If your checked bag doesn't appear, report it before leaving baggage claim if you can. Ask for a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) or another file number, then submit a separate written claim for reimbursement or compensation. The report opens the airline's search; it isn't, by itself, a request to settle your losses.

For an all-U.S. domestic itinerary, Department of Transportation rules generally limit baggage liability to $4,700 per passenger. A covered international itinerary is usually governed by the Montreal Convention, which currently sets a baggage limit of 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger. Neither figure is an automatic payout. You still have to show an actual, reasonable, documented loss, and the airline may apply exclusions or depreciation.

This is general information for U.S. travelers. The ticket, operating carrier, itinerary, and applicable law determine which claim process applies.

What to do before leaving the airport

1. Check the flight and carousel. Make sure you're at the correct belt and look briefly in nearby areas, but don't delay your visit to the baggage desk.
2. Go to the airline's baggage office. On a codeshare or connecting itinerary, identify every operating carrier and ask which claims department will handle the file.
3. Report the missing or damaged bag. Get a PIR or equivalent report number. Write down the date, time, and the agent's name if available.
4. Describe the bag precisely. Include its brand, color, size, material, luggage tag, stickers, damage, and distinctive contents. A photo of the bag can help.
5. Confirm delivery information. Give the airline an address and phone number where it can reach you. Ask how you'll be notified and whether delivery is included.
6. Ask about necessary purchases. Find out how the airline wants delayed-baggage expenses submitted. An amenity kit or advance payment may be available, but neither is universal.
7. Keep your records. Photograph the bag tag, boarding pass, PIR, and any form you submit. Keep copies before handing documents to the airline.

If you've already left the airport, report the problem through the airline's official website or telephone channel as soon as possible. Ask the airline to confirm the report in writing and provide a file number. Not having a paper PIR doesn't automatically end your claim, but a prompt written report is easier to document.

Which number should you use?

Airlines use several references, and they don't all track the bag:

• PNR: Your booking reference. It identifies the reservation but usually doesn't locate the physical bag.
• Bag tag number: The number on the tag attached to the bag. Keep the passenger receipt portion.
• PIR or file reference: The number used by the airline's baggage team to search for and process the mishandling report.

Use the PIR or file reference together with the bag tag number in the airline's baggage-tracking portal, when one is available. Check the status, save screenshots, and update your delivery address if your plans change. If the status stops moving, contact the baggage department rather than creating duplicate reports.

An airport's general lost-property office handles items left in a terminal or at a security checkpoint. It is different from the airline's baggage-claims process. A bag the airline accepted for transport should be reported to the airline.

Buying essentials while your luggage is delayed

You can request reimbursement for reasonable, necessary, and documented incidental expenses caused by a delayed bag. Depending on the circumstances, that may include basic clothing, underwear, toiletries, and medication-related items you need during the delay.

There isn't a universal airline rule guaranteeing a daily allowance such as $25 or $50. Reimbursement depends on the circumstances and the airline's published conditions. Make the claim easier to assess by doing the following:

• Buy practical replacements, not expensive upgrades.
• Note why each item was necessary and when you bought it.
• Keep itemized receipts and proof of payment.
• Don't buy duplicates after the airline has supplied the item.
• Ask before making an unusually expensive purchase.
• Submit receipts through the airline's delayed-baggage process, not just a general customer-service form.

If the delay occurs while you're returning home, the airline may question whether replacement purchases were necessary. Explain the dates, location, and reason for each expense.

Refund of the checked-bag fee

A checked-bag fee is separate from reimbursement for clothing, toiletries, or other items inside the luggage. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation's baggage guidance, an airline must refund a paid checked-bag fee when the bag is lost. A refund may also be required when the bag is significantly delayed:

• Domestic flight: The bag hasn't arrived within 12 hours after the aircraft reaches the gate.
• International flight of 12 hours or less: The bag hasn't arrived within 15 hours after the aircraft reaches the gate.
• International flight longer than 12 hours: The bag hasn't arrived within 30 hours after the aircraft reaches the gate.

File the mishandled-baggage report and ask for the fee refund separately from the claim for purchases or lost contents.

When does a missing bag become lost?

The commonly cited 21-day rule applies to covered international carriage, not to every flight.

Under the Montreal Convention, if baggage hasn't been delivered within 21 days, the passenger can generally treat it as lost and pursue the applicable baggage claim. An airline may also declare a bag lost earlier. If the carrier tells you to submit a contents claim, follow that instruction rather than waiting for day 21.

