What To Do If Your Baggage Is Lost

If your bag has not returned after 21 days, it is usually treated as officially lost, which means the next step is documenting its value and preparing a stronger compensation claim.

What to do if your checked bags are lost

If your bags don't show up on the carousel, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're lost. In fact, airlines call missing baggage "delayed" until 21 days have passed, and only then are they considered to be officially lost.

If you just found out your bags are missing, visit our page on what to do if your bags are delayed.

Some airlines might mark a bag as "lost" after just 5 days, but according to international and UK law, your luggage must be treated as lost if it cannot be located in 21 days from your arrival. And that changes everything, including what you're owed and how you claim it.

Your bag is only officially lost after 21 days. Airlines classify baggage as "delayed" until then, but once that threshold passes, the rules change and the airline's liability increases significantly.

File a PIR immediately if you haven't already: This is the single document that makes or breaks a lost baggage claim. No PIR means no payout, full stop.

Reconstruct every item in your bag and put a value on it. Your compensation is calculated on the documented value of your bag and its contents. The more thoroughly you can prove what was lost, the more you stand to recover.

Lost baggage compensation can reach up to GBP 1,600. Domestic UK flights are covered up to GBP 1,000 under CAA rules; international flights fall under the Montreal Convention, with a maximum liability of GBP 1,600 per passenger.

You have two years to file a lost baggage claim, but don't wait. The deadline is generous, but memories fade, evidence gets harder to find, and airlines become harder to deal with the longer you leave it.

5 Steps to take when your checked baggage is lost

Step 1: File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR)

If you haven't already done this, do it now - either at the airport or on your airline's website.

A PIR is the official report that records the fact your belongings didn't arrive when you did. This triggers the airline's investigation into the whereabouts of your baggage. Also, you need this report if you decide to file a claim later. Without it, the airline will deny your claim outright.

If your bag went missing and you did not file a PIR, contact the airline in writing immediately and explain the situation. It may not be too late, but the sooner the better.

Step 2: Use the PIR number to track the status of your baggage

Use your PIR reference number to check your bag's status, and always respond quickly to any updates from the airline. Also, keep a log of all communication with the airline. Keep a detailed record of dates, names of the agents you spoke with, and what was said.

If the airline locates your bag during this period, great. But if you