Start with the airport report. A missing checked bag is easier to pursue after the airline creates a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) or baggage report.
Get the report number before leaving, if possible. Then send a separate written claim through the airline's official channel, including your itinerary, baggage tag, receipts, and an itemized inventory. Photos help, but they won't carry the whole claim.
Two requests may share a folder. One seeks payment for a delayed bag, the bag itself, or missing contents. The other seeks a refund of the checked-bag fee. The split matters.
These steps are for U.S. consumers. They're practical information, not legal advice.
What rule controls the claim?
Your itinerary chooses the starting rule. Domestic-only travel and international carriage can have different liability limits and written deadlines.
| Situation | Main framework | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic-only U.S. itinerary | DOT baggage rules and the airline's contract | Proven loss from checked baggage, subject to the domestic liability limit |
| International carriage involving the U.S. | The Montreal Convention may apply | Proven loss, damage, or delay, generally subject to a limit of 1,519 SDR per passenger |
| Qualifying significantly delayed or lost checked bag | 14 CFR 260.5 | Refund of the checked-bag fee, separate from a claim for your belongings |
For domestic U.S. carriage, the DOT baggage liability limit is $4,700 per passenger. Montreal uses Special Drawing Rights, or SDR, for its baggage limit, so the dollar value changes with the exchange rate.
Neither figure guarantees a payment. You still have to connect the incident to the loss and explain the amount requested. The U.S. Department of Transportation's baggage guidance is a useful place to check the basics.
Gather the record before leaving the airport
Go to the airline's baggage service desk as soon as you know the bag is missing, delayed, or damaged. Ask for the case number, and photograph the completed form or report screen before you leave.
Keep these items together:
- The PIR or baggage report number, plus the date, time, and airport.
- Your boarding pass, itinerary, and baggage tag number.
- The bag's brand, color, size, and distinctive marks.
- Tracking updates, emails, text messages, and notes from calls with the airline.
- Receipts for necessary purchases made because the bag was delayed.
Turns out, the airport report may not be the formal claim. Some airlines require a separate written submission, especially for international travel. Ask the agent where to send it, then save the answer and the submission confirmation.
Match each piece of evidence to the money you request
Evidence works best when each document answers a specific question. What happened, what did you own, and why is the amount reasonable?
| Evidence | What it supports | Useful backup |
|---|---|---|
| Boarding pass and baggage tag | Shows that you traveled and checked the bag | E-ticket, check-in record, or baggage receipt |
| PIR and tracking history | Establishes the timeline and bag status | Screenshots, emails, and call notes |
| Itemized receipts for essentials | Supports expenses caused by a delay | Card statement plus the merchant receipt |
| Purchase records for contents | Supports ownership and value | Order confirmations, warranty records, or photos |
| Photos of the bag and contents | Helps identify the bag and show condition | A detailed written inventory |
| Written correspondence | Shows what you reported and when | Submission confirmations and reference numbers |
A card statement shows the charge, not necessarily the purchase. Keep it, but pair it with an itemized receipt, order email, or short explanation.
Pre-trip photos aren't required for every claim. A clear inventory and purchase records can still do substantial work. Photos of an open suitcase are especially useful for expensive or unusual items.
Submit the claim in a clean sequence
Send one organized package rather than scattering details across unrelated messages. Use the existing case number every time.
- Report the problem promptly. Get the PIR or case number before leaving the airport, if you can.
- Write the timeline. Include the flight date, route, bag tag, reporting location, and each delivery or tracking update.
- Use the airline's official claim channel. Submit through the website, app, email address, or form identified by the airline. Save the confirmation.
- Document delayed-bag expenses. Buy reasonable necessities, keep original itemized receipts, and explain why each purchase was needed.
- Build a lost-bag inventory. For each item, record its age, condition, original price, and requested value.
- Update the file if the bag arrives. Report late delivery, damage, or missing contents instead of leaving the claim unchanged.
- Follow up in writing. Refer to the existing case number rather than opening several disconnected claims.
Use filenames that explain their purpose. PIR-12345, delayed-expenses, and contents-inventory are easier to find than unnamed scans.
Deadlines change with the itinerary
Don't use the international deadline for every trip.
For a domestic-only U.S. itinerary, report the problem quickly and check the airline's contract of carriage for its written claim method and deadline. The international 21-day rule isn't the default for domestic-only travel.