For an all-U.S. domestic itinerary, no single federal rule requires every airline to declare a bag lost after 21 days. The carrier's contract of carriage and claims procedure control the timing. Report the problem immediately and follow the airline's instructions.

The Citizens Advice baggage guidance is written for the UK, but its plain-language explanation of the international 7-day and 21-day written-complaint deadlines is useful. It doesn't replace the rules for a U.S. domestic flight.

Submit the money claim

A PIR helps the airline trace the bag. Most carriers require a separate online baggage claim or contents form before they will evaluate reimbursement.

If the bag is delayed

Include:

• The PIR or file reference
• The bag tag number
• Your flight and itinerary
• The date the bag was returned
• A list of necessary purchases
• Itemized receipts and proof of payment
• Photos or other evidence of damage found at delivery

When the bag arrives, update the existing file instead of opening a new lost-bag report. You may be able to claim eligible delay expenses, a checked-bag fee refund, and physical damage. Receiving the bag generally ends a claim for its full contents unless something is still missing or damaged.

If the airline declares the bag lost

Prepare an inventory of what was inside. For each item, provide as many of these details as you can:

• Description and brand
• Approximate purchase date
• Original price, if known
• Current value
• Receipt, card statement, order confirmation, or photograph
• Serial or model number for electronics
• Evidence that the item was in the bag

Airlines may value used items at their current or depreciated value instead of paying the cost of new replacements. They may also exclude or limit categories such as cash, jewelry, and other valuables placed in checked baggage. Read the carrier's contract of carriage before assuming an item is covered.

Upload copies rather than sending your only original receipt or identity document. Keep a full copy of the claim and note the date you submitted it.

U.S. domestic baggage compensation

For domestic air transportation, the DOT baggage-liability ceiling is generally $4,700 per passenger. It isn't $4,700 for every item or every suitcase, and it doesn't guarantee that the airline will pay that amount.

A claim usually needs evidence of:

• The airline's custody of the baggage when the loss, damage, or delay occurred;
• The loss, damage, or delay itself;
• The reasonable value of what was lost or damaged; and
• Compliance with the carrier's reporting and claim procedures.

The airline may deduct depreciation, reject unsupported amounts, or apply exclusions in its tariff or contract of carriage. The ordinary baggage-claim process generally doesn't provide a separate flat payment for frustration, inconvenience, or emotional distress. Missed events and lost wages can also be difficult to recover, so don't assume those costs are covered.

If your belongings are worth more than the liability limit, check whether you bought excess valuation at check-in or have travel insurance. Excess valuation applies only when the airline offers it and you pay the required charge.

International baggage claims under the Montreal Convention

The Montreal Convention generally governs baggage on qualifying international itineraries between participating countries. It is separate from the flight-disruption rules commonly referred to as EU261.

For a baggage claim governed by the Convention:

• The current liability limit is 1,519 SDR per passenger for baggage loss, damage, or delay.
• An SDR is an international accounting unit, not a fixed dollar amount. Its value in U.S. dollars changes.
• The limit applies to the passenger's covered baggage claim, not automatically to each suitcase.
• A passenger who makes a special declaration of interest in delivery and pays any required supplementary charge may obtain a higher declared limit if the carrier offers that option.
• A written complaint about physical damage is generally due within 7 days after the baggage is received.
• A written complaint about delay is generally due within 21 days after the baggage is made available.
• If the bag isn't delivered within 21 days, the passenger can generally treat it as lost and pursue the contents claim.

The revised Montreal Convention liability limits took effect on December 28, 2024. Older pages may still quote the former 1,288 SDR limit. This carrier-liability notice from Air France also explains that SDR limits use the International Monetary Fund's unit of account.

The Convention treats checked and unchecked baggage differently. For checked baggage, the carrier is generally responsible while it has control of the bag, subject to the Convention's rules and defenses. For carry-on baggage, the carrier may need to have caused the loss or damage through its fault. A gate-checked bag should be treated as checked baggage, so keep the gate-check receipt or tag.

Airline policies and codeshare flights

The legal limit doesn't tell you which web form to use or whether the carrier will reimburse a particular purchase. Check the official airline website for:

• The deadline for a domestic claim;
• The correct delay, damage, or lost-contents form;
• Rules for essential purchases;
• Delivery and storage procedures;
• Categories excluded from baggage liability;
• Required proof of value; and
• The address for a written appeal.

