If your checked bag doesn't show up on the carousel, don't leave the baggage hall until you've reported it to the operating airline's baggage service office. Ask for a written reference number, often called a Property Irregularity Report or PIR, and hold on to your baggage tag, boarding pass, and purchase receipts.

A delayed bag can turn up quickly, but you still need a paper trail from the first day. These steps focus on U.S. consumers. International itineraries may also involve the Montreal Convention, which has its own deadlines.

What to do before leaving the airport

Work through these steps while you're still at the arrival airport:

1. Check the basics first. Confirm the carousel, look at the oversized baggage area, and ask whether bags from your flight were moved. If another bag looks like yours, don't take it.
2. File the report with the operating airline's baggage service office. The airline may call it a PIR, delayed-baggage report, or mishandled-baggage report.
3. Describe the bag precisely. Brand, color, size, hard or soft shell, stickers, ribbons, scuffs, locks, and the baggage tag number all help.
4. Set the delivery details. Confirm the address, phone number, email, and what happens if your plans change. Ask whether the airline offers an emergency kit or advance payment.
5. Keep copies. Photograph the baggage tag, boarding pass, report number, and any airline messages. If staff need an original, ask whether a copy will do first.

The report starts the search. It's not always the same thing as a compensation claim, so ask whether you also need to submit an online baggage claim form.

If you've already left the airport, file through the airline's official website, app, or phone line as soon as possible. Save the confirmation screen or email and note the time you reported the problem.

Delayed, lost, damaged, or missing contents

These cases follow different paths:

• Delayed baggage: the airline is still searching and expects to deliver the bag. Keep a record of essential purchases.
• Lost baggage: the airline confirms loss, or the applicable rule lets you treat the bag as lost. Submit an itemized claim for the bag and contents.
• Damaged baggage: the bag arrives, but the case or contents are harmed. Photograph the damage and report it within the airline's deadline.
• Missing contents: the bag arrives without some items. Report the missing items separately and document suspected theft.

There's no universal U.S. federal rule that makes every domestic bag "lost" after exactly 21 days. Domestic procedures come from the airline's contract of carriage, although an airline may declare a bag lost sooner. The 21-day marker is more important for many international bags under the Montreal Convention.

While the airline searches

Buy only reasonable necessities

If you need toiletries, underwear, basic clothing, or similar essentials, ask about the airline's reimbursement policy before spending if you can. Policies vary, and there's no universal U.S. guarantee of a fixed daily amount such as $50.

Choose practical replacements, not luxury goods or a full new wardrobe. Keep:

• Itemized receipts
• Date and place of each purchase
• Proof of payment
• A short note explaining why the item was necessary
• Any airline approval or instruction

You don't need to wait for the bag to be declared lost before keeping these records. A delayed-baggage expense claim can be separate from a later claim for the bag and its contents.

Track the case through official channels

Use the airline's baggage portal or app with your reference number. Watch for email or text updates, and correct the delivery address if needed.

A tracker such as an AirTag can help, but it doesn't replace the airline's report or prove the value of your loss. If the tracker shows the bag at another airport, send that information to the airline. Don't enter a restricted area or try to retrieve the bag yourself.

Also avoid posting the full baggage tag, booking code, phone number, or report number publicly. Those details can reveal personal travel information.

Damage or missing items when the bag returns

Before you repack a late-arriving bag, photograph the outside, locks, zippers, and contents. Note anything missing or damaged and tell the airline promptly.

If theft seems likely, ask the airline baggage office and airport police or local law enforcement how to file a report. The FAA guidance on reporting stolen or missing items from baggage can help you identify the right route.

A police report may support an airline or insurance claim, but it doesn't replace the airline's baggage report. Follow both tracks.

What compensation usually covers

Lost-baggage money claims usually break into three categories. Keep them separate instead of sending one vague total.

1. Checked-bag fee refund

For itineraries covered by U.S. Department of Transportation rules, the airline must refund a checked-bag fee when the bag is lost or significantly delayed after you file a mishandled-baggage report.

