Lost or Delayed Baggage: Montreal Convention Claims

How much compensation can I claim for lost or delayed baggage?

For international carriage covered by the Montreal Convention, the standard baggage liability limit is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger, effective 28 December 2024. It is a ceiling on recoverable loss, not an automatic payment or a separate allowance for each bag. Evidence and the applicable rules still matter.

The previous 1,288 SDR figure is not the current standard limit. ICAO confirms the revision in its Montreal Convention administrative package, paragraph 5. SDR is an international accounting unit, not pounds, euros or dollars; its currency value changes. Do not use an old currency equivalent as a guaranteed settlement figure.

The usual cap can differ where an accepted special declaration of interest was made at check-in, with any required supplement, or a legal exception applies. A high-value claim needs a case-specific assessment. A £520 UK261 flight-delay award and a baggage claim are different remedies; use our flight compensation hub for disruption to your flight itself.

What changes when a bag is delayed, damaged or lost?

A delayed bag calls for tracing and evidence of reasonable necessary spending; a damaged bag needs photographs and a prompt written complaint. If the carrier admits loss, or checked baggage has not arrived 21 days after it should have arrived, Article 17 allows the passenger to enforce rights arising from the carriage contract.

At the arrival airport, ask the airline or its handling agent for a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). Keep its reference, a photograph of the baggage tag and the address where the bag should be delivered. If the desk is closed, use the airline’s official reporting channel promptly and retain proof of submission.

For damage, keep the suitcase and damaged items until inspection or disposal is agreed in writing. Photograph the whole bag and close-ups. Ask about repair before replacing an expensive case: replacement cost, age, condition and evidence can all affect the assessment.

What are the Montreal Convention baggage claim deadlines?

Article 31 requires a written complaint for checked-baggage damage promptly after discovery and no later than seven days after receipt. For delay, complain within 21 days after the baggage is placed at your disposal. Court proceedings have a separate two-year limit under Article 35; an airline complaint is not a court action.

The Convention text, Articles 31 and 35 matters here: missing Article 31’s complaint deadline can bar an action, subject to its fraud exception. Do not describe a late complaint as merely less persuasive. The two-year period runs from arrival, the date the aircraft ought to have arrived, or when carriage stopped; the court’s law determines how it is calculated.

Do not assume a tracing reference alone is a complete written compensation complaint. Send the complaint and supporting schedule through the airline’s official channel, stating the problem and the reimbursement you seek. Save the submitted text, attachments, timestamps and acknowledgment. A PIR may have legal significance, but its content and circumstances matter.

If the bag never arrives, report and claim promptly rather than waiting for a supposed universal lost-bag filing window. Do not wait two years to start correspondence. Seek qualified advice early if a deadline is near or the airline disputes receipt. Negotiations, website tools and complaints to TravelShifu do not preserve court time limits.

What should I buy while my baggage is missing?

Start with necessities you genuinely need during the delay, such as basic toiletries and suitable replacement clothing. Keep itemised receipts and explain the circumstances. A maximum liability figure is not a spending budget; the necessity and reasonableness of purchases can be disputed.

Make a simple expense log: date, item, amount, currency, receipt filename and why you needed it. A work shirt before a meeting and several designer outfits are not the same claim. If you are already home with access to spare clothing, explain any remaining essential need rather than copying advice for an overseas holiday.

Example only: a traveller whose bag arrives two days late keeps receipts for basic toiletries and one change of clothes. Their claim starts with the documented cost of those purchases, not the full SDR limit multiplied by two days. Keep any airline-approved spending instructions alongside the receipts, without treating an informal conversation as a guaranteed payout.

How do I submit a clear baggage compensation claim?

Use the airline’s official baggage-claims process. Separate the facts, the requested remedy and the supporting evidence. Include your booking and baggage references, when the problem occurred, when the bag was returned if applicable, and an itemised total. Keep a complete copy rather than relying on a portal status screen.

Suggested checklist: passenger and contact details; complete itinerary; boarding pass or booking confirmation; baggage tag; PIR; delivery record; photographs; receipts; itemised loss or expense schedule; and earlier airline correspondence. Send only the personal information the verified claim channel needs.

A useful opening is: “I am submitting a written complaint about [delayed/damaged/lost] checked baggage on [flight and date], baggage reference [reference]. The bag was [returned on date/not returned]. I request assessment of the attached documented losses of [amount and currency]. Please confirm receipt and explain any disputed item in writing.” Adapt it to your facts; this is a drafting aid, not a legal notice validated for every jurisdiction.

Do not publish your booking code, passport scan, address or bank details on a public forum to obtain help. If a message asks for bank information, independently open the airline’s official website or contact channel before responding.

Do the same baggage rules apply to US domestic flights?

No. The Montreal Convention is not a universal rule for every domestic journey. US domestic flights generally use a different liability framework, while a domestic segment within an international itinerary can fall under international rules. Establish the contract and complete itinerary before choosing a cap or deadline.

The US Department of Transportation baggage guidance distinguishes domestic and international liability. It also describes separate refunds of paid baggage fees for lost or significantly delayed bags, with reporting conditions and exceptions. A baggage-fee refund is not the same claim as reimbursement for replacement essentials.

Mobility aids require particular care: US domestic treatment differs from ordinary baggage limits, and international rules need their own check. Contact the airline’s accessibility team promptly, request practical assistance and retain evidence of repair or replacement needs. Do not accept a generic suitcase response as a complete explanation of your situation.

What should I do if the airline rejects my baggage claim?

Ask for a written reason identifying the disputed loss, deadline or rule. Respond with the missing evidence or explain why the stated limit appears inapplicable. Check the relevant regulator or dispute-resolution route and whether it covers baggage. Obtain qualified advice where necessary before any court deadline expires.

Keep one chronological file: original submission, airline reply, additional evidence and your response. This makes it easier to identify whether the dispute concerns liability, value, missing receipts or procedure. A regulator’s information service and an adjudicator able to decide an individual claim are not interchangeable.

Check existing insurance for any relevant baggage cover and its own notification conditions. Tell the insurer what the airline has already paid or offered, and avoid claiming the same expense twice. Buying a new policy after the baggage problem occurs will not ordinarily cover that known event.

Can I claim the full limit for every suitcase, or also claim for hand luggage?

The standard Montreal baggage limit is per passenger, not per suitcase, and does not remove the need to establish loss. Unchecked baggage, including personal items, has a different liability test: Article 17 links liability to fault by the carrier or its staff or agents. Do not assume checked-bag treatment applies unchanged.

Keep baggage and flight-delay correspondence separate, even if both problems arose on one journey. Our ultimate flight-rights guide explains compensation, care, refunds and rerouting; it does not replace this baggage process.

Reviewed 4 October 2026 against the Convention, ICAO’s revised limits and DOT guidance. This is desk-researched public information, not a report of TravelShifu winning a baggage claim or a promise that an airline will pay.