If the carousel is empty, the first step isn't a compensation email. Report the checked bag at the arrival airport and leave with a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) or baggage file reference. That reference starts the tracing process; it may not be the airline's separate compensation claim.

Once you have reported the problem, use the airline's official baggage portal or its approved claims email channel. The wording below can be adapted for Delta, United, Ryanair, and other carriers, but it doesn't replace a required form or guarantee payment. The route, the evidence of loss, the bag's status, and the applicable deadline will determine what you can recover.

This article covers checked baggage. A carry-on claim can depend more heavily on whether the airline was at fault.

Lost baggage claim email template

Paste this into the airline's official claim form, or send it by email only if the carrier accepts email claims. Replace every bracketed item and delete the paragraphs that don't apply.

Subject: Formal baggage claim - PIR [Reference] - Flight [Number] - [Date]

Dear [Airline baggage claims team],

I am submitting a formal claim concerning my checked baggage on the following journey:

Passenger: [Full name]
Booking reference: [Booking code]
Flight number: [Flight number]
Date of travel: [Date]
Route: [Departure airport] to [Arrival airport]
Bag tag number: [Bag tag number]
PIR or baggage file reference: [Reference number]
Bag description: [Color, brand, size, and identifying features]

I reported the missing baggage at [airport] on [date] and received the PIR or file reference listed above. As of [date and time], the bag [has not been delivered / was delivered but arrived damaged or with contents missing].

Because of the baggage problem, I incurred these reasonable and necessary expenses:

- [Item, date, and amount] - receipt attached
- [Item, date, and amount] - receipt attached
- [Item, date, and amount] - receipt attached

Total interim expenses: $[Amount]

[Use this paragraph if the bag has been delivered:
The bag was delivered on [date]. I am claiming the expenses caused by the delay and have attached the relevant receipts.]

[Use this paragraph if the bag is being treated as lost:
The bag has not arrived after [number] days, or the airline has confirmed that it is lost. I am also claiming the documented value of the bag and its contents. The attached inventory lists the items, purchase dates, condition, and supporting evidence.]

Where the Montreal Convention applies, please assess this claim under the applicable baggage provisions and liability limit. For covered domestic U.S. transportation, please assess it under applicable federal baggage rules and the airline's contract of carriage. I am claiming my documented loss and reasonable expenses, not assuming that the maximum limit is payable.

Please also assess separately whether I qualify for a refund of the checked-baggage fee under applicable U.S. Department of Transportation rules or airline policy.

Please confirm receipt of this claim, provide the claim number, and tell me if you need any additional information. If any part of the claim is denied or reduced, please explain the reason and identify the policy or rule relied upon.

Sincerely,

[Full name]
[Postal address]
[Phone number]
[Email address]

Attachments:
- PIR or baggage file report
- Bag tag receipt
- Boarding pass or ticket receipt
- Receipts and proof of payment for essential purchases
- Inventory and valuation of the bag and contents
- Photos of damage, if applicable
- Airline correspondence and tracking records

Don't convert the treaty limit into a fixed dollar figure in the message. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) change value against the dollar, and a liability limit is a ceiling, not an automatic award.

What to do before sending the claim

  1. Report the bag immediately. Visit the airline's baggage service desk before leaving the airport when possible. If the desk is closed, use the airline's official reporting channel and save the confirmation or a screenshot.
  2. Keep the PIR or file reference. It helps the airline trace the bag. Some airlines, including Ryanair, say the airport report is not itself the compensation claim.
  3. Save your travel records. Keep the bag-tag receipt, boarding pass, booking confirmation, itinerary, delivery address, and any messages about delivery.
  4. Record necessary purchases. Clothing, toiletries, medication, and other essentials may be recoverable when they were reasonably needed because of the delay. Keep itemized receipts and proof of payment, and avoid unusually expensive replacements.
  5. Build an inventory if the bag is lost. List each item, its approximate purchase date, original price, condition, and any receipt, photograph, warranty, or other evidence of value.
  6. Use the carrier's own website or app. A general customer-service inbox may not open a baggage claim. Don't rely on an address copied from a blog or social-media post.
  7. Keep one case file. Save confirmation numbers, chat transcripts, delivery updates, tracking records, and every response from the airline.

An AirTag or similar tracker can support the timeline and location of the bag. It doesn't replace the airport report, a formal claim, or proof of the contents' value.

Delayed, lost, and damaged baggage are different claims

Problem What you can generally request Deadline or timing to watch
Delayed bag Reasonable, necessary expenses caused by the delay and any qualifying checked-baggage-fee refund Report it promptly. For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, a written delay complaint is generally due within 21 days after the bag is made available.
Lost bag The documented value of the bag and its contents, subject to the applicable liability limit Under the Montreal Convention, an international bag can generally be treated as lost when the airline admits the loss or it has not arrived within 21 days after it should have arrived. Domestic U.S. procedures vary by carrier.
Damaged bag Reasonable repair costs or the proven value of the damage For international carriage under the Montreal Convention, notify the carrier in writing within seven days after receiving the bag. For domestic flights, report the damage immediately and follow the airline's contract.
Missing contents The value of the missing items, supported by an inventory and evidence Report the problem promptly and follow the carrier's claim deadline. Photograph the bag, lock, seams, and packaging before repairing or discarding anything.

The 21-day rule is not a reason to wait before reporting a missing bag. File the initial report as soon as possible, then update the claim if the bag remains missing.

The compensation limits that apply

International flights

When the Montreal Convention applies, the current baggage liability limit is 1,519 SDR per passenger. The exchange value changes, so an old online figure such as $1,950 may no longer be accurate.

