number, and every receipt. You can start the claim now; there is no reason to wait 21 days. For qualifying international carriage, that period mainly matters because baggage still undelivered after 21 days is generally treated as lost.
Which rule applies?
The itinerary determines the main rules:
- U.S. domestic flight: U.S. Department of Transportation rules and the airline's contract of carriage apply.
- International itinerary: The Montreal Convention may apply. That can include a domestic connecting segment booked as part of the same international journey.
- Flight disruption: EU 261 generally addresses cancellation, denied boarding, and flight delay. It isn't usually the rule that sets compensation or deadlines for lost baggage.
A Property Irregularity Report, or PIR, creates an official record of the problem. It isn't a universal U.S. requirement that every passenger file one within 24 hours, and a PIR may not be the same as a reimbursement claim. Report the issue promptly, ask whether a separate claim is required, and follow the airline's stated deadline.
What to do before leaving the airport
Report the missing or damaged bag
Go to the airline's baggage service office and bring:
- Your baggage tag or claim receipt
- Your boarding pass and itinerary
- Government-issued identification
- The bag's brand, color, size, and distinctive features
- Your hotel or local delivery address
- Any tracking information from the airline's app or a tracking device
Ask for a written report or electronic confirmation. Write down the file number, the date and time, and the employee's name if available.
If the office is closed, use the airline's online form or customer-service number. Screenshot the submission and save the confirmation email. Reporting later is better than abandoning the claim, but a prompt record gives the airline a clearer starting point.
Describe exactly what happened
Use the right category:
- Delayed baggage: The bag has not arrived, but the airline may still locate and deliver it.
- Lost baggage: The airline has declared it lost, or an applicable international rule treats it as lost after 21 days.
- Damaged baggage: The bag or its contents arrived in damaged condition.
- Missing contents: The bag arrived, but items inside it are missing.
The forms and deadlines can differ. Photograph damage before repairing or discarding anything. If items are missing, list them separately from damage to the suitcase.
Confirm delivery and necessary purchases
Before leaving, ask:
- Will the airline deliver the bag?
- How can you update the delivery address?
- Do you need approval before buying necessities?
- Where should you send receipts?
- Is a checked-bag fee eligible for a refund?
- How often should you check the claim status?
While the bag is missing, limit purchases to reasonable necessities such as basic clothing and toiletries. Keep itemized receipts and explain why each purchase was needed. Luxury items, large quantities, and purchases unrelated to the trip are more likely to be challenged.
The 21-day rule and other deadlines
For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, baggage that has not been delivered within 21 days is generally treated as lost. You can submit information and begin the claim before then. Start collecting receipts and an inventory immediately rather than waiting for the airline to change the file's status.
That 21-day rule does not automatically apply to every U.S. domestic flight. Domestic airlines may use their own process for converting a delayed-baggage file into a lost-baggage claim. Don't rely on a generic "30-day rule." Check the airline's current baggage policy and contract of carriage, and ask in writing when the file can be converted.
For an international claim, the usual written-notice periods are:
- Damage: Notify the airline as soon as possible and generally within 7 days after receiving the bag.
- Delay: Submit a written complaint generally within 21 days after the baggage is placed at your disposal or delivered.
- Loss: Follow the airline's lost-baggage procedure promptly after an earlier declaration of loss or after the 21-day period.
A late notice can affect your rights, particularly under the Montreal Convention. The airline's form may also give you a separate submission deadline. Read it carefully instead of waiting for the bag to be officially declared lost.
What compensation can you request?
A baggage payment is generally based on documented financial loss. It isn't an automatic award for inconvenience, the full new-retail price of everything in the suitcase, or sentimental value.
U.S. domestic baggage claims
For U.S. domestic flights, airline liability for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage is generally capped at $4,700 per passenger. That figure is a maximum, not a guaranteed payment. The airline may value used property according to its age and condition and may apply exclusions in its contract.
Depending on the facts and supporting documents, a domestic claim may include:
- Reasonable essential purchases during a delay
- The actual value of a lost suitcase and its contents
- Repair costs or, when repair isn't practical, the depreciated value of the damaged item
- Certain directly related expenses
- A checked-baggage fee when applicable DOT rules require a refund
If the airline rejects an expense or fee, ask it to identify the rule or contract provision supporting that decision.
