Use this guide if your checked bag did not arrive, arrived late or came back damaged after a flight. Have your boarding pass, bag tag receipt and any receipts for what you had to buy ready.
Step by step
Report it before leaving the airport
Go to the airline's or its handling agent's baggage desk in the arrivals hall before you go through to the public area. Ask for a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and keep the reference number. Describe the bag carefully, including colour, brand and anything distinctive.
Photograph and keep everything
Photograph any damage to the bag and its contents, and keep the damaged items until the claim is settled. Keep your boarding pass and the baggage tag sticker from check-in. If the bag is delayed, keep the receipts for essentials you buy while waiting.
Put your claim in writing on time
For most international flights, the Montreal Convention says you must complain in writing within 7 days of receiving a damaged bag and within 21 days of receiving a delayed bag. Do not rely on the PIR alone; use the airline's online claim form or send a letter or email as well. Missing these deadlines can end your right to claim.
Claim only reasonable costs
For a delayed bag, claim for genuine essentials such as toiletries and a change of clothes, not a new wardrobe. For damage, ask for the cost of repair, or replacement if it cannot be repaired. Airlines usually allow for the age and wear of items, so give purchase dates and receipts where you can.
Treat a missing bag as lost
If the bag has not turned up after 21 days, it is usually treated as lost and you can make a full loss claim. List each item with its approximate value and age, and attach any receipts or bank statements. Airline liability is capped by international rules, so check the current limit when you claim.
Check insurance and escalate
Your travel insurance or a card benefit may cover amounts the airline does not, so check the policy wording and any excess. If the airline rejects or ignores your claim, ask whether it belongs to an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme, or ask the Civil Aviation Authority about its complaints help.
Ready-to-use checklist
- PIR reference number
- Boarding pass and bag tag receipt
- Photos of damage
- Receipts for essentials bought
- Written claim sent within the deadline
- List of lost items with values and ages
- Travel insurance policy checked
- Copies of all emails and letters
Practical tips
- Take a photo of your packed bag and its tag at check-in; it helps describe it later.
- Keep valuables, medicines and chargers in your hand luggage, as airlines often limit claims for these.
- Put your name and a phone number or email inside the bag as well as on the outside label.
Common problems
You left the airport without reporting the missing bag.
Contact the airline as soon as possible, explain what happened and ask it to open a report. Then send a written claim straight away so you stay within the time limits.
The airline says the damage is normal wear and tear.
Airlines often exclude minor scuffs and scratches but should consider broken wheels, handles or cases. Send clear photos, the PIR and a repair quote, and ask it to explain its decision in writing.
Your bag was on a flight booked through a travel agent.
The claim is still usually made against the airline that operated the last flight. If the flight was part of a package, you can also raise it with the tour operator.
This guide gives general information, not personal legal, financial or medical advice. Rules and prices change, so check the current position with the official service before acting.
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