For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, a written complaint about delayed baggage generally must reach the carrier within 21 days after the baggage is placed at your disposal. Damage complaints generally have a seven-day window. If the bag still hasn't arrived after 21 days, the Convention generally treats it as lost.
Thing is, the airport PIR and the written complaint can be separate steps. Use the airline's formal written process even if an employee already opened a report at the airport.
Several airlines may have handled one itinerary. Follow the instructions on the report, and keep copies of anything sent to each relevant carrier.
A lawsuit has its own deadline. If legal action is possible, get advice about the applicable court deadline early; a claim-portal deadline and a lawsuit deadline are different issues.
Calculate a reasonable amount
Delayed baggage usually involves necessary purchases made during the wait. For every purchase, note the date, item, price, and reason. Leave ordinary vacation spending out of the total.
Lost baggage calls for a separate inventory. Record each item's original price, approximate purchase date, condition, and requested value. Add order confirmations, photographs, warranty records, or other available proof.
Airlines may consider depreciation, special restrictions, declared-value terms, and liability exclusions. To be honest, a receipt proves what you paid, but it may not establish the current value of an older item.
Request only what you can explain. A round figure without an inventory creates avoidable questions.
Request the checked-bag fee refund separately
Keep the checked-bag fee request separate from the property claim. It doesn't replace reimbursement for clothes, toiletries, or the suitcase itself.
Under the DOT rule, a qualifying significantly delayed or lost checked bag can trigger a refund of the fee paid to transport it. The refund must be equal to or greater than that fee.
Use a separate line in your submission:
In addition to my baggage-loss claim, please process the refund of the checked-bag fee paid for baggage tag [number] under 14 CFR 260.5.
Save the receipt or itinerary showing the fee. Section 260.5 also addresses passenger and carrier notifications and automatic-refund procedures.
Two situations identified by the rule can affect how this refund provision applies. One is failing to collect and recheck the bag at the first U.S. international entry point when Customs and Border Protection requires it. The other is voluntarily agreeing to travel without the checked bag on the same flight, as described in paragraph (g). Record plainly what happened.
If the airline denies the claim
Ask for the denial reason in writing. Your appeal should answer that reason directly, not just repeat the original account.
Check that the appeal includes:
- The case number, flight date, route, and baggage tag.
- The airline's denial or request for more information.
- A corrected inventory with an explanation for each requested amount.
- Any missing receipts, purchase records, tracking updates, or delivery evidence.
- A separate request for the checked-bag fee refund.
- A specific response date or a request for confirmation.
Keep the appeal tied to one case number.
If the airline ignores the file or fails to address a DOT requirement, you can submit a complaint through the DOT baggage guidance page. A DOT complaint may bring the issue to the airline's attention, but it doesn't guarantee payment or replace the airline claim.
For items missing from a bag that was delivered, photograph the bag, locks, seams, and contents before using it. The FAA guidance on missing or stolen baggage items provides another official reporting reference.
A short claim letter you can adapt
Keep the letter plain. The airline needs a timeline, a dollar total, and an inventory that matches the attachments.
Subject: Checked baggage claim - [case or PIR number]
On [date], I traveled on flight [number] from [origin] to [destination]. My checked bag, tag [number], was not delivered as expected. I reported the problem under case number [number].
The bag was [delayed and delivered on date / not delivered]. My documented expenses total [amount]. The attached inventory lists the contents and requested value of the missing property.
Please reimburse the supported loss and process the checked-bag fee refund separately, if applicable. Please confirm receipt of this claim and identify any missing information.
Name: [name]
Email and phone: [contact details]
Attach the boarding pass, baggage tag, report number, tracking history, receipts, inventory, and any photographs showing delivery or damage.
Common questions
Do I need a photograph of the bag's contents?
No. Photos can help show ownership and condition, but receipts, order records, and a detailed inventory can also support the claim.
Does filing a PIR guarantee compensation?
No. It records the incident and gives the airline a reference number. You still need a written claim and evidence for the amount requested.
Can a credit card statement replace a receipt?
Usually, it is backup rather than a full substitute. The statement may show the charge but not what you bought, so pair it with an itemized receipt, order email, or written explanation.
What if the bag arrives after I file a lost-bag claim?
Tell the airline promptly. Ask it to update the file to delayed baggage, then document any damage, missing contents, or necessary expenses.
Create the folder now. Save the PIR, tag, itinerary, tracking history, receipts, and inventory, then submit the written claim through the airline's official channel and keep the confirmation number.