If your checked bag is missing, report it at the airline's baggage service office before leaving the baggage area. Get a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) or equivalent file number. Then file any separate written claim through the carrier's baggage-claims channel. A PIR usually starts the tracing process, but it isn't necessarily a request for reimbursement.
The deadline depends on the route and the problem. For a flight entirely within the United States, don't apply the Montreal Convention's seven-day and 21-day notice periods by default. The airline's conditions of carriage and applicable Department of Transportation (DOT) rules control the filing process. For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, written notice is generally due within seven days for damage and within 21 days for delay. If the bag has not arrived within 21 days after it should have arrived, you can generally enforce rights as if it were lost. The treaty's two-year period is usually a deadline for bringing a court action, not a reason to wait before filing with the airline.
Lost baggage deadlines at a glance
| Problem | Do this immediately | Deadline or marker to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Bag missing at arrival | Report it at the baggage desk and obtain a PIR or file number | U.S.-only: follow the carrier's claim process and don't wait. Montreal: written delay notice within 21 days after the bag is made available |
| Bag arrives damaged | Photograph the damage and report it before leaving if possible | U.S.-only: follow the carrier's procedure. Montreal: written notice within seven days after receiving the bag |
| Bag arrives late | Keep receipts for reasonable necessities and update the claim after delivery | Montreal: written delay claim within 21 days after the bag is placed at your disposal |
| Bag remains missing | Submit the carrier's lost-property or contents claim when directed | Montreal: generally claim as lost after 21 days, or sooner if the airline admits loss |
| Court action | Preserve the file, claim denial, and supporting evidence | Montreal: generally two years. Domestic U.S. deadlines depend on the contract and applicable law |
The 21-day Montreal marker for treating a bag as lost is different from the 21-day period for written notice of delay. Neither one tells you to wait before reporting a missing bag. Ask the agent whether the PIR is enough or whether you must submit a separate claim for expenses, damage, or the bag's contents.
U.S. domestic baggage claims
For travel entirely within the United States, the Montreal Convention's seven-day damage rule and 21-day delay rule aren't the default. Check the airline's conditions of carriage, baggage page, and claim form for the required process.
Federal rules also matter. Under 14 CFR 254.4, the period in a domestic carrier's tariff for filing a baggage-liability claim generally cannot be shorter than 21 days after the baggage is delivered. That is a filing floor for a formal claim, not a 21-day waiting period. It does not replace the carrier's airport-reporting or tracing procedure, and a bag that is never delivered may be handled through a separate lost-property process.
Report the problem immediately even if you can't find the airline's deadline. If you've already left the airport, use the carrier's online form or contact its baggage department as soon as possible. Save the confirmation email, screenshots, and reference number.
For a qualifying mishandled-baggage claim, DOT rules generally require airlines to reimburse reasonable, actual, and verifiable expenses caused by a baggage delay, subject to liability limits, exclusions, and proof. Necessary clothing and toiletries may qualify. This usually doesn't mean automatic payment for inconvenience.
The checked-bag fee is a separate issue. If the airline didn't provide the paid baggage transportation service and the DOT's refund conditions apply, the fee may have to be refunded automatically. For qualifying refunds, the timing can range from seven business days for some electronic payments to 20 calendar days for other payment methods. A baggage-fee refund is separate from reimbursement for replacement items or the value of a lost bag.
International flights and the Montreal Convention
The Montreal Convention often governs baggage on international carriage between participating countries, including many trips involving the United States. It can also apply to a domestic segment that forms part of a single international ticket. The fact that a foreign airline operates the flight doesn't, by itself, decide which rules apply. If the Convention doesn't cover the carriage, check the applicable contract and any other governing rules.
For checked baggage, the treaty's usual written-notice periods are:
- Damage: no later than seven days after receiving the damaged baggage.
- Delay: no later than 21 days after the baggage is placed at your disposal, usually when it is delivered.
- Loss: if the bag hasn't arrived within 21 days after it should have arrived, you can generally enforce rights as if it were lost. An airline's earlier declaration of loss may also allow the claim to proceed sooner.
- Court action: generally within two years, measured from the aircraft's arrival or expected arrival, or from the date the carriage stopped.
A treaty complaint must be in writing. A PIR is useful evidence, but don't assume it satisfies every written-notice requirement. Submit a separate written claim describing the problem, the amount requested, and the supporting documents. AirHelp has a plain-language Montreal Convention explainer, but the route, ticket, carrier, and applicable treaty determine the result.
If your itinerary involves Europe, don't use an EU261 flight-delay deadline as your baggage deadline. Flight cancellation and delay compensation under EU261 are separate from the Montreal baggage rules.
Airline policies can add different steps
Airline workflows aren't universal. A carrier may request a detailed inventory, set a deadline for receipts, or move a delayed-bag file into a lost-property claim before 21 days have passed.
For example, Delta's published baggage guidance separates bags delayed five days or less from potential property-loss claims at six days or more. Air France's missing-baggage instructions tell passengers to report a missing bag through a form or app within seven days and use the inventory if the bag isn't found within 21 days. These are carrier procedures, not universal deadlines for other airlines.
Look for these terms in your airline's policy:
- Delayed baggage report or PIR
- Property-loss claim
- Damaged-baggage claim
- Written notice or baggage protest
- Conditions of carriage
- Deadline for receipts and expense reimbursement
A tracing file moving to another department doesn't automatically mean that every legal right has expired. It usually means the airline is changing the file from tracing to claims handling.
