If your checked bag doesn't arrive, report it at the airport before you leave, get a baggage file or Property Irregularity Report (PIR) number, and submit a separate written claim. Include an honest inventory, proof of value, and receipts for necessary purchases.

A report starts the search. It is not automatically a request for compensation. The rules depend on the itinerary: U.S. domestic claims generally follow Department of Transportation (DOT) rules and the airline's contract of carriage, while many international claims fall under the Montreal Convention.

Report the bag before you leave the airport

Go to the airline's baggage service desk, usually near the carousel, and describe the missing bag. Ask the representative to open a delayed-baggage file and give you the PIR or file number, a copy or photo of the report, contact details for follow-up, instructions for a formal claim, and how delivery is supposed to work, including the address they have on file.

A PIR is useful evidence. It still may not be the compensation claim the airline will later require. If the desk is closed, use the airline's official baggage website or telephone line immediately and save the confirmation. Don't leave without reporting the problem if a desk is available. If you're already home, contact the airline as soon as you can and explain when and where you reported the bag.

Save the boarding pass, booking confirmation, baggage receipt or tag number, PIR, flight numbers, dates, connection points, and airline names. Photos of the bag and its contents help, as do delivery messages, emails, and tracking screenshots. When several airlines handled the trip, include every flight number. Start with the carrier that operated the flight into the airport where the bag failed to arrive, and ask that carrier to connect any earlier reports to the same file.

Give a phone number, email address, and an address where you can actually receive the bag. Ask whether the airline will deliver it and whether you need to pay a delivery charge. Confirm any change if you move to another hotel or destination.

Ask what the airline treats as a reasonable purchase during the delay. You usually shouldn't buy luxury replacements, but necessary toiletries, underwear, and basic clothing may qualify under the airline's rules and applicable law. Keep itemized receipts. Don't wait to buy essential items solely because the airline hasn't approved them in advance.

Use the airline's tracking tool or the link tied to your baggage file, and record each meaningful update, including delivery attempts and messages that the bag was located. A late bag is not necessarily legally lost. Airlines often search for an internal period before they close a file as lost. Under the Montreal Convention, baggage that has not arrived within 21 days may generally be treated as lost for purposes of enforcing the passenger's rights. That does not mean you should wait 21 days before reporting it or documenting expenses.

If the bag is delivered, inspect the suitcase and its contents as soon as it arrives. Photograph damage, broken locks, and missing items, then report those problems promptly using the airline's instructions. A delayed-baggage report may not cover a later claim for damage or theft from inside the bag.

File a written compensation claim, not just a PIR

Use the airline's baggage-claim portal, email address, or written form. A phone call or PIR alone may not satisfy the formal claim process.

Put the PIR or file number at the top, then passenger and contact details, the complete itinerary, and the bag tag number. Describe the bag, including brand, color, size, and distinctive marks. Attach an itemized list of missing contents, receipts for emergency purchases, and evidence of ownership and value. State the amount requested, how you calculated it, and any payments already received from the airline, an insurer, or another provider.

Say clearly whether the bag is delayed, officially declared lost, damaged, or missing items after delivery. Ask for reimbursement of qualifying expenses, the value of the lost property, and any baggage-fee refund that applies.

Submit the claim as soon as possible. For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, a delayed-baggage complaint generally must be made within 21 days after the bag is placed at your disposal. A complaint about damaged baggage generally has a seven-day deadline. Domestic U.S. deadlines and procedures appear in the airline's contract of carriage, so check that document rather than assuming the international dates apply.

If you don't have receipts

A missing receipt doesn't automatically end a claim, but you'll need other credible evidence. Credit card or bank statements, online order confirmations, warranty or registration records, photos showing the item in your possession, model and serial numbers, repair estimates, and contemporary price listings for the same or a comparable item can all help. A dated inventory prepared before or shortly after the trip is useful too.

List the purchase date, original price, condition, and a realistic current value. Airlines may apply depreciation or follow their contract rules instead of paying for a brand-new replacement.

Never add an item because you think it might have been in the suitcase. Don't submit altered receipts, inflated prices, or an inventory based on guesswork. A smaller, well-supported claim is safer than a large one that can't be verified.

If you don't have a baggage tag

Tell the airline the tag is missing and provide your passenger record, flight details, bag description, and any photograph of the suitcase. The carrier may still be able to trace the bag from its own records, but the missing tag can make the investigation harder. Ask for a claim number, and get a written explanation if the airline refuses to open a file. Keep that response with your other documents.