That figure is a maximum exposure, not a standard settlement. You generally need to show the actual loss, and the airline may question an item's value, condition, cause of damage, or eligibility. Depreciation, fragile goods, inadequate packaging, and exclusions in the carrier's conditions can affect the result.

The treaty can cover reasonable loss caused by a baggage delay. It doesn't create a universal daily clothing allowance. Airlines commonly look at whether each purchase was necessary, proportionate, and connected to the delay.

The route and the carriers on an international itinerary matter. If the booking includes multiple airlines or a code-share, ask the carrier which baggage rules apply and which airline should handle the claim.

Domestic U.S. flights

For covered domestic U.S. transportation, federal rules set an airline baggage liability limit of $4,700 per passenger under 14 CFR Part 254. That amount is also a ceiling. The airline can require evidence of the loss and apply the terms of its contract of carriage.

The checked-baggage fee is a separate issue from the value of the suitcase and its contents. On a qualifying U.S. flight, U.S. Department of Transportation baggage guidance may require an automatic fee refund when checked baggage is lost, damaged, or significantly delayed. DOT's stated processing windows are seven business days for credit-card payments and 20 calendar days for other payment methods. A fee refund doesn't establish the value of the property inside the bag.

If you declared a higher value at check-in and paid the required charge, attach proof of that declaration. It may affect the applicable limit.

What does not control a baggage claim

These points are easy to confuse:

Airline-specific filing notes

Delta

Use the baggage case or claim path on Delta's official site or app, and keep the reference issued by its Baggage Service Office. Delta's published baggage guidance distinguishes a delayed-bag report from a possible lost-property claim. Its page describes tracing for bags delayed five days or less and a lost-property claim when the delay reaches six days or more. Follow the current instructions for the market and itinerary instead of sending documents to an unverified address.

United

Use the baggage tracking and claim instructions tied to your United case or confirmation message. Include the bag-tag number, flight details, delivery address, and receipts. If the itinerary involved a code-share, identify the airline that operated the segment where the bag was accepted and ask whether the case must be transferred.

Ryanair

Ryanair's official Help Centre instructions state that reporting a checked-bag problem at the arrival airport does not itself constitute a baggage claim. After receiving the PIR, submit the separate claim through Ryanair's process and include the 10-character file reference shown on the report.

The same practical rule applies to British Airways, Lufthansa, and other carriers: use the official baggage portal, read the instructions for delayed, lost, or damaged bags, and submit the claim within the stated deadline.

If the bag is still missing after 21 days

For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, contact the airline when the bag reaches the 21-day point or as soon as the airline declares it lost. Ask the carrier to turn the tracing case into a lost-baggage claim if that hasn't already happened.

Send:

Use one consistent valuation. Don't exaggerate the contents or seek duplicate recovery from the airline and an insurer. If you have travel insurance, notify the insurer promptly and provide the airline report. Check the policy's deductible, valuation method, deadlines, and coordination rules before accepting a final settlement.

Follow-up email for an unresolved claim

Follow up after the date promised by the airline or after a reasonable period without a substantive response. Keep the original case thread when possible, and attach the earlier confirmation so the carrier can match the message to the file.

Subject: Follow-up on baggage claim [Claim number] - PIR [Reference]

Dear [Airline baggage claims team],

I am following up on my formal baggage claim submitted on [date] concerning flight [number] on [date].

The claim concerns:
- Passenger: [Name]
- PIR or file reference: [Reference]
- Claim number: [Number]
- Amount claimed: $[Amount]

I have not received [a decision / reimbursement / a substantive status update]. Please confirm the current status, identify any document still required, and provide the next step by [date].

If any part of the claim is denied or reduced, please send the decision and the reason in writing.

Sincerely,

[Name]
[Phone]
[Email]

If the airline ignores a properly documented claim, keep the case number and correspondence. For a U.S. flight or a carrier within the U.S. Department of Transportation's complaint jurisdiction, you can submit the record through the DOT consumer complaint process. Include the itinerary, PIR, claim number, receipts, and the airline's response or lack of response. A DOT complaint can support oversight and may prompt a response, but DOT isn't a private claims court and doesn't guarantee payment.

For an international journey involving a non-U.S. carrier, the appropriate aviation or consumer authority depends on the route and carrier. A U.S., European, or Colombian complaint route doesn't automatically apply just because the airline serves that market.

Frequently asked questions

Can I claim the full value of a lost suitcase?

You can claim the documented value of the bag and its contents, but the airline may apply depreciation, exclusions, proof requirements, and the applicable liability cap. You won't automatically receive the maximum treaty or federal limit.

Should I wait 21 days before submitting a claim?

No. Report the missing bag immediately and claim reasonable delay expenses as they arise. For international carriage, 21 days is generally the point at which a bag may be treated as lost if it hasn't arrived, not a waiting period before you can report it.

Is a PIR enough to get compensation?

Usually not. A PIR starts the tracing process. The airline may require a separate claim form, receipts, an inventory, photographs, and proof of payment.

Can I claim clothing and toiletries?

Reasonable and necessary purchases made because of the delay may qualify, particularly when supported by itemized receipts. Buy what you need rather than luxury or unusually expensive replacements.

What if Ryanair says my airport report is not a claim?

That matches Ryanair's published instructions. Keep the PIR and submit the separate online claim with the required 10-character file reference.

What should I do if the airline rejects the claim?

Ask for the reason and the rule or contract term used to calculate the denial. Check whether the issue is missing evidence, late notice, an excluded item, or the wrong carrier. If the airline still doesn't resolve it, keep the denial with the PIR, claim form, receipts, and correspondence before contacting the appropriate regulator or insurer.