If your checked bag doesn't appear, treat it as delayed until the airline confirms otherwise - but start the recovery process immediately. Check nearby belts, report the problem to the carrier, get a case number, provide an address where you can receive the bag, and keep receipts for necessary purchases. The airport report starts the tracing process; it may not be the separate claim needed for reimbursement.

This checklist is for U.S. travelers. Domestic baggage claims are mainly governed by federal rules and the airline's contract of carriage. An international itinerary may be covered by the Montreal Convention, depending on the route and the carriers involved. Trains, cruises, buses, hotels, and car services use different contracts, liability limits, and deadlines.

What to do at the airport

Complete these steps before leaving baggage claim when possible:

  1. Check nearby carousels and the oversized-baggage area. Bags can be placed on the wrong belt or routed separately. Compare the baggage-tag number on your claim stub with any similar-looking bag.
  2. Go to the airline's baggage service office. This is different from the airport's general lost-and-found desk.
  3. Report the bag as missing. The report may be called a Property Irregularity Report, delayed-baggage report, or baggage case file. Ask for the reference number and keep a copy, email, or screenshot.
  4. Describe the bag precisely. Include its brand, color, size, material, stickers, straps, locks, and other identifying marks. Give the baggage-tag number if you have it.
  5. Provide reliable delivery details. Use your hotel, rental, or next accommodation address if you'll be moving. Confirm your phone number, email address, and travel dates.
  6. Ask about necessary purchases. Find out what the airline considers reasonable, whether it has a spending limit, and where receipts must be submitted. Don't assume that a daily allowance exists.
  7. Confirm how updates will arrive. Ask whether the carrier will contact you by text, email, app, or phone and how often you should check the case.
  8. If the desk is closed, report the bag online if the airline offers that option. Save a screenshot showing the date, time, confirmation number, and information submitted.

If someone took your bag from the carousel, report it to the airline and to airport police or security. If a tracker shows the bag at a private location, don't try to recover it yourself.

What to document before leaving

The baggage report gets the search started, but a reimbursement claim may require separate forms and supporting evidence. Save:

Write down the flight number, arrival time, carousel, reporting time, and what the airline told you while the details are fresh. Keep original receipts and upload copies when filing online.

Delayed, damaged, or lost: which status applies?

Delayed baggage

A bag is delayed while the airline is still tracing it and expects to deliver it. Ask whether the carrier will deliver the bag to your accommodation instead of requiring you to return to the airport.

If you plan to seek reimbursement, buy only what you reasonably need while waiting. A basic change of clothes and toiletries may be easier to justify than expensive or unusual purchases. Keep each receipt and make a brief note explaining why the purchase was necessary.

Damaged baggage

Photograph the damage before repairing or discarding anything. Keep the bag and damaged contents unless the airline gives you written instructions to do otherwise.

For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, a written complaint about damage generally must be made within seven days after you receive the bag. U.S. domestic carriers can set their own reporting procedures, so follow the deadline in the airline's contract or baggage instructions instead of assuming that the international deadline applies.

Lost baggage

For international travel covered by the Montreal Convention, baggage that has not been delivered after 21 days can generally be treated as lost for purposes of enforcing a claim. The airline may also declare the bag lost sooner.

The 21-day threshold isn't a universal waiting rule for every U.S. flight. It doesn't stop you from filing a report, documenting expenses, or asking for a loss-claim form now. If the airline says it needs more time, ask for the status in writing and note when its own process changes the case from delayed to lost.

For a delayed-baggage claim under the Montreal Convention, the written complaint period generally runs for 21 days after the baggage is made available to you. Domestic deadlines differ, so don't import international deadlines into a domestic claim.

What compensation can you claim?

There is no automatic flat payment simply because a suitcase went missing. A baggage claim generally seeks the documented value of the bag and its contents, reasonable costs caused by the delay, or the cost of repairing damaged property or its reduced value. The airline may consider age, condition, proof of purchase, and exclusions in its contract.

U.S. domestic flights

For covered U.S. domestic air transportation, 14 CFR Part 254 sets a baggage liability limit that is currently $4,700 per passenger. That is not a guaranteed payment. You still need to show what was lost or damaged and support its value.

The limit doesn't mean an airline must pay the full replacement price for every item. The carrier's contract may address depreciation, proof requirements, fragile goods, high-value items, and property that should not have been checked.

International flights

When the Montreal Convention applies, baggage liability is expressed in Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, rather than a fixed dollar or euro amount. The current treaty limit for baggage is 1,519 SDR per passenger for covered claims. Its converted value changes with exchange rates, and the limit is not an automatic award.