For this fee-refund rule, significant delay is generally measured from gate arrival:

• Domestic flight: 12 hours
• International flight scheduled for 12 hours or less: 15 hours
• Longer international flight: 30 hours

The refund covers the bag fee. It doesn't automatically cover the contents, replacement purchases, or other losses.

2. Essential purchases

An airline may reimburse reasonable, verifiable expenses caused by the delay. It may ask whether the purchase was necessary, reasonably priced, and connected to the delay.

Keep the baggage report open until you understand the claim process. If the bag is delivered, retain the delivery notice and submit the expense claim by the deadline in the airline's policy.

3. Value of the bag and contents

If the bag is lost, prepare an honest inventory. Airlines generally want proof of ownership and value, and they may account for age and condition rather than paying the price of a brand-new replacement.

Cash, jewelry, important documents, fragile goods, electronics, business samples, and some medical or perishable items may be limited or excluded under the airline's contract. Check the carrier's baggage terms if you packed something valuable.

Liability ceilings

The maximum is a ceiling, not an automatic payment.

• U.S. domestic transportation: Under 14 CFR Part 254, the airline's baggage liability limit must be at least $4,700 per passenger. You still need to prove the loss, and valid exclusions or depreciation can apply.
• Many international itineraries: The Montreal Convention uses a limit of 1,519 Special Drawing Rights, or SDR, per passenger for baggage claims. The dollar value changes with the SDR exchange rate, so an old web page may be out of date.
• Higher declared value: If the airline allows a special declaration of value, it normally has to be made when you check the bag and may require a fee. You usually can't add it after the bag disappears.

The limit is generally assessed per passenger, not per bag. If family members checked several bags, keep each passenger's tags and claim amounts separate.

Deadlines that matter

U.S. domestic flights

U.S. airlines set reporting and claim deadlines in their contracts of carriage. Check the deadline on the report, claim form, or airline website. Don't assume that a four-hour rule or a 21-day rule applies to every domestic flight.

International flights covered by the Montreal Convention

For delayed baggage, a written complaint generally must be made within 21 days after the baggage is placed at your disposal. For damaged baggage, the written complaint generally must be made within seven days after you receive it.

If the bag hasn't arrived within 21 days after it should have arrived, the Convention generally allows you to enforce rights that apply to lost baggage. An airline may acknowledge loss earlier. Start the claim as soon as the search shows a serious problem.

These treaty deadlines are separate from the airport report. Filing a PIR on arrival is still the safest first step.

Build one organized claim

When the airline asks for a lost-baggage claim, submit one clear file:

1. Travel records: boarding pass, itinerary, ticket number, baggage tag, and operating carriers.
2. Report details: PIR or mishandled-baggage reference number, plus the date and place where you reported the problem.
3. Timeline: when you checked the bag, when it failed to arrive, each airline update, and when it was delivered or declared lost.
4. Contents inventory: item description, approximate purchase date, original price, current condition, and amount requested.
5. Proof of value: receipts, order confirmations, credit-card statements, photographs, warranties, or credible replacement listings.
6. Expense receipts: toiletries, clothing, and other reasonable necessities bought because of the delay.
7. Delivery or damage evidence: delivery confirmation, photographs, repair estimates, or a police report when relevant.

If you lack receipts, explain why and provide other evidence. Don't inflate values or pass ordinary items off as luxury goods. Inconsistent claims can slow the review or weaken it.

Submit through the airline's official portal or the method its baggage policy specifies. Screenshot the completed form and save every email. If the bag arrives after you submit a loss claim, inspect it right away and report damage or missing items within the applicable deadline.

Before accepting a settlement, check whether it's labeled a full and final release. An advance payment or partial reimbursement may have different terms.

Insurance and other coverage

Notify your travel insurer early, even while the airline is searching. A policy may cover baggage delay, lost property, theft, or emergency purchases, but limits, deductibles, exclusions, and deadlines vary.

