Lost, Delayed or Damaged Baggage — What You Are Owed
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The short answer
File a report before you leave the airport — this is the step that determines whether a claim succeeds. US domestic liability is capped at roughly $4,700 per passenger, and international itineraries fall under the Montreal Convention at approximately $1,900. Airlines must also refund the checked bag fee if the bag is delayed.
Key Travel Facts & Insights
- File the report at the airport before leaving — a late report is often refused
- US domestic liability limit is approximately $4,700 per passenger
- International liability under the Montreal Convention is approximately $1,900
- The airline must refund your checked bag fee if the bag is delayed
Step by step
- 1
Report it before you leave the airport
Go to the airline baggage service office in the baggage hall and file a Property Irregularity Report. Get the reference number in writing. Leaving the airport without filing is the most common reason claims are later refused.
- 2
Describe the bag precisely
Brand, colour, size, distinguishing marks and any external tags. Photograph your bag before you travel — a photo makes identification and any subsequent damage claim substantially easier.
- 3
Ask about an immediate expenses allowance
Most airlines will authorise reasonable interim purchases — toiletries, a change of clothes — while the bag is missing. Ask what the daily limit is and get it in writing, then keep every receipt.
- 4
Track it and keep chasing
Most bags are located within 24–48 hours. Use the airline's tracking reference and follow up in writing rather than by phone so you build a dated record.
- 5
Claim the bag fee back
If your bag was delayed, the airline must refund the checked bag fee you paid. This is separate from any expenses claim and must usually be requested explicitly.
- 6
File the formal claim if the bag is declared lost
Bags are generally declared lost after 21 days. Submit an itemised list of contents with purchase dates and values, supported by receipts or photographs where you have them. Airlines depreciate values, so document original cost.
Liability limits
On US domestic itineraries, DOT rules cap airline liability at approximately $4,700 per passenger, adjusted periodically for inflation. On international itineraries the Montreal Convention applies, capping liability at 1,288 Special Drawing Rights — roughly $1,900 depending on exchange rates.
These are ceilings, not entitlements. Airlines pay the depreciated value of what you can document, not the replacement cost of what you say was inside.
What is excluded
Airlines exclude a long list of items from liability, and the exclusions are the reason many claims pay far less than expected.
- Cash, jewellery, and precious metals
- Electronics and cameras — excluded or heavily limited by most carriers
- Medication and medical devices
- Business documents, keys and travel documents
- Fragile or perishable items
- Anything you could reasonably have carried in the cabin
Damaged bags
Report damage before leaving the airport, exactly as with a lost bag. Airlines generally repair, replace or compensate for damage they caused, but exclude normal wear and tear, minor scuffs, and damage to protruding parts such as wheels, handles and external pockets — which is where most damage actually occurs.
Photograph the damage at the baggage office with an agent present.
Where travel insurance does better
Baggage cover on a travel insurance policy frequently pays more usefully than an airline claim: it covers items airlines exclude, pays replacement value rather than depreciated value on some policies, and triggers a delay benefit after a defined number of hours without requiring the bag to be declared lost.
Many premium credit cards include baggage delay and loss cover when the ticket was paid for with the card. Check before buying separate cover.
Common questions
How much do airlines pay for a lost bag?
Up to approximately $4,700 per passenger on US domestic itineraries and approximately $1,900 on international itineraries under the Montreal Convention. Those are ceilings — airlines pay the documented, depreciated value of the contents, and exclude electronics, jewellery, cash and medication.
Do I get my bag fee back if my bag is delayed?
Yes. US DOT rules require airlines to refund the checked bag fee when a bag is delayed. It is separate from any expenses claim and usually has to be requested explicitly rather than being refunded automatically.
What if I did not report the missing bag at the airport?
Report it as soon as you can, but be aware that most airlines require a report within a defined window — often four hours for delay and seven days for damage on international itineraries. A late report is frequently refused, which is why filing before leaving the baggage hall matters so much.
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