When a checked bag doesn't arrive, handle two separate tasks: report the incident and file any reimbursement claim the airline requires. Report the bag before leaving the airport when possible, get the Property Irregularity Report (PIR) reference number, and keep every receipt.

For U.S. domestic travel, the airline's contract and claim deadlines usually control, alongside applicable federal baggage rules. For international carriage, the Montreal Convention may set reporting deadlines and liability limits. A delayed bag isn't automatically a permanently lost bag, and there is no fixed payment simply because the bag was late. The amount usually depends on documented financial loss and reasonable expenses.

At the airport: report the bag first

The order matters. Do these things before you leave:

1. Check the nearby carousels and the oversize-baggage area. Confirm that the carousel has stopped, and ask whether the bag was held at the gate or sent to another belt.
2. Go to the airline's baggage service office. Give the agent your name, flight details, baggage-tag number, current location, and delivery instructions.
3. Request a Property Irregularity Report, or PIR. Save the reference number and request a copy, email, or screenshot.
4. Confirm the baggage tag and delivery address. A hotel, temporary address, or home address can work, but make sure someone can receive the bag.
5. Describe the bag in useful detail. Include its brand, size, color, material, unique marks, stickers, and any tracking-device information.
6. Ask how to submit the money claim. The PIR starts the tracing process, but it isn't always a reimbursement claim. Find out which online form or written claim the airline requires and when it is due.
7. If the desk is closed, use the airline's official app or website and call as soon as possible. Save proof showing when you reported the problem. A late report can make reimbursement harder.

Don't rely only on a phone conversation. Keep the reference number, the name or identification of the person you spoke with, and notes about promised delivery dates.

Documents and evidence to keep

Create one claim folder, either digitally or on paper. Save:

• Boarding pass or electronic itinerary
• Baggage receipt and tag stub
• PIR or other baggage-report reference
• Flight numbers, dates, and route
• Photos of the bag and its identifying features
• AirTag or other tracker screenshots
• Receipts for essential replacement items
• A written inventory of the missing contents
• Proof of purchase or ownership for expensive items
• Copies of emails, chats, claim forms, and airline decisions

For the inventory, record each item's approximate purchase date, original price, current replacement price, and supporting proof. Be accurate rather than generous with estimates. An airline or insurer may apply depreciation, and the original purchase price isn't automatically the amount payable.

If the bag arrives damaged, photograph the outside and inside before repairing or discarding anything. Keep the bag available for inspection if the airline asks for it.

Deadlines for delayed, damaged, and lost baggage

The deadline depends on the route, the law that applies, and the airline's contract. A PIR filed at the airport does not necessarily replace the written claim required later.

The Montreal Convention does not automatically apply to every international itinerary. Confirm that it covers your journey and ask the airline which deadline it is applying. The U.S. Department of Transportation's baggage guidance is a useful starting point for flights covered by U.S. rules.

Submit the airline's written claim even if the bag is still being traced, when the carrier's process allows it. Missing a deadline can affect an otherwise valid claim.

How much can you recover?

Baggage compensation is generally reimbursement for proven, reasonable loss. It isn't a standard payment for frustration or inconvenience.

For most U.S. domestic flights, the airline's liability limit is up to $4,700 per passenger. That is a ceiling, not a guaranteed award. You still need to show what was lost or what reasonable expenses you incurred, and the carrier may apply exclusions, depreciation, or other terms in its contract.

For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, the baggage limit is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) per passenger. The dollar value changes with exchange rates, so a figure around $2,000 is only an approximation, not a fixed payout. The limit was revised effective December 28, 2024.

A higher limit may be available if you made a special declaration of value or interest when checking the bag and paid any required additional charge. Check the baggage receipt and ask the airline whether that option applied.

A claim may include, depending on the route, the carrier's policy, and your evidence:

• Basic clothing and toiletries bought during a delay
• Necessary items for weather, hygiene, or work
• The actual value of lost contents, subject to limits and depreciation
• The suitcase itself
• Repair costs or the reduced value of damaged luggage
• A checked-bag fee refund when U.S. DOT timing rules are met

Airlines can limit or exclude categories such as cash, jewelry, fragile goods, perishable items, and some electronics placed in checked baggage. Read the carrier's baggage terms before assuming an item is covered.

Flights involving the European Union generally don't come with a separate flat payment for baggage problems. When the Montreal Convention applies, its baggage rules usually control. Don't confuse flight-delay compensation rules with reimbursement for lost, delayed, or damaged luggage.

Checked-bag fee refunds are separate

For flights covered by U.S. DOT rules, the airline generally must automatically refund a checked-bag fee when the bag is significantly delayed. The threshold is generally:

• 12 hours after arrival at the gate for a domestic flight
• 15 hours for certain international flights of 12 hours or less
• 30 hours for certain longer international flights

The refund is generally due within 7 business days when the payment was made by credit card and within 20 calendar days for other payment methods. If it doesn't appear, contact the airline and keep a record of the request.

This fee refund is separate from reimbursement for toiletries, clothing, or the value of lost contents. Keep the incident report and submit the expense or lost-baggage claim through the airline's stated process.

