If your checked bag doesn't appear, report it before you leave the airport, get the airline's baggage file number, and submit a written claim with receipts and proof of value. Don't wait 21 days to start. That window mainly affects delayed-baggage complaints on international trips. Domestic U.S. deadlines come from the airline's contract of carriage and published baggage rules.

A missing-bag report starts the search. It usually isn't the same as a formal reimbursement claim, so keep both moving. The route, operating airline, ticket terms, and any applicable treaty can change what you can recover.

These steps are written for U.S. consumers.

Report the missing bag before leaving the airport

Go to the airline's baggage service office at the airport where you expected to collect the bag. On a codeshare or connecting itinerary, start with the carrier that operated the final flight and ask whether another airline also needs a report.

Work through these steps at the desk:

  1. Confirm the carousel and flight. Check the monitors and make sure you're in the right baggage area. Ask staff whether the bag was pulled from the belt or sent to another carousel.
  2. File a missing-baggage report. Give the agent your baggage tag number, flight details, delivery address, and a precise description of the suitcase.
  3. Get the reference number. The report may be called a Property Irregularity Report, or PIR. Some airlines use a baggage file number or WorldTracer reference instead. That number is more useful for tracking the suitcase than your booking code.
  4. Check every detail. Confirm your phone number, email, delivery address, bag color, brand, size, and identifying marks. A wrong hotel address can delay delivery.
  5. Ask about immediate expenses. Find out whether the airline has a written policy for necessary clothing and toiletries, whether it requires preapproval, and where to send receipts.
  6. Ask about the checked-bag fee. A qualifying delay can trigger a separate fee refund under U.S. Department of Transportation rules.
  7. Keep copies. Save the report, baggage-tag stub, boarding pass, ticket receipt, photographs, and any messages from the airline.

If the office is closed, use the airline's official online form or app right away and record the time. Follow up at the next available opportunity. A report without a reference number is harder to chase, but that isn't a reason to drop the claim.

A PIR or baggage file opens a tracing case. It doesn't prove the value of the contents or finish a compensation claim.

Use the right number to track the bag

Your PNR is normally the reservation code. It may show the itinerary, but it isn't always the number that tracks the suitcase.

Use these identifiers in this order:

Check the airline's baggage portal or app with the file number. Some carriers use WorldTracer behind the scenes; others have their own tracking page. There isn't one universal consumer tracker for every airline.

Keep a simple record of when you filed the report, each tracking update, calls and chat transcripts, promised delivery dates, the date the bag was returned if it arrives, and every expense caused by the delay.

If your address or phone number changes, update the existing file. Don't open duplicate reports.

Buy only necessary items while the bag is delayed

U.S. airlines generally look at whether delayed-baggage expenses were reasonable, necessary, and backed by evidence. There is no universal federal payment of $50 or $100 a day.

Ask the airline for its current policy, then buy basic replacement clothing and toiletries rather than luxury or upgraded items. Keep itemized receipts, not just a credit-card statement. Note why each purchase was needed and the date. Stick to reasonably priced replacements, ask before an unusually expensive purchase, and submit the expenses through the delayed-baggage process even if the suitcase later arrives.

An amenity kit or a one-time purchase authorization can help, but U.S. law doesn't require every carrier to offer the same kit or daily allowance. An internal spending guideline also doesn't turn an unnecessary purchase into an eligible expense.

Don't assume the airline will pay for lost vacation time, missed events, emotional distress, or valuables that its contract excludes. Those items are often treated differently from reasonable incidental costs.

Request a refund of the checked-bag fee separately

A baggage-fee refund is not compensation for the contents of a missing suitcase.

For flights covered by the U.S. DOT rule, a checked bag is generally considered significantly delayed when it hasn't been delivered within:

You must report the mishandled bag to the airline. If the delay qualifies, the airline must refund the applicable checked-bag fee. That refund doesn't replace a claim for clothing, toiletries, or the value of a bag that is later declared lost.

Refund timing depends on how you paid. DOT rules generally require qualifying refunds within seven business days for credit-card payments and within 20 calendar days for other payment methods. The DOT's final rule on refunds and other consumer protections contains the applicable requirements.

Put the fee-refund request in your written report, but list it separately from expense and property claims.

File the formal lost-baggage claim

Submit the airline's formal claim as soon as its process allows. Don't wait on an informal promise that the suitcase will arrive tomorrow.

Your filing should say whether you are claiming:

  1. reasonable expenses for a delayed bag
  2. damage to a bag or its contents
  3. the value of a bag that was declared lost
  4. a refund of baggage fees

If the bag eventually arrives, file delayed-expense and damage claims by the carrier's stated deadline. If it never arrives, file the lost-property claim when the airline declares it lost or when the applicable waiting period has passed.

For domestic U.S. travel, the formal claim deadline comes from the airline's contract of carriage or baggage policy. Carriers may use different deadlines for delayed, damaged, and permanently lost baggage. Check the rules for the airline and itinerary on your ticket.

Attach:

A useful inventory lists the item, purchase date, original price, current claimed value, and proof. Be honest about age and condition. Airlines may pay the value of used items rather than the price of a brand-new replacement.

Lost baggage claim letter template

Use the airline's online form when required, then send a written message through its customer-relations or baggage-claims channel.

Subject: Written baggage claim - file [reference], flight [number], [date]

Dear [Airline or baggage claims department],

My checked bag did not arrive on flight [number] from [origin] to [destination] on [date].

Baggage file or PIR reference: [number]
Baggage tag number: [number]
Passenger name: [name]
Booking reference: [PNR]

The bag is a [brand, color, size, and identifying marks]. It contained the items listed in the attached inventory.

