Lost Luggage Compensation: How to Claim When Your Bag Is Gone for Good

You landed, waited at the carousel, and your bag never came. Days turned into weeks. The airline tracking systems show nothing useful. At some point, you have to face it: your luggage is not coming back.

When an airline loses your luggage, the law gives you a clear path to compensation. Under the Montreal Convention, you can file a lost luggage claim for up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (approximately €1,800) per passenger. This guide covers when baggage is officially declared lost, how to submit a claim, what you can recover, and how FlyPayout handles the process for you.

What Counts as Lost Luggage?

Under the Montreal Convention, checked baggage is considered delayed - not lost - for the first 21 days after arrival. On day 22, the bag is officially declared lost and you can file a full lost baggage claim.

In practice, most airlines will declare a bag lost between five and fourteen days after the flight, though this varies from one airline to another. If your checked luggage does not arrive at baggage claim, you should report the missing bag immediately at the airline's baggage service office - do not leave the airport without filing a report.

During the first 21 days when the bag is delayed, you can claim incidental expenses for essentials - clothes, toiletries, basic necessities. See our delayed luggage compensation guide for details. Once the bag is declared lost, you shift to a full claim for the bag and all missing contents, up to the maximum liability limit.

How Much Lost Luggage Compensation Can You Get?

The Montreal Convention caps airline liability for lost bags at 1,519 SDR per passenger - approximately €1,800 at current exchange rates. For reference, this is approximately $2,060 to $2,175 USD per passenger at current conversion rates. This compensation limit was revised upward from 1,288 SDR on 28 December 2024 as part of the Convention's built-in inflation adjustment.

This limit is per passenger, not per bag. If you checked two bags and both were lost, the total maximum the airline owes you across all checked baggage is still approximately €1,800.

This is a ceiling, not a guaranteed payout. The airline owes you the proven value of your bag and its missing contents up to that limit. Depreciation applies - airlines do not pay the original purchase price of used items. A laptop or pair of shoes will be valued at less than what you paid, based on age and condition.

If you travel with valuable items, you can make a special declaration of value at check-in and pay an additional fee. This raises airline liability above the standard compensation limit.

What the Claim Covers

Your lost luggage compensation claim can include the replacement value of clothing, shoes, and personal items (after depreciation), electronics and toiletries at current value, the bag itself, and incidental expenses from the delay period that carry over into the lost luggage claim.

Airlines are required to compensate passengers for reasonable, verifiable, and actual incidental expenses incurred while their bags are delayed - without setting an arbitrary daily limit on these expenses. This means there is no fixed cap of, say, €50 per day: the standard is what is genuinely reasonable given your circumstances.

Checked bag fees you paid are also recoverable - the airline collected bag fees for delayed bags or lost bags and failed to deliver the service.

Excluded Items

Most airlines limit or exclude liability for certain lost or damaged contents. Airlines are generally only required to cover fair wear and tear on bags, not pre existing damage. Airlines explicitly exclude high-value valuables from standard luggage liability policies - including cash, jewelry, electronics, and critical medications. Irreplaceable items - family photos, business papers, important documents - are generally not compensable. Cell phones, cameras, and fragile items packed in checked luggage rather than carry on baggage or unchecked baggage are frequently excluded. Perishable items and prescription medication are also typically outside the scope of a standard reimbursement claim.

Improper packing and pre existing damage are additional grounds airlines use to reduce or deny payment for lost contents. Airline policies on excluded items vary - review the conditions of carriage for your specific carrier before filing.

Which Flights Are Covered?

The Montreal Convention applies to international flights and most international travel between any of its 140+ signatory countries - including all EU/EEA states, the US, Canada, and the UK. This covers virtually all international flights passengers are likely to take from a destination airport or arrival airport in a signatory country.

For domestic flights and domestic travel, national law governs. Procedures and compensation limits are similar in most countries, but the specific rules vary.

How to Prove What Was in Your Bag

Most lost luggage claims succeed or fail at the evidence stage. Airlines will not compensate passengers based on vague descriptions.

Original receipts and bank statements are the strongest proof for higher value items. A detailed description of each item - brand, color, size, approximate purchase date - carries more weight than a general list. "Navy linen shirt, size M, purchased October 2024" is far stronger than "shirt." Other proof such as online purchase history, photographs of packed contents, and insurance valuations for covered items all help substantiate a claim.

Some airlines require receipts for every item. This is unreasonable for everyday personal effects - a detailed inventory with receipts for significant items should suffice as other proof.