International claims under the Montreal Convention
For most international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, the baggage liability limit is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, per passenger as of 2026. Its dollar value changes with exchange rates, so it shouldn't be presented as a fixed $6,000 entitlement. The IATA overview of the Montreal Convention explains that treaty limits are periodically reviewed.
The limit applies to proven loss or damage. It doesn't automatically pay the amount you believe the bag was worth. A higher limit may apply if you declared a higher value and paid any required additional charge when checking the bag.
Cash, jewelry, fragile goods, documents, electronics, and property placed in checked baggage contrary to the airline's rules may be excluded or subject to special conditions. Check the applicable contract before assuming that every item has full protection.
EU 261 usually isn't the baggage rule
EU 261 can provide rights for certain cancellations, denied boarding, and long delays. It doesn't normally set the compensation limit or notice deadline for a lost suitcase. For baggage on covered international or European travel, look first to the Montreal Convention and the airline's claim procedure.
The European Consumer Centres Network baggage guidance can help with EU-related claims. It doesn't replace U.S. rules for a purely domestic U.S. itinerary.
Build an evidence file
Create one folder for the claim. Include:
- The baggage tag and baggage receipt
- Boarding passes, ticket receipt, and complete itinerary
- The PIR or baggage-file number
- Photos of the bag, tag, damage, and contents, if available
- A written inventory of the contents
- Purchase receipts, invoices, bank statements, or photographs showing ownership
- Receipts for essential replacement items
- Screenshots from the airline's tracking system
- AirTag or other tracking screenshots showing dates and times
- Emails, chats, and notes from telephone calls
- Any written denial or settlement offer
For each missing item, record its description, approximate purchase date, original price, age, condition, and amount requested. Without a receipt, explain how you estimated the value and use photographs or account records to support ownership.
An AirTag can show where a bag appears to be, but it isn't irrefutable proof that the airline owes a particular amount. It may not prove what was inside, who had custody of the bag, or whether the location is current. Send dated screenshots to the airline and ask it to investigate. Don't enter a restricted airport area, confront another traveler, or try to recover the bag without airline or airport authorization.
Submit an itemized claim
Use the airline's official claim form when possible, even if you already filed a PIR. Keep a copy of the completed form and every attachment.
A clear claim identifies:
- Your name and contact details
- Flight numbers, travel dates, and route
- The marketing and operating carriers, if the trip was a codeshare
- The baggage tag and PIR or file number
- Whether the issue involves delay, damage, loss, or missing contents
- Each item and the amount requested
- Essential expenses, with dates and receipts
- Any baggage-fee refund requested separately
- Payments or credits already offered by the airline or an insurer
A simple inventory table can keep the request easy to check:
| Item | Evidence of ownership | Amount requested |
|---|---|---|
| [Description] | [Receipt, photograph, account record] | [Amount] |
Use reasonable values. Claiming full new-retail prices for old goods without explaining their condition, or submitting an inflated inventory, can undermine the rest of the file.
Claim-letter template
Subject: Baggage claim for file [number]
Dear Baggage Claims Team,
On [date], I traveled from [origin] to [destination] on flight [number]. My baggage, identified by tag [number], was not delivered or arrived damaged. I reported the problem under file number [number].
I request reimbursement of the attached, itemized loss totaling [amount]. This includes [essential expenses, lost contents, repair costs, and applicable baggage fee]. I have attached my itinerary, baggage documents, photographs, receipts, and ownership evidence.
For an international itinerary, this claim is made under the Montreal Convention where applicable. For a U.S. domestic itinerary, it is made under the applicable DOT baggage rules and the airline's contract of carriage.
Please provide a written calculation or explanation for any amount denied. I request a response by [reasonable date]. Please send any settlement terms before I accept a release or voucher.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Phone and email]
The date in the letter is only a reasonable request for a response. Don't describe 14 days as a legal deadline. Airline deadlines, insurance deadlines, and any court limitation period are separate.
United, Delta, and codeshare flights
The airline's name alone won't decide the result. Route, domestic or international status, operating carrier, ticket contract, reporting date, and evidence all matter.
For United, Delta, or another carrier:
- Use the current baggage page or claim portal, not an old blog post.
- Keep the file number created by the baggage office.
- Record both the marketing and operating carrier on a codeshare.
- Ask the airline that opened the report which carrier is handling the claim.
- Treat an app location update as tracking information, not a formal claim decision.
- Treat a customer-service estimate or promised callback as a service update, not a legal deadline.