What to do at the airport
- Go to the airline's baggage service office before leaving the arrival area.
- Give the agent your flight numbers, route, bag-tag number, and a clear description of the bag.
- Mention distinctive features such as stickers, a damaged wheel, or a tracking device.
- Ask for the PIR or file reference number in writing.
- Ask how to submit a separate expense, damage, or lost-contents claim.
- Confirm the deadline for each claim type.
- Photograph the baggage tag, boarding pass, and any visible damage.
- Keep the original documents and save copies in one folder.
If the desk is closed, file online or contact the airline immediately. State that you're reporting missing baggage and ask the airline to confirm the report in writing.
Build a strong claim packet
A useful claim includes more than a description of the suitcase. Gather:
- Boarding passes and itinerary
- Baggage-tag receipt
- PIR or file reference
- Delivery date, if the bag eventually arrived
- A dated list of calls, messages, and airline responses
- Receipts for necessary clothing and toiletries
- Photos of the bag and any damage
- An itemized contents list
- Receipts, order confirmations, or photographs showing ownership and value
- A repair estimate for damaged luggage
- The airline's written decision or settlement offer
Buy only what you need during the delay. Airlines can challenge luxury or unrelated purchases, so limit replacements to necessary items and keep every receipt, even if an agent initially says the expense will be reimbursed.
When a bag is returned, inspect it promptly. Photograph damage before repairing or discarding anything, then submit written damage notice within the applicable period. Hidden damage is harder to prove later.
How much can you recover?
The amount depends on the type of loss, the route, the evidence, and the applicable liability limit.
| Claim type | What may be covered |
|---|---|
| Delayed baggage | Reasonable, documented necessities purchased during the delay |
| Lost baggage | The supported value of the bag and its contents, subject to depreciation, exclusions, and the applicable limit |
| Damaged baggage | Reasonable repair cost or the supported value of the damaged item |
| Checked-bag fee | A separate refund may apply when the airline didn't provide the paid baggage service |
For U.S. domestic transportation, DOT rules require the airline's baggage-liability limit to be at least $4,700 per passenger. That figure is a ceiling on liability, not an automatic payment.
For baggage covered by the Montreal Convention, the current treaty limit is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) per passenger. Its value in U.S. dollars changes with the SDR exchange rate. The limit doesn't guarantee payment of the maximum amount: you still need to prove the loss, and the airline may rely on applicable exclusions or depreciation rules.
Wheelchairs and other mobility aids have separate protections. Report damage to a mobility device immediately and ask for the airline's accessibility or special-assistance team rather than treating the device as ordinary luggage.
Connecting flights and separate tickets
On a single-ticket itinerary, report the missing bag at the airport where you expected to receive it and provide every flight number on the booking. The baggage tag and operating-carrier records help determine which airline handles the file.
A self-transfer on separate tickets is different. If you collected and rechecked the bag for the second ticket, the second airline may have a separate responsibility and reporting process. Report the problem to the carrier handling the journey on which it occurred, and notify the other carrier if the bag crossed both reservations.
Don't wait for the airlines to decide among themselves. File the report first, then keep copies of each reference number and response.
If you missed the deadline
A late claim isn't automatically successful or automatically worthless. The result depends on whether you missed an airline's internal deadline, a treaty notice period, or a court limitation period.
Take these steps:
- File immediately anyway. Include the PIR number, delivery date, and reason for the delay.
- Ask for a written exception. Explain illness, lack of access to documents, airline instructions, or another specific circumstance.
- Show that the airline had notice. Attach the PIR, airport report, emails, chat transcripts, and tracking history.
- Ask the airline to identify the rule it is applying. Request the exact contract clause and the date it says the deadline began.
- Check travel insurance and card benefits. These policies can have separate notice periods and may require proof that the trip was paid with the eligible card.
- Escalate after the airline responds. For a trip involving the United States, a complaint to the U.S. Department of Transportation can document a possible regulatory problem, although DOT doesn't decide a private damages award.
- Don't assume a complaint pauses a court deadline. If the amount is substantial or a Montreal two-year period is approaching, obtain advice from a qualified professional in the relevant jurisdiction.
An airline may waive an internal deadline as a customer-service decision, but it doesn't have to waive a treaty notice requirement. Submit the claim and the explanation rather than assuming the airline will refuse it.
Sample late baggage claim letter
Subject: Written baggage claim - PIR [number]
[Your name]
[Address]
[Email and phone]
[Date]
To: [Airline baggage claims department]
Flight: [Flight number and date]
Route: [Origin to destination]
Bag tag: [Tag number]
PIR or file number: [Number]
On [date], my baggage did not arrive on flight [number]. I reported the problem at [airport] and received PIR [number]. The bag was delivered on [date] / remains missing.
I am requesting reimbursement of [amount] for the attached reasonable and documented expenses, plus [amount] for the damaged or lost items listed in the inventory. I am submitting this as written notice under the Montreal Convention if it applies to this itinerary, and otherwise under the airline's conditions of carriage.
Please confirm receipt of this claim and tell me if any additional documents are required. I would appreciate a written decision and an explanation of any amount that is denied.
Sincerely,
[Your name]Send the letter through a channel that gives you a copy. Attach scans rather than irreplaceable originals, and keep proof of the submission date.
Save that proof, then calendar the carrier's response date and any applicable court deadline. If the bag is still missing, submit the airline's inventory or lost-property form as soon as the carrier opens that part of the file; the 21-day Montreal marker isn't a reason to delay the first report.