If your checked bag did not arrive, go to the airline's baggage desk before leaving the airport. Open a missing-bag report, get its reference number, and keep the baggage tag.
US rules do not promise a flat lost-luggage payment. You may recover reasonable documented expenses during a delay and the proven value of a lost or damaged bag, subject to route-specific limits.
The checked-bag fee is separate. A federal rule can require a refund for a qualifying significantly delayed or lost bag, but that refund is not payment for the contents. Start both requests in writing.
The route decides which baggage rule applies
Turns out, the route often matters more than the airline's logo. A domestic trip, international carriage, and an EU-covered flight can fall under different rules.
| Itinerary | Main framework | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Covered US domestic carriage | US baggage rules and the airline's contract | Proven loss is subject to a federal liability ceiling of $4,700 per passenger, not an automatic $4,700 payment. |
| International carriage covered by the Montreal Convention | Montreal Convention baggage rules | The current baggage liability limit is 1,519 SDR per passenger. The dollar value changes with the SDR exchange rate. |
| EU-covered travel | Montreal Convention plus EU passenger guidance | Baggage claims are handled under the convention. EU261 flight-delay compensation is a separate issue and does not create a flat payment for a missing suitcase. |
An SDR is not a fixed dollar amount. Be careful with old articles quoting a $1,700 international limit.
IATA procedures may help airlines trace bags, but IATA is not a consumer compensation law. Your airline contract and the law governing the itinerary control the claim.
What to do before leaving the airport
Go to the airline's baggage service office in the arrivals area. If the office is closed, use the airline's baggage-reporting page or phone line immediately instead of waiting until the next day.
- Ask the airline to create a missing-bag report. If it uses the term Property Irregularity Report, or PIR, request that reference number and a copy.
- Photograph the baggage tag, claim check, boarding pass, and any screen showing the flight or carousel information.
- Give the airline a detailed description of the bag, including its brand, color, size, distinctive marks, and delivery address.
- Ask how to submit receipts for necessary purchases and whether the airline has a separate delayed-baggage claim form.
- Send a written claim through the airline's portal, email, or other stated channel. Save the confirmation.
A PIR starts the tracing process. It does not always satisfy a separate written compensation complaint, especially on an international itinerary.
Already left the airport? Report the bag now. The delay makes the paper trail harder, but it does not make reporting pointless.
While the bag is delayed, buy only what you need
There is no general US federal promise of a $50 or $100 daily allowance. A delayed-baggage claim usually turns on reasonable, actual, and verifiable expenses, along with the airline's policy and the facts of the trip.
Buy practical essentials for the weather, hygiene needs, and immediate plans. A replacement outfit may be sensible. An expensive shopping spree is much harder to defend.
To be honest, receipts do more work than a dramatic description of the suitcase. Keep itemized receipts, proof of payment, and the date of each purchase. Do not wait 21 days before claiming delay expenses.
Some airlines publish internal allowances or limits. Those are company policies, not a universal daily rate created by federal law.
When a delayed bag becomes a lost bag
Twenty-one days matters, but it is not a magic automatic check. Many carriers treat a bag that has not arrived after 21 days as lost, and the Montreal Convention allows a passenger to enforce baggage rights once the bag has not arrived within that period.
At that point, stop framing the matter as only a delay. Submit a full lost-baggage claim with an inventory of the bag and its contents. Include each item's description, approximate purchase date, original price, current value, and any proof of ownership.
Airlines may account for age and condition. Their contracts can also exclude or restrict certain property, including cash, jewelry, documents, and some high-value electronics. Read the carrier's conditions before accepting its valuation.
If the bag turns up later, tell the airline promptly. How the bag and any payment are handled depends on the settlement terms and the carrier's contract.
How much can you claim?
