Compensation for delayed luggage: Your rights and how to claim

Having your luggage lost or delayed is one of the most frustrating parts of air travel, and it happens more often than most passengers realise. The good news: when an airline mishandles your baggage, you are not simply out of luck. There are clear rules on compensation for delayed luggage. Here is what counts as mishandled baggage, what you are entitled to, and exactly what to do to claim.

Delayed, damaged, or lost — what's the difference?

Airlines and the rules that govern them treat three situations differently, so it helps to know which one applies to you.

Delayed baggage is the most common. Your bag simply did not travel with you, usually because it missed a connection. In most cases it turns up within a few days and is delivered to your address.

Damaged baggage covers anything from a cracked shell or torn zip to broken contents. This includes damage caused by the airline's handling, not ordinary wear and tear.

Lost baggage is a bag that never arrives. There is no fixed international rule for when "delayed" officially becomes "lost," but airlines generally declare a bag lost after 21 days without recovery. At that point you can claim for the full contents rather than just interim costs.

Your rights under the Montreal Convention

For virtually every international flight, baggage compensation is governed by the Montreal Convention 1999, an international treaty ratified by more than 140 countries, including all EU member states. It makes the airline liable for destruction, loss, damage, or delay of checked baggage while the bag is in its care.

This is separate from EU Regulation 261/2004, which covers flight delays and cancellations but says nothing about luggage. So even if your flight arrived perfectly on time, a mishandled bag falls under the Montreal Convention, not EU261.

The airline is liable up to a set limit per passenger, regardless of how many bags you checked in. For delayed or damaged baggage, the airline can avoid liability only if it proves it took all reasonable measures to prevent the problem.

How much compensation for delayed luggage can you claim?

Compensation under the Montreal Convention is capped, and the cap is expressed in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), an international currency unit set by the International Monetary Fund. The same limit applies whether your bag was delayed, damaged, or lost.

As of 28 December 2024, the limit for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage is 1,519 SDR per passenger — roughly €1,800, depending on the exchange rate. This was an increase from the previous limit of 1,288 SDR, part of the treaty's built-in inflation review every five years.

A few things worth knowing about the cap:

• It is a maximum, not a fixed payout. You are reimbursed for your actual, proven loss up to that ceiling.
• It applies per passenger, not per bag. If a family checks in several suitcases under one booking, each traveller has their own limit.
• If your baggage contains items worth more than the limit, you can make a special declaration of value at check-in (usually for an extra fee) to raise the ceiling.

What to do the moment you notice a problem

The strength of your claim depends heavily on what you do in the first hours and days. Follow these steps.

1. Report it before you leave the airport

Go straight to the airline's baggage desk in the arrivals hall and file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). This is the single most important document in any baggage claim, without it, airlines will often reject the claim outright. Keep the reference number safe.

2. Keep every receipt

If your bag is delayed and you need to buy essentials (like toiletries, a change of clothes, a phone charger) keep the receipts. The airline is required to reimburse reasonable interim expenses while you wait for your bag. Buy sensibly; airlines will push back on luxury purchases.

3. Photograph the damage

For a damaged bag, take clear photos before you do anything else, and hold on to the damaged item until the claim is settled.

4. Respect the time limits

The Montreal Convention sets strict deadlines for written complaints:

• Damaged baggage: within 7 days of receiving the bag.
• Delayed baggage: within 21 days of the bag being returned to you.

Miss these windows and the airline can refuse to pay. Separately, you have two years from the date of arrival to bring a legal claim if the airline does not settle.

Delayed baggage that becomes lost

If your bag has not surfaced after about three weeks, most airlines will treat it as permanently lost. You can then submit a claim for the value of the bag and its contents, up to the per-passenger limit. Be ready to itemise what was inside and, where possible, provide proof of value such as receipts or photos. The more detail you give, the smoother the process.

Tips to strengthen your claim

• Photograph your packed suitcase before you travel — a simple record of what you owned.
• Keep valuables, medication, and essentials in your carry-on, never in checked baggage.
• Attach a clear name tag inside and outside the bag.
• Note your bag tag numbers from check-in; they are printed on the receipt stapled to your boarding pass.
• Do not throw away a damaged bag or its packaging until the claim is closed.

Don't leave money on the table

Airlines process thousands of baggage claims, and the outcome often depends on how well you document your case and how firmly you follow up. Many passengers give up when the first response is a low offer or a slow one — which is exactly what a mishandled-baggage claim counts on.

Was your flight also delayed or cancelled?

Lost or delayed luggage wasn't the only issue with your flight? If your flight was delayed by at least 3 hours upon arrival or cancelled less than 14 days prior to departure, you might be eligible to compensation. You could be entitled to up to €250, €400, or €600 depending on the distance of your flight. Remember, in order for your flight to be eligible for compensation, the airline must be at fault for the disruption (and not an extraordinary circumstance, such as bad weather or ATC strike).

You do not have to deal with this alone! AirRefund.com/en handles the paperwork, the deadlines, and the back-and-forth with the airline on your behalf, on a no-win, no-fee basis — so you only pay if your claim succeeds. Check your flight in a couple of minutes and let us do the rest.