An accepted special declaration of value at check-in can affect the liability limit. If you plan to check unusually valuable equipment, ask the airline about this option before handing over the bag.

Emergency purchases and baggage fees

Ask the carrier separately whether it will cover or refund:

There is no universal U.S. daily amount that applies to every delayed bag. Airline policies, the route, the reason for the delay, and your documentation all matter. Get spending instructions in writing before making nonessential purchases.

Travel insurance or a credit-card travel benefit may cover baggage delay or loss. The policy may have a waiting period, deductible, per-item cap, or requirement that the trip was paid for with that card. Submit the airline's report and receipts. Don't seek payment twice for the same expense; tell the insurer what the airline has already paid.

How to prepare a strong baggage claim

Use the airline's online claim portal or written claims address, and include your baggage reference number in every message. If you flew on a codeshare, follow the baggage office's instructions about which carrier should receive the claim. Check whether the reporting deadline and the reimbursement deadline are separate.

An itemized claim is easier to evaluate than a single estimate:

Claim section What to include
Bag Brand, model, color, purchase date, receipt, and photos
Contents One line per item, with age, condition, value, and proof
Emergency purchases Date, item, price, and why it was necessary
Travel records Boarding pass, baggage tag, itinerary, and case number
Other costs Repair estimate, delivery cost, or approved transportation expense

Instead of writing "clothes, $800," list each item, such as a coat, shoes, shirts, and toiletries. Use honest values and explain whether each amount is a purchase price, repair estimate, or replacement cost.

Ask the airline to confirm:

Read any settlement or release carefully. It may affect later claims for the same baggage incident.

Can an AirTag help recover lost luggage?

An AirTag can provide useful location information, but it isn't a GPS device and it doesn't replace the airline's baggage report. It broadcasts a Bluetooth signal, and the Find My network can update its location when a compatible nearby device detects it. The location may be delayed, approximate, or unchanged for hours.

If the tracker updates:

  1. Take a screenshot showing the location and time.
  2. Send it through the airline's baggage case or show it to the baggage team.
  3. Include the bag-tag number and flight details.
  4. Don't enter a restricted airport area or confront someone at a private address.
  5. Keep checking the airline's official tracking record as well.

A tracker can help the airline narrow the search, but it doesn't prove the value of the contents or guarantee that the carrier is legally responsible.

Battery rules also matter. The FAA guidance for airline passengers and batteries explains restrictions for spare lithium batteries, power banks, and other devices. Keep loose spare batteries and power banks in your carry-on unless the applicable FAA and airline rules specifically allow another configuration. For lithium-ion rechargeable batteries rated from 101 to 160 watt-hours, FAA guidance limits you to two spare batteries per person, including power banks and portable chargers. An installed coin-cell tracker is different from a power bank, but check the operating airline's smart-baggage policy before flying.

If the airline stops responding or denies the claim

Use this escalation sequence:

  1. Check the carrier's written policy. Look for the baggage contract, claim deadline, exclusions, and instructions for delayed versus lost bags.
  2. Follow up in writing. Include the case number, a short timeline, the missing documents, and the amount claimed.
  3. Request the reason for a denial. Ask the airline to identify the specific policy section or evidence it relied on.
  4. Appeal with organized proof. Add receipts, photos, baggage-tag information, tracker screenshots, and a revised itemized schedule.
  5. Check insurance and card benefits. Submit the airline's written response if the insurer or card administrator requests it.
  6. Escalate to a regulator when appropriate. For a U.S. flight, a complaint to the Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection office can create a record and prompt review, but it doesn't guarantee a personal payment or replace the airline claim.
  7. Consider local consumer or legal help for a high-value dispute. The governing law, ticket contract, and location of the carrier may affect the available court or complaint route.

Keep copies of everything and use a calendar reminder for every deadline.

What changes for trains, cruises, buses, and road trips?

Airline baggage rules don't automatically apply to other transportation. There is no universal 21-day rule for a suitcase left on a train, bus, cruise ship, hotel shuttle, or rental vehicle.

Report the loss to the operator or property manager immediately and request a written property report. Save your ticket, cabin or seat information, luggage description, receipts, and any security or incident report. Review the ticket terms, cruise contract, hotel policy, or rental agreement for reporting deadlines and liability limits.

If the item disappeared from a car, hotel room, or public area, also consider a police report and a travel-insurance claim. Responsibility can depend on where the item was left, who had custody, and whether the operator accepted it for storage.

How to reduce the risk of a lost-luggage problem

Before checking a bag:

At a connection, keep the final baggage receipt and note whether the bag is checked through to the destination. If your bag is already missing, put the case number and the carrier's next deadline on your calendar and submit the itemized claim before that deadline.