Put your details inside
Add your name, mobile, email and destination address inside the case. Avoid showing your home address outside.
● A calm plan for a missing suitcase
Your bag didn’t arrive.
Here’s what to do.
Report it, help the search, keep the right evidence and claim what you can — without airport jargon or false promises.
Free passenger guideInternational claim basicsOfficial sources
BAG STATUSNOT ON BELTACT NOW · KEEP RECEIPTS
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START AT THE BAGGAGE DESK
Before you fly
Pack for the possibility that the outer tag comes off.
A loose barcode does not have to mean a lost bag. Give staff more than one way to connect your suitcase back to you.
Photograph before closing
Take one photo of the packed contents and one of the closed bag. Keep valuable-item receipts separately.
Remove old route labels
Peel off old barcode stickers and straps that could snag. Verify the airport code on the new tag.
Make it unmistakable
Use a bright strap or distinctive tag. Note the brand, colour, size and scuffs that identify it.
Keep essentials with you
Carry medicine, keys, documents, chargers, valuables and one change of clothes in your cabin bag.
Save your bag-tag receipt
Photograph the barcode receipt. It is the fastest link between you, the flight and the airline’s bag record.
At the carousel
Four things to do before you leave the airport.
The airport desk creates the tracing file. Your later claim is separate, so keep the report and follow up in writing.
- 1
Check nearby belts and oversized baggage.
Confirm the carousel and ask whether unloading is complete.
- 2
Go to the airline or handler’s baggage desk.
Do this before customs if possible. The final operating airline is usually the practical place to start.
- 3
Get a Property Irregularity Report.
Check the bag description, flight, phone and delivery address before you leave.
- 4
Ask how to track and claim.
Save the reference, web link, contact channel and policy on reasonable essentials.
Behind the scenes
How the baggage search actually works.
The search is a chain of scans plus matching. A missing scan narrows the location; your PIR description helps match an unlabelled bag.
Accepted
Your tag number is linked to your passenger record at bag drop.
Loaded
A scan may show whether the bag boarded the departing aircraft.
Transferred
On a connection, custody and routing data pass between handlers.
Arrived
The bag is recorded at the arrival facility before reclaim.
If the barcode is gone
Your description becomes the match.
BrandColourSizeMaterialStrapsStickersContents
What to expect
When does “delayed” become “lost”?
21days is the key treaty threshold
Report it before you leave
Get a PIR reference, confirm your delivery address and save your bag-tag receipt.
The active tracing window
Routing scans and your description help create a match. Keep every essential-item receipt.
Keep the file complete
Ask for a written update and prepare an inventory with age, value and proof.
Move to a lost-bag claim
You may treat the bag as lost after 21 days, unless the airline admitted the loss earlier.
Many bags are returned sooner, but no responsible guide can promise a delivery date. Keep the tracing file open and your evidence organised.
What you can claim
Choose what happened to your bag.
This is a practical starting point. Your route, airline policy, evidence and local law can change the result.
Bag delayed
Buy only what you reasonably need.
Airlines commonly reimburse essential, proportionate purchases while you are away from home. There is no universal daily allowance.
Typically worth including
- Basic toiletries and underwear
- Simple clothing appropriate to the trip
- Laundry costs if that is more reasonable
- Other essentials you can clearly explain
Evidence to attach
- Property Irregularity Report (PIR)
- Bag-tag receipt and boarding pass
- Dated, itemised purchase receipts
- Airline updates and delivery time
The limit covers the combined baggage claim. You must still show what you lost or spent. The currency value changes, and airlines normally account for age and wear.
Do not miss these
Three deadlines to put in your calendar.
A PIR is not always the formal written claim. Write to the airline with your evidence and keep proof of submission.
Damage complaint
Write within 7 days of receiving damaged checked baggage.
Delay complaint
Write within 21 days from the day your delayed bag is returned.
Court action
The Montreal Convention generally extinguishes the right to damages after two years.
For a bag declared lost, make the written claim immediately. Airline and domestic deadlines can differ, so check the carrier’s conditions and applicable law.
Your claim file
Build the paper trail as you go.
Tap each item when you have saved it. Your checklist stays only on this page.
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Useful nuance
Questions travellers usually ask.
Can I buy a whole new wardrobe while my bag is delayed?
No fixed rule promises that. Keep purchases necessary, reasonable for the trip and proportionate to the delay.
Does the 1,519 SDR limit mean I will receive that amount?
No. It is generally the maximum liability per passenger. Payment depends on proven loss, reasonable expenses and applicable rules.
Should I claim from the airline or travel insurance?
Compare both. Insurance may cover more but can have an excess. Do not recover twice for the same loss.
What if two airlines were involved?
The airline operating the final flight is often the best first contact, though international rules may let you address either contracting or actual carrier.