The airline [returned the bag on date / declared the bag lost on date]. I am requesting:

- reimbursement of documented necessary expenses totaling [amount];
- reimbursement for the bag and contents totaling [amount];
- refund of the checked-bag fee of [amount], if applicable; and
- a written decision explaining any amount that is denied or reduced.

Attached are my baggage report, travel documents, inventory, receipts, photographs, and supporting correspondence.

Please confirm receipt and provide the next step under your baggage claims procedure.

Sincerely,

[name]
[address]
[email]
[phone]

Ask for a written decision. If the airline pays only part of the amount, ask which items were excluded, depreciated, or capped before you accept the payment as final.

How much compensation can you claim?

The maximum is not an automatic payout. You generally have to show the actual loss and connect the expense to the baggage problem.

Domestic U.S. flights

For domestic checked baggage, the federal liability limit is currently up to $4,700 per passenger, subject to the airline's rules and exclusions. That figure is a ceiling, not a guaranteed award. A passenger with $600 of documented eligible loss does not automatically receive $4,700.

The airline may look at the bag's age and condition, the current value of clothing and other used items, whether the item was packed properly, whether the contract excludes it, whether the expense was reasonable and caused by the delay, and whether another insurer or benefit plan has already paid.

The current text of 14 CFR Part 254 covers domestic baggage liability.

Airlines commonly exclude or limit liability for cash, jewelry, important documents, fragile goods, perishable items, and some electronics placed in checked baggage. Review the carrier's contract before claiming those items. Passports, medication, keys, and other essentials should generally stay in your carry-on when permitted.

International trips involving the United States

The Montreal Convention may govern international carriage between countries that are parties to it. It can also affect an itinerary with a domestic segment when the trip is treated as one international journey.

The current treaty limit for baggage loss, damage, or delay is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger. An SDR isn't a fixed dollar amount, so the U.S. conversion changes with exchange rates. The IATA overview of the Montreal Convention explains the treaty framework and periodic liability-limit reviews.

The limit doesn't mean every passenger receives 1,519 SDR. You still need to prove the loss. A higher declared value made at check-in, usually with any required extra payment, may change the available limit.

Important international deadlines include:

Don't treat the 21-day period as a reason to postpone reporting the bag. Under the Convention, baggage may be treated as lost after 21 days, or earlier if the carrier admits the loss. EU, UK, Canadian, and other national rules can differ, so don't combine their compensation figures with U.S. limits.

What to do if the airline denies your claim

A denial isn't always the last word. Ask for the reason in writing and request the exact contract provision or exclusion used.

Then compare the denial with your evidence. Check whether the airline overlooked a receipt, a baggage fee, a replacement purchase, or the bag's declared loss date. Send one organized appeal with the file number, a short timeline, missing documents, and a revised itemized amount.

If a receipt is gone, provide a card statement, order email, photograph, warranty record, or comparable product information. Escalate inside the airline through customer relations or the carrier's executive-resolution channel, and keep the communication factual and written.

For a U.S. flight or a U.S.-covered airline issue, you can submit a complaint through the U.S. DOT Aviation Consumer Protection complaint form. DOT complaints can help flag violations, such as a failure to provide a required fee refund, but DOT usually doesn't act as a private claims adjuster or decide the exact value of your suitcase.

Travel insurance or a credit card's baggage protection may cover eligible losses, subject to deductibles, item limits, exclusions, and claim deadlines. Tell the insurer whether the airline has paid anything.

Small-claims court may be an option for some domestic disputes after you check the contract and deadline. International claims can be subject to the Montreal Convention's two-year limit and jurisdiction rules.

A credit-card chargeback is usually not the normal path for a baggage claim. Ask the card issuer about travel-protection benefits rather than treating the incident as an ordinary billing dispute.

Problems that can change the claim

The bag arrives damaged

Photograph the damage before repairing or discarding anything. Report it to the airline promptly and keep the suitcase, packaging, and repair estimate. International travelers generally have seven days after receipt to make a written damage complaint under the Montreal Convention. Domestic deadlines come from the airline's policy.

The airline says the bag was delivered

Ask for the delivery scan, location, signature, and any photographs or handling notes. Check with the hotel, rental host, airport storage office, and anyone who could have accepted it. Keep the dispute in writing and refer to the original baggage file.

You traveled on multiple airlines

Report the problem at the final airport, normally to the airline that operated the last segment. Keep the ticketing airline informed and follow any instructions for a second claim. Don't assume the airline whose logo appears on the ticket is the only party involved.

The bag contains a mobility device

Wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility aids can have additional protections and reporting procedures. Tell the airline immediately that the item is a mobility device and use its accessibility or disability-assistance process as well as its general baggage process.

Common mistakes to avoid

Quick answers

How soon should I report lost luggage?

Immediately at the airport. If you've already left, file through the airline's official baggage channel at once and keep proof of the submission time.

Can I track a lost bag with my PNR?

Sometimes the airline asks for the PNR, but the baggage tag and file reference are usually the key numbers. Enter every number requested and keep the airline's reference for follow-up.

When is a delayed bag considered lost?

For international carriage under the Montreal Convention, a bag can generally be treated as lost after 21 days, or earlier if the airline admits it is lost. Domestic U.S. policies can use different procedures.

Is there a standard daily payment for delayed luggage?

No universal U.S. daily allowance applies. Ask the airline about its policy and claim reasonable, necessary, documented expenses.

Does the $4,700 limit mean I will receive $4,700?

No. It is a domestic U.S. liability ceiling. The airline normally evaluates your proven eligible loss, exclusions, and the age and condition of the property.

What should I do after a denial?

Request the written reason, appeal with organized evidence, and use the DOT complaint form if the airline may have violated a consumer-protection rule. Keep every document and watch the applicable court deadline.

If the bag is still missing, file or update the written claim today with the file number, inventory, and receipts rather than waiting for another tracing update.