Delayed or lost checked bag? Claim deadlines and limits

If your checked bag doesn't come off the carousel, report it to the airline before you leave the baggage hall. Strict written deadlines then apply. Under the Montreal Convention, the treaty that governs most international flights, you have 7 days from receiving your bag to claim for damage and 21 days to claim for a delay. A bag that hasn't turned up after 21 days is generally treated as lost.

This guide covers what to do at the airport, the deadlines and limits in the US, Canada and Australia, and how to write the claim.

At the airport: report it first

1. Go to the airline's baggage desk, not the airport information desk. The airline is responsible for your bag.

2. File a report. In the US this is a Mishandled Baggage Report. In Canada and elsewhere it is often called a Property Irregularity Report. You'll need your booking reference, bag tag number, contact details and a description of the bag.

3. Get a reference number and a copy of the report.

4. Photograph any damage before you leave, including the bag tag.

5. Ask what the airline covers while you wait, such as toiletries or a change of clothes.

If your trip involved more than one airline, the airline that operated your last flight usually handles the claim.

Filing a report at the airport may not count as a written claim. The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) says that even after a report, you must still contact the airline to file your claim. Send a written claim as well.

International trips: the Montreal Convention

For most international itineraries, the Montreal Convention sets the deadlines and limits. According to the CTA:

• Damaged bag: claim in writing within 7 days of receiving it.

• Delayed bag: claim within 21 days of receiving it.

• Lost bag: claim as soon as possible. A bag is considered lost once it is 21 days late, or earlier if the airline admits it's lost.

• Limit: for flights on or after December 28, 2024, airline liability is capped at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR), about C$2,780 according to the CTA. SDR is the unit the treaty uses, and its dollar value moves with exchange rates. For earlier flights, the cap was 1,288 SDR.

The cap is a maximum, not a set payout. You still need to show what you lost or spent. The CTA notes that an airline doesn't owe for a delay if it took all reasonable measures to avoid it, or couldn't have. For damage, the airline doesn't owe if the damage came from the quality of the bag itself. For any court action under the Convention, the CTA notes a two-year time limit.

US domestic flights

For flights within the US on larger aircraft, federal rules (14 CFR Part 254) say an airline can't limit its liability for lost, damaged or delayed baggage to less than $4,700 per passenger. That is a floor on the airline's limit, not an amount you're owed. You claim your actual, provable loss.

Bag fee refunds. Under 14 CFR Part 260, US and foreign airlines on US routes must refund your checked bag fee if the bag is lost or significantly delayed and you filed a Mishandled Baggage Report. "Significantly delayed" means not delivered within:

• 12 hours of arrival for domestic itineraries

• 15 hours for international itineraries with a nonstop segment to or from the US of 12 hours or less

• 30 hours for international itineraries with a nonstop segment over 12 hours

The clock starts when you're able to leave the plane at your final destination and stops when the bag is delivered or picked up.

Canada

For flights within Canada, delayed-bag claims follow the airline's tariff. File as soon as possible and before the tariff's deadline. Under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations, if a bag is lost or damaged, the airline must also refund the baggage fees you paid, including fees for extra, oversized or overweight bags.

For international trips, the Montreal Convention deadlines and limits above apply.

Australia

The Australian Government's passenger travel guide says to report a missing or damaged bag at the airport before leaving the baggage hall, because strict time limits often apply. Liability is set by the Montreal Convention for international travel and by the Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959, together with each airline's conditions of carriage. A bag that can't be found is generally considered lost after 21 days. Airlines may reimburse reasonable expenses for essentials while you wait, so keep every receipt.

If you have travel insurance, check whether your insurer requires you to claim from the airline first.

Example: a claim timeline

Sample, synthetic: Priya flies Northgate Air from Vancouver to Sydney on 3 February. Her bag arrives on 6 February with a cracked shell.

• On arrival: she files a report at the Sydney baggage desk.

• 6 February: she photographs the damage as soon as the bag is delivered.

• By 13 February (7 days after receiving the bag): written claim for the damage.

• By 27 February (21 days after receiving it): written claim for delay expenses, such as the toiletries and clothing she bought, with receipts.

She could send both in one letter, before the earlier deadline.

What to put in your written claim

• booking reference, flight numbers and dates

• bag tag number and report reference number

• what happened: delayed, damaged or lost, with dates

• an itemized list of costs or losses, with receipts or proof of value

• any baggage fees you paid

• what you're asking for and how you want to be paid

Send it through the airline's baggage claim form or by email, and keep a copy with the date sent.

Questions to ask the airline

• What is my report reference number, and where can I track the bag?

• What are your written claim deadlines for delay, damage and loss?

• Which expenses will you reimburse while I wait?

• Will my checked bag fee be refunded?

• Which airline is handling the claim on a multi-airline trip?

Get a second pair of eyes on your baggage paperwork

EasyToDecode is launching soon. Upload your baggage report and the airline's reply, and it will quote the dates and terms that matter, flag missing information, and help you prepare a claim letter you send yourself. See how it works or join the waitlist.