Also check:

• Homeowners or renters insurance for belongings away from home
• Credit-card travel benefits if you bought the trip with that card
• Employer coverage for business equipment
• The airline's written baggage policy

Tell each provider about payments from the others. Insurance policies commonly coordinate benefits, and you generally can't recover twice for the same item or receipt. The insurer may ask for the airline report, receipts, a denial or settlement letter, and proof of the policy.

If the claim is denied or ignored

Use this sequence:

1. Follow up in writing with the baggage claim number and a short summary of what remains unpaid.
2. Ask for the reason for denial and the specific contract clause or evidence used.
3. Contact the airline's customer relations or baggage-claims department if the airport office can't resolve it.
4. File a complaint with the U.S. DOT when the matter involves a U.S. airline or a flight to, from, or within the United States. A DOT complaint can help with rule enforcement, but it doesn't guarantee a private payment or extend your claim deadline.
5. Use insurance or other coverage if the airline's decision leaves a covered loss unpaid.
6. Consider independent legal advice for a high-value dispute, a treaty claim, or a claim involving a damaged mobility device or serious injury.

A complaint about missing property is separate from a complaint about flight delay compensation. Keep the baggage issue and the flight issue in separate claim files.

Families, business travelers, pets, and special equipment

• Families: Split a change of clothes, essential medication, and important documents among several carry-ons instead of putting everything in one checked bag.
• Business travelers: Keep a basic outfit, chargers, medication, and work-critical documents with you. Don't assume checked-baggage liability will cover a laptop or business loss.
• Medication and identity documents: Keep medicine, passports, visas, cash, and irreplaceable records in your carry-on. If medication disappears, contact a pharmacy or prescribing clinician promptly.
• Pets: A checked pet or pet carrier is handled under the airline's live-animal rules and contract. Report the problem immediately and request a welfare check. Don't assume the ordinary baggage limit applies.
• Mobility devices: Tell the airline clearly if a wheelchair, scooter, or other mobility device is delayed or damaged. These devices have separate handling and consumer protections in the U.S.
• Sports equipment: Keep photographs, serial numbers, and proof of condition. Review the carrier's special rules for skis, bicycles, golf clubs, and oversized equipment before checking it.

Reduce the risk of lost luggage

You can't eliminate mishandling, but you can make recovery and reimbursement easier:

• Photograph the bag and contents before departure.
• Record serial numbers and keep receipts for expensive items.
• Remove old baggage stickers and attach a durable label inside and outside the bag.
• Use a tracker and add a current phone number or email address.
• Pack medication, valuables, electronics, travel documents, and one change of clothes in your carry-on.
• Spread essential items across family members' carry-ons.
• Avoid tight connections when a direct flight or longer transfer is practical.
• Check that the baggage tag shows the correct destination before leaving the counter.
• Identify your bag by its tag before taking it from the carousel.
• Read the airline's baggage exclusions and your insurance limits before the trip.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to wait 21 days before reporting a missing bag?

No. Report it as soon as it fails to arrive. The 21-day period is mainly relevant to international baggage under the Montreal Convention and doesn't replace the initial airport report.

Does a PIR guarantee compensation?

No. It documents the missing bag and starts the search. A separate claim may be required for essential expenses, the bag's value, or its contents.

Will the airline pay for everything I buy?

Not necessarily. Reimbursement usually focuses on reasonable, necessary expenses caused by the delay. Keep receipts and avoid luxury or duplicate purchases.

Does an AirTag prove that the airline owes me money?

No. A tracker can provide useful location information, but the airline's report, applicable rules, proof of loss, and claim deadlines still control the case.

Can I claim the full retail price of every lost item?

Usually not automatically. The airline may consider the item's age, condition, exclusions, and evidence of value, subject to the applicable liability limit.

If your bag is missing right now, go to the airline baggage desk before leaving the airport and get the report number. Then keep the tag, boarding pass, receipts, and screenshots in one place so you can support the fee refund, essential purchases, and any later loss claim.