What Do You Do If Your Checked Bag Is Lost, Delayed, or Damaged?

This article covers checked baggage claims for US domestic flights and international flights governed by the Montreal Convention (1999). Three areas are outside its scope:

• TSA damage claims. If TSA screening caused damage to your bag or its contents, the claim is filed with the TSA directly at tsa.gov under the Federal Tort Claims Act, not with the airline. This is an entirely separate process from an airline baggage claim.
• Flights governed by the Warsaw Convention. A small number of international routes are still governed by the older Warsaw Convention (1929), which carries lower liability limits than the Montreal Convention. Check the airline's contract of carriage if you are unsure which treaty applies to your route.
• Legal advice. This article explains published DOT rules and Montreal Convention provisions as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. For disputes above the small claims threshold or involving complex international itineraries, consult a consumer aviation attorney.

Commercial interest disclosure: Airport Online publishes airport information pages for major US hub airports and earns revenue through display advertising, affiliate links, and partner placements on those pages. This article is published because travelers who understand their baggage rights are better served by the accurate airport information that is the core purpose of this platform.

The single most important rule for a missing or damaged bag: do not leave the airport without filing a written report. Once you walk out, your options narrow significantly. Here is the correct sequence, in order:

1. Go directly to the airline's baggage service office. This office is located in the baggage claim hall, near or behind the carousel area. Do not go to the check-in desk or a gate agent - the baggage office has direct access to the WorldTracer tracing system and is the only place where a PIR can be formally filed.
2. File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). The agent records your bag's description, your contact details, a delivery address, and your itinerary. You receive a PIR reference number - keep this safe, as every subsequent communication with the airline requires it.
3. Photograph the damage before leaving the office. If your bag arrived damaged, take clear photos of the bag and its contents before the agent touches it. These photos are your primary evidence if the airline disputes the damage claim later.
4. Ask about interim expense reimbursement. If your bag is delayed and you need essentials, ask the agent what the airline will cover and how to submit receipts. Get the answer in writing, or note the agent's name and what they told you.
5. Confirm the delivery address on your PIR. If the bag is found, the airline delivers it to the address on the PIR. Verify it is correct before you leave the office.

Your PIR reference number lets you track progress online through the airline's baggage tracking portal, which draws from the WorldTracer database shared across airlines and airports worldwide.

Two sets of rules govern airline liability for baggage, depending on whether your flight is domestic or international. Knowing which applies to your ticket before you travel is the most practical preparation you can do.

Domestic US flights - DOT minimum liability: The US DOT sets a minimum liability limit for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage. As of the DOT's 2024 adjustment, that limit is $4,700 per passenger. Airlines may set higher limits in their contracts of carriage, but they cannot set lower ones. This limit applies to the total value of your bag and its contents combined, not per item.

International flights - Montreal Convention Article 22(2): Most international flights to, from, or through the United States are governed by the Montreal Convention (Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, 1999), which the US ratified. Article 22(2) caps airline liability at 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) per passenger for checked baggage. The SDR is a basket currency maintained by the International Monetary Fund; at typical 2024 exchange rates, 1,288 SDRs converts to roughly $1,700 USD. Article 17 governs damage, Article 19 governs delay, and Article 31 sets the complaint deadlines.

Excess valuation: If your bag contains items worth more than the applicable liability limit, you can declare excess valuation at check-in and pay a fee to increase the airline's liability. Airlines typically exclude jewelry, electronics, and fragile items from excess valuation coverage.

What airlines are not required to cover: Airlines are not liable for damage to fragile items packed in soft-sided bags, normal wear and tear, or items prohibited from checked baggage. Federal law does not require airlines to reimburse interim expenses for a delayed bag, though many do so voluntarily under their customer service commitments.

A delayed bag is the most common baggage problem at large hub airports. Most bags are reunited with their owners within 24 to 48 hours of a PIR being filed. In the meantime, you may need to buy essentials. Follow these steps:

1. Ask the airline what it will cover before you spend. Reimbursement policies vary significantly by carrier. The airline's customer service commitment or contract of carriage (available on the airline's website) sets out the specifics. Do not assume the airline will cover a particular purchase without checking first.
2. Keep every receipt. Submit receipts through the airline's online baggage claim portal. Most carriers require receipts to be submitted within 21 to 30 days of the delay. Reasonable purchases - toiletries, underwear, a change of clothes appropriate to your trip purpose - are more likely to be reimbursed than luxury items.
3. Check your travel insurance or credit card benefits. Many travel insurance policies and premium credit cards include baggage delay coverage that activates after a set delay period, commonly six to twelve hours. Contact your insurer or card issuer as soon as you know the bag is delayed.
4. Track your bag online. Use the airline's baggage tracking portal with your PIR reference number. If there is no update after 24 hours, call the airline's baggage service line directly and reference your PIR number.

If the airline cannot locate your bag within its tracing period, typically 5 to 14 days depending on the carrier, it is declared lost and you can file a formal compensation claim. Here is the practical checklist:

• Gather your documentation first: PIR reference number; boarding pass or booking confirmation; a detailed list of the bag's contents with estimated values and, where possible, purchase receipts or photos; and any receipts for interim expenses already approved by the airline.
• Submit through the airline's claims portal. Filing online creates a timestamped record. Keep a copy of everything you submit.
• Be realistic about valuations. Airlines typically pay depreciated replacement value, not original purchase price. Provide as much supporting evidence as possible - receipts, photos, bank statements - to support your claimed values.
• Know your international deadlines (Montreal Convention Article 31): For a delayed bag, file a written complaint within 21 days of the date the bag was placed at your disposal. For a damaged bag, the deadline is seven days from receipt. Missing these deadlines can extinguish your right to claim under the Convention.
• Escalate if needed: File a complaint with the DOT's Aviation Consumer Protection Division at airconsumer.dot.gov. For international flights, the Montreal Convention allows legal claims in the courts of the country of departure, destination, or the airline's principal place of business. Small claims court is a practical option for domestic disputes below the $4,700 limit.

The best baggage claim is the one you never have to file. These practical steps, drawn from standard airport operations guidance, reduce the risk of loss and damage and make any claim much easier to resolve.

• Use a distinctive luggage tag with your name, phone number, and email address. Include a card inside the bag with the same information. If the external tag is torn off, the internal card allows the airline to identify and return the bag.
• Photograph your bag and its contents before you check in. A timestamped photo of the open bag showing its contents is the single most useful piece of evidence for a lost or damaged claim. Take it on the day of travel and store it in your phone's camera roll.
• Remove old airline tags from previous trips. Old routing tags can cause bags to be misdirected at automated sorting facilities. Peel off every old sticker before checking in.
• Consider a luggage tracker. Devices such as Apple AirTag or Tile can be placed inside a checked bag and show the bag's last known location through a smartphone app. This does not guarantee recovery, but it gives you specific location data to share with the airline's baggage team and can speed up tracing.
• Check your travel insurance and credit card coverage before you travel. Know your policy's baggage delay threshold, the per-item limits, and what documentation you will need to claim. This takes five minutes before departure.
• Declare high-value items at check-in. If you are traveling with items worth more than the standard liability limit, purchase excess valuation from the airline or ship the items separately via a courier with declared value insurance.

Airport Online publishes airport information pages for major US hub airports, including baggage claim locations and ground transport options. Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) is the first airport live on the platform, with more hub airports to follow from December 2026.