The liability ceiling is not the same as the amount you will receive. A passenger whose bag contained $600 of well-documented property does not automatically receive $4,700. A passenger with a poorly documented $600 claim may receive less than the claimed amount.
| Claim type | What you can request | Evidence that helps |
|---|---|---|
| Delayed-bag expenses | Reasonable, actual costs caused by the delay, plus a qualifying baggage-fee refund when the federal rule applies | Receipts, proof of payment, report number, delivery date |
| Lost-bag contents | Proven current value of the bag and its contents, subject to exclusions and the applicable liability limit | Inventory, receipts, photos, purchase records, warranty records |
| Damaged baggage | The repair cost or other remedy allowed under the airline's policy and applicable law | Photos taken promptly, damage report, repair estimate |
| Checked-bag fee | A refund for a qualifying lost or significantly delayed checked bag | Baggage-fee receipt, report, and written notification |
For covered domestic carriage, the federal liability ceiling is $4,700 per passenger. For Montreal Convention carriage, it is 1,519 SDR per passenger. The limit generally applies to the passenger's covered baggage claim, not to each suitcase separately.
Keep the inventory honest. Inflated values and missing purchase details can weaken an otherwise valid claim.
Claim deadlines are different from airport reporting deadlines
Deadlines depend on the route and the type of problem.
For international damage, the Montreal Convention generally requires a written complaint within seven days after you receive the damaged bag. For international delay, the written complaint is generally due within 21 days after the bag is made available to you.
A lost bag is different. The 21-day point commonly changes the claim from delayed to lost, but it is not a universal 21-day deadline for submitting every lost-baggage claim. Send the full claim as soon as the airline treats the bag as lost.
The Montreal Convention generally gives two years to bring a court action. That is separate from the shorter written-complaint deadlines.
For US domestic travel, check the airline's contract of carriage immediately. Notice and claim deadlines can vary, and a PIR alone may not preserve every part of a compensation claim.
For an EU-covered itinerary, consult Your Europe passenger-rights guidance. Its baggage rules should not be confused with fixed compensation for a delayed or canceled flight.
A checked-bag fee refund is a separate request
The federal rule at 14 CFR 260.5 addresses refunds for significantly delayed or lost checked bags. In qualifying cases, the refund must be at least the fee paid to transport that bag.
The rule has conditions. For example, a passenger who fails to collect and recheck a bag at the first international entry point into the United States can fall outside the refund requirements. A passenger who voluntarily agrees to travel without the checked bag on the same flight can also trigger a rule-specific exception.
Ask for the checked-bag fee refund separately from reimbursement for clothing, toiletries, or the value of the missing contents. Losing a checked bag generally does not make the airfare refundable after you take the flight.
Build one evidence file
Keep the PIR or other report, baggage tag, boarding pass, itinerary, photographs, inventory, receipts, delivery date, and every message with the airline in one folder.
Keep the boring stuff too: emails, screenshots, timestamps, and the receipt you nearly threw away. Those details help establish what happened and when.
A simple timeline works well. Record the flight date, first report, follow-up calls, purchases, airline replies, and the date the bag arrived or was declared lost.
Travel insurance may cover the gap
Travel insurance and credit-card baggage benefits can provide coverage beyond the airline's liability. Policy wording controls, though. Check the distinction between baggage delay and baggage loss, per-item limits, electronics sublimits, deductibles, exclusions, primary or secondary coverage, and claim deadlines.
Do not assume the policy is unlimited. Tell the insurer about any airline payment, because policies commonly coordinate benefits and do not allow double recovery for the same expense.
What to do if the airline denies or stalls
Ask the airline for a written explanation and the specific contract provision used to deny or reduce the claim. Reply with a short timeline, itemized inventory, supporting receipts, and the amount you are requesting.
Thing is, an airline's first offer is not automatically the correct valuation. You can ask for the calculation and provide better proof, especially for newer items or property with clear purchase records.
If the airline does not resolve the matter, US passengers can review the DOT complaint process and submit the online consumer complaint form. Include the route, dates, report number, receipts, written claim, and the airline's response.
A DOT complaint is a regulatory complaint, not a guaranteed private payout. For an international claim, remember the Montreal Convention's two-year court deadline. Domestic lawsuit deadlines vary.
If the bag is still missing, send the airline your report number, itemized inventory, and receipts today. Waiting rarely improves the paper trail.