Buying essentials while the bag is delayed

Buy what you reasonably need, not what you would have preferred to buy for the trip. A basic outfit, underwear, toiletries, and weather-appropriate items are easier to justify than luxury clothing or expensive accessories.

Before spending money:

• Ask whether the airline has a daily allowance or purchase restrictions.
• Keep itemized receipts, not just a credit-card statement.
• Write down the date, location, and reason for each purchase.
• Choose reasonably priced replacements.
• Avoid duplicates if the airline says the bag will arrive shortly.
• If the delay occurs on your way home, ask whether the airline considers new purchases necessary.

Don't throw away receipts when the bag arrives. Submit them with the expense claim before the applicable deadline.

Using an AirTag or other tracker

An AirTag can help locate a misrouted bag, but it doesn't replace the airline's report. Its location may update only when the device is near a compatible phone, so it may not show the bag in real time.

Use the information carefully:

1. Take screenshots that show the date and approximate location.
2. Give the screenshots to the airline's baggage team.
3. Ask whether the location matches the airline's internal scan.
4. Follow the carrier's instructions instead of entering a restricted area to retrieve the bag yourself.

A tracker can support the timeline and help find the bag, but it doesn't by itself establish that the airline owes compensation. Keep using the PIR or claim number when contacting the carrier.

Connecting flights and separate tickets

Responsibility isn't always assigned automatically to the last airline you used.

With a single ticket, report the missing bag at your final destination and identify every operating carrier. The last carrier often handles the initial report, but the ticket, baggage tag, and applicable law determine which airline processes the claim.

Separate tickets are more complicated. Each ticket may create a separate contract, and the carrier that accepted the bag for a particular segment may have different responsibilities. Report the problem to the carrier at the airport and notify the other airlines involved.

When the bag is returned

Inspect it before closing the claim:

• Photograph the outside and inside.
• Check every compartment and count the contents.
• Report missing items or new damage promptly.
• Save the delivery record and the date the bag was returned.
• Submit any delayed-baggage expense claim by the applicable deadline.

Don't repair, discard, or permanently alter a damaged bag until the airline has had a chance to inspect it or tells you what evidence it needs.

Travel insurance and credit-card benefits

Notify your travel insurer promptly, even while the airline claim is open. A policy may cover baggage delay or loss subject to a deductible, sublimits, exclusions, and a requirement to seek reimbursement from the airline first.

Credit-card baggage benefits depend on the card's terms and how the trip was paid for. Send the insurer or card benefits administrator the documents it requests, which may include:

• PIR and airline claim number
• Airline correspondence or final decision
• Receipts and inventory
• Proof of payment for the trip
• Any amount already paid by the airline

Don't seek reimbursement twice for the same expense. Tell both providers about payments or settlements, and read any release before accepting a final airline offer.

Appealing a denied claim

Ask the airline for a written explanation that identifies:

• The policy or rule it applied
• The evidence it says is missing
• The items or expenses it excluded
• The deadline for reconsideration
• Whether the decision covers the whole claim or only part of it

Send a short, organized appeal. Attach the PIR, receipts, inventory, photos, and proof that the airline received your original claim. Ask the carrier to reconsider each denied item separately instead of treating the entire claim as one unexplained amount.

For a U.S. flight, you can use the complaint route linked from the DOT baggage guidance if the airline appears not to have followed applicable federal requirements. A regulator complaint can document a rule or service problem, but it doesn't guarantee a particular settlement.

Mistakes that weaken a claim

• Leaving the airport without reporting the bag when a report was possible
• Treating the PIR as the only required claim
• Missing the written deadline
• Buying expensive replacements without checking restrictions
• Submitting round-number estimates without an inventory or proof
• Claiming sentimental value as documented financial loss
• Throwing away a damaged bag
• Assuming the airline must pay the full original purchase price
• Relying on a tracker without contacting the airline
• Accepting a settlement without checking which expenses or rights it resolves

Frequently asked questions

Is a PIR the same as a lost-baggage claim?

Usually not. A PIR records the incident and starts the airline's tracing process. The airline may require a separate form for replacement expenses, damaged contents, or a permanent-loss claim.

When is delayed baggage considered lost?

Under the Montreal Convention, baggage that remains undelivered for 21 days is generally treated as lost. A U.S. domestic airline may use a different internal timeline, so ask when it will convert the delayed-bag file into a lost-baggage claim.

Can I claim clothing and toiletries bought during the delay?

You can request reimbursement for reasonable, necessary purchases when the airline caused the delay, but approval depends on the route, policy, timing, and evidence. Keep receipts and avoid luxury purchases.

Does an AirTag prove that the airline owes compensation?

No. It can support the timeline and help locate the bag, but the airline will still assess liability, the value of the loss, and exclusions under the applicable rules.

What should I do if the airline denies the claim?

Request the denial and its policy basis in writing, then appeal with organized evidence. If the flight falls under U.S. rules and the airline appears to have violated them, submit a complaint through the DOT process. For an international claim, check the Convention deadline before considering further action.

This is general consumer information, not legal advice. Your next step is to save the PIR number, photograph your baggage documents, and check the airline's written claim deadline before submitting anything.