How Airlines Try to Limit Your Claim

Most airlines do not compensate passengers automatically or fairly. Expect a lowball initial offer that does not reflect your documented losses - this is a negotiating starting point. Aggressive depreciation, demands for unrealistic proof, and citing excluded items are common tactics.

Airlines may also slow-walk the process for weeks or months. If more than one airline was involved in your journey - for example, a codeshare or a connecting flight operated by a partner carrier - determining which carrier bears liability adds complexity. The last airline to handle your bag is usually the responsible party, but when you book under one airline's ticket across more than one airline, your booking carrier is the first point of contact.

How to Claim Lost Luggage: Step by Step

1. File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) - also called a mishandled baggage report - at the airline's baggage service office or airport baggage service office before leaving the baggage claim area. Get the file reference and your bag tag number. Without a PIR, your claim becomes significantly harder.
2. Track your bag during the 21-day window using the airline's tracking systems and your bag tag number. Keep receipts for all essential purchases while the bag is delayed.
3. After day 21, submit a formal written claim to the airline - most have an online claim form. Include your PIR or mishandled baggage report reference, a detailed description and inventory of missing items with valuations, receipts or other proof where available, your boarding pass and ticket confirmation, and your bank details.
4. If the airline's first offer does not reflect your documented losses, reject it and negotiate. If the airline refuses to fairly compensate passengers, escalate to the relevant national aviation authority or let FlyPayout handle the dispute.

Time Limits

Under the Montreal Convention, you have 2 years from the aircraft's arrival date at your destination to bring a court action. Some airlines impose shorter internal deadlines for their claims portal. File your reimbursement claim as soon as the bag is declared lost - do not wait.

Travel Insurance and Lost Luggage

Travel insurance can work alongside airline compensation for lost baggage. File the airline claim first - most insurance policies require this. Insurance can cover the gap above the Montreal Convention maximum liability limit and may also cover valuable items and other valuables the airline excludes. Some credit card travel benefits include luggage protection - check your card's terms.

You are not choosing between the two. The airline pays up to its limit; insurance can cover the rest.

How FlyPayout Claims Your Lost Luggage Compensation

The lost luggage claim process is slow, bureaucratic, and designed to favor the airline. Most passengers accept lowball offers or give up entirely when travel plans are already disrupted. FlyPayout handles the entire claim.

Enter your flight and luggage details into our free calculator. We assess your case against Montreal Convention compensation limits and tell you what you are owed.

If your case qualifies, FlyPayout submits a documented, professional claim structured to maximize what you recover for lost bags, missing items, and delayed baggage expenses. We negotiate with the airline on your behalf. If they refuse fair compensation, our legal team takes the case forward. No win, no fee - you never pay upfront.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lost Luggage Compensation

How do I submit a claim for lost luggage?

File a PIR at the airport baggage service office on arrival. After 21 days, submit a formal claim with a detailed description and inventory, proof of purchase, your bag tag number and PIR reference, boarding pass, and essential expense receipts.

What is the maximum airline compensation for lost luggage?

Under the Montreal Convention, maximum liability is 1,519 SDR (approximately €1,800) per passenger, revised on 28 December 2024. You receive the proven value of your lost bags and missing contents up to that limit.

Can I file a lost baggage claim without receipts?

Yes. While receipts are the strongest evidence, airlines should not require receipts for every item. Bank statements, online purchase history, photographs, and detailed descriptions all count as other proof.

What if more than one airline was involved?

The last airline to handle your checked bag is usually responsible. If your journey was booked on a single ticket across more than one airline, file your claim with the booking airline first.

Does lost luggage compensation apply to domestic flights?

The Montreal Convention covers international flights between signatory countries. For domestic travel, national law applies with similar procedures and compensation limits.

Can I claim airline compensation and travel insurance together?

Yes. File the airline claim first. Travel insurance covers the gap above maximum liability and may also cover excluded items such as valuable items, cell phones, and other valuables.

Your luggage is gone. Do not let your lost luggage compensation disappear too.

Airlines lose tens of thousands of bags every year. Most passengers never claim the full compensation they are entitled to because the process is slow, the offers are low, and airlines count on you giving up. Check your lost luggage claim now - it takes less than 2 minutes, and it is completely free.

FlyPayout helps passengers claim compensation for lost luggage, delayed or damaged bags, flight delays, cancellations, denied boarding, overbooking, missed connections, and baggage claims. Our service is risk-free - you only pay when we succeed.