What you can actually request

Compensation is usually based on documented financial loss, not a standard payment for inconvenience. There is no automatic payout of the maximum liability amount.

For a delay, request reimbursement for reasonable, verifiable, actual incidental expenses caused by the missing bag. The U.S. Department of Transportation's baggage guidance explains how delayed, damaged, and lost baggage are treated. Necessary toiletries and basic clothing bought during the delay are typical examples. The airline may ask for receipts and may apply its contract terms. Ask separately about a refund of the baggage fee when the service was not provided or the delay meets the applicable standard.

For a bag treated as lost, request the supported value of the suitcase and its contents. The airline may consider age, condition, depreciation, excluded items, and any interim payment already made. You still have to show what was lost and what it was worth. Cash, jewelry, important documents, medication, fragile goods, and other valuables may be restricted or excluded under the airline's contract, especially when placed in checked baggage.

For physical damage, ask for reasonable repair costs or compensation for the loss in value. Photograph the damage before repairing anything, and keep the estimate or invoice. Don't discard the bag until the airline has had a fair opportunity to inspect it, unless it is unsafe to keep.

Which rules apply to your trip

Montreal generally covers international carriage between participating countries and can apply to an international itinerary that includes a domestic connection. If the route is not covered, a different treaty, local law, or airline contract may control. The European Consumer Centres Network's passenger-rights overview separates EU flight-disruption rights from baggage rules.

A declared excess value accepted by the airline may change the applicable protection, but only if the carrier offered and accepted it under its stated terms.

Travel insurance and other coverage

Check the policy promptly. Travel insurance may cover delayed-baggage essentials, lost property, or the amount left after the airline pays. Policies can have deductibles, sublimits, exclusions, and deadlines.

Other possible sources include a credit card's baggage or travel protection if the fare was paid in the required way, homeowners or renters insurance subject to the policy's deductible and exclusions, and separate coverage for expensive electronics, jewelry, or professional equipment.

Tell each provider about the other claim. You can't recover twice for the same loss. If the airline pays later, send the settlement details to the insurer. Before accepting a voucher or signing a release, check whether it settles only the current expense or closes the entire baggage claim.

If the airline denies or ignores the claim

Ask for a written explanation rather than accepting a general statement such as "not covered." Request the specific contract clause or exclusion used, the calculation of any amount offered, the evidence the airline believes is missing, and the deadline and method for appealing.

Reply with a short chronology, your claim number, the amount requested, and the documents supporting each expense or item. Keep copies and send documents electronically when possible; retain originals.

If the airline doesn't resolve a U.S. consumer complaint, you can submit it through the DOT aviation consumer complaint form. A DOT complaint creates a regulatory record and may prompt a response, but it isn't a court judgment and doesn't guarantee an individual payment.

For a high-value dispute, review the airline's contract, your insurance policy, and the filing rules for the relevant court before deciding whether further action is worthwhile. This is general consumer guidance, not legal advice.

Claiming a bag is missing when you know it was delivered, inflating the contents, using fake receipts, or preventing the bag from being recovered can amount to insurance or claims fraud. That can lead to denial of the claim, repayment of money already received, civil collection, loss of insurance coverage, airline account restrictions, or referral to law enforcement. Exact penalties depend on the conduct, amount, and jurisdiction. If a bag turns up after you submit a claim, notify the airline and insurer immediately and ask how to amend the file. An honest correction is much safer than trying to keep a payment based on inaccurate information.

Common questions

Do I need a PIR to receive compensation? A PIR is strong evidence that you reported the problem, but it may not be the formal compensation claim. Submit the airline's written claim as well and keep proof that it was received.

Should I wait 21 days before filing? No. Report the missing bag immediately and document emergency purchases as they occur. The 21-day period is mainly relevant to delayed international baggage under the Montreal Convention; it isn't a reason to postpone notice.

Can I claim without receipts? You can submit alternative proof such as statements, order records, photos, and warranty documents. The airline may still reduce or deny unsupported amounts, so make the inventory precise and honest.

Can I claim both the airline and my insurer? You can notify both, subject to the policy terms, but disclose all payments and don't seek duplicate reimbursement. Check whether the insurance is primary or excess coverage before accepting a settlement.

If you haven't opened a file yet, start with the baggage desk or the airline's official tracker, get the PIR number, and keep every receipt from the first purchase you make because the bag isn't there.