- Request the contract provision when the airline cites a limit or exclusion.
If the airline says the bag is at another airport, ask it to arrange delivery. Don't pay a private courier or travel to retrieve the bag unless the airline confirms the arrangement and reimbursement in writing.
Mobility aids, wheelchairs, and certain assistive devices may have additional protections. Report their loss or damage immediately and identify the property as mobility or assistive equipment rather than describing it as an ordinary suitcase.
Airline compensation and other insurance
File with the airline and notify your insurer promptly if both might cover the loss. Which provider pays first depends on the policy.
| Coverage | What it may cover | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Airline claim | Documented delay expenses and proven baggage loss or damage | Liability cap, exclusions, depreciation, and notice deadlines |
| Travel insurance | A fixed baggage or baggage-delay benefit, sometimes after airline reimbursement | Deductible, per-item limits, receipts, and primary or secondary status |
| Credit-card benefits | Certain baggage-delay or lost-baggage benefits | Whether the fare was paid with the card, time triggers, and required documents |
| Homeowners or renters insurance | Some personal-property losses away from home | Deductible, coverage limits, and exclusions |
A credit card doesn't automatically cover lost luggage. The benefit may require that the fare or part of the trip was paid with the eligible card, and the claim may have a short reporting window.
Tell each provider about payments, vouchers, or reimbursements from another source. Insurance generally won't pay twice for the same loss.
How to escalate a denied or stalled claim
Use a written sequence so the record stays clear:
- Ask the baggage department to reconsider. Answer each reason for denial with the missing receipt, ownership record, or contract language.
- Contact customer relations. Attach the original claim, file number, and a short timeline instead of forwarding an unorganized email chain.
- File a DOT complaint for a U.S.-connected flight. The DOT Air Consumer Protection portal accepts complaints about airline service and baggage handling. A complaint may prompt a response and help regulators identify patterns, but it generally isn't a private damages award.
- Check insurance and card-benefit procedures. Missing a separate insurer's deadline can eliminate that source of payment.
- Consider formal remedies. Review the airline's contract for arbitration, venue, notice, and court provisions. For an international claim governed by Montreal, the treaty generally provides a two-year period for bringing an action, subject to the claim and forum.
A claims company may charge a percentage or require an assignment of rights. Read its fee, cancellation, and settlement terms before authorizing it to act.
Mistakes that weaken a baggage claim
- Leaving the airport without reporting the problem when an airport report is available
- Assuming a PIR must always be filed within 24 hours, or assuming no PIR makes a claim impossible
- Waiting 21 days before collecting receipts or submitting a delayed-baggage claim
- Treating an AirTag location as proof of the bag's contents or value
- Buying expensive items without a clear need
- Claiming new-retail prices for old goods without addressing age and condition
- Using unsupported or inflated values
- Missing the international 7-day damage or 21-day delay notice period
- Using EU 261 as the legal basis for a baggage claim
- Accepting a voucher or signing a release before reviewing the amount
- Failing to disclose airline payments to an insurer or card-benefit administrator
- Assuming a DOT complaint replaces the formal airline claim
Questions readers often ask
Does the airline have to pay the full value of everything in a lost bag?
No. The airline normally evaluates documented actual loss, may account for age and condition, and may apply exclusions and a liability cap. Sentimental value usually isn't compensated.
Can I claim expenses while the bag is delayed?
Usually, you can request reasonable, necessary, documented expenses caused by the delay. Keep the receipts and explain the circumstances. Luxury purchases, duplicates, and expenses unrelated to the missing bag may be rejected.
What if the bag arrives after 21 days?
For qualifying international carriage, the bag may already be treated as lost under the Montreal Convention. Later delivery doesn't necessarily erase a valid claim for delay-related loss or reasonable expenses. Notify the airline, inspect the bag, and report any remaining loss or damage promptly.
Is an AirTag enough to win a dispute?
No. It can help locate the bag and challenge an inaccurate status update, but it doesn't establish the contents' value or guarantee reimbursement. Use it alongside baggage records, receipts, photographs, and a dated timeline.
What should I do if the airline denies the claim?
Request the denial and calculation in writing. Identify the exact contract term used and answer it with targeted evidence. Then escalate to customer relations, the DOT for a U.S.-connected flight, your insurer, or a formal remedy allowed by the contract. Keep the tag, file number, submissions, and deadlines together until the matter is resolved.