On a codeshare or connecting itinerary, report the problem at the final arrival airport and identify every operating carrier. If the desk sends you to another claims portal, ask for that instruction in writing. The ticketing airline may help, but the operating carrier and the itinerary's contract can determine which department processes the claim.

Use the official airline baggage page and the reference printed on your report. An old airline table, a random airport phone number, or your PNR alone may not lead to the correct claims team.

If the airline denies or reduces the claim

The denial should give a reason. Common reasons include a missed deadline, missing receipts, an excluded item, inadequate proof that the item was in the bag, or a calculation based on depreciated value.

Appeal in writing:

1. Ask for the exact contract or tariff provision used to deny or reduce the claim.
2. Request an itemized explanation of deductions.
3. Attach the PIR, bag tag, boarding pass, claim number, receipts, photographs, inventory, and earlier correspondence.
4. Explain any reporting problem, such as a closed baggage office or a failed online form.
5. State the amount requested and separate delay expenses, baggage fees, physical damage, and lost contents.
6. Keep proof that you delivered the appeal and follow any deadline in the denial letter.

For a U.S. flight, you can file a complaint through the DOT's baggage consumer-protection page if the airline hasn't followed its obligations or hasn't addressed the claim. A DOT complaint can bring regulatory attention to the problem, but it isn't a court order requiring payment of a particular amount.

For an international claim, check the Montreal Convention's court rules before filing. The Convention generally provides a two-year period for bringing a legal action, but the correct court, starting date, and applicable law can depend on the itinerary. A substantial claim may warrant qualified local legal advice.

Travel insurance and credit-card coverage

Travel insurance and premium credit cards may cover baggage delay or loss beyond the airline's payment. Coverage is contractual: limits, deductibles, exclusions, notice periods, and payment conditions vary by policy and card.

Notify the insurer or card-benefits administrator promptly. A plan may require:

• Proof that the fare or trip was paid with the covered card;
• A report from the airline;
• Receipts for delay purchases;
• A written settlement or denial from the airline; and
• Notice within the policy's stated deadline.

The Capital One travel-insurance explanation and Chase's lost-luggage reimbursement guide show why you need the terms for your specific card rather than a general description of card benefits.

Tell the insurer about any airline payment. Read a settlement offer before signing it, because some offers may release further claims. Don't seek duplicate reimbursement for the same loss; the insurer may ask for the airline's payment or denial before deciding the insurance claim.

Lost-baggage claim letter template

Use the airline's form when available. You can attach a short letter or message like this:

Subject: Baggage claim for PIR [reference] and bag tag [number]

Dear Baggage Claims Department,

I traveled on [flight number] from [origin] to [destination] on [date].
My bag, described as [brand, color, size, and distinctive features], did not
arrive. I reported the problem under PIR/file reference [number].

The bag was [returned on date / still missing]. I am requesting:

- Reimbursement of documented delay expenses: [amount]
- Refund of the checked-bag fee, if applicable: [amount]
- Compensation for lost or damaged contents: [amount]

I have attached my itinerary, boarding pass, bag-tag receipt, PIR, receipts,
photographs, inventory, and proof of value. Please confirm receipt and explain
the next step or any missing document.

This claim is made under the applicable U.S. baggage rules or, for covered
international carriage, the Montreal Convention.

Sincerely,
[Full name]
[Address]
[Phone]
[Email]

Frequently asked questions

Is a PIR enough to claim compensation?

No. It records the missing or damaged bag and helps the airline trace it. Submit the airline's separate delay, damage, or lost-contents claim when that form becomes available.

Can I claim if the bag is eventually returned?

Yes. You may still claim eligible delay expenses, a checked-bag fee refund, and physical damage. A returned bag normally doesn't support a claim for the full contents unless something remains missing or damaged.

Does the 21-day rule apply to every U.S. flight?

No. It is the standard international rule for covered carriage under the Montreal Convention. Domestic claims follow the airline's published procedure, so report the problem right away instead of waiting 21 days.

Will the airline pay the full replacement price of everything inside?

Not necessarily. The airline may require proof that an item was in the bag, apply depreciation, use current value instead of new replacement cost, and exclude certain valuables. The applicable liability ceiling also matters.

What if the airline says it can't find the bag?

Ask for a written contents-claim form and the date the airline is treating the bag as lost. Submit your inventory and supporting evidence without waiting for an informal promise that the search will continue. Keep the file number and receipts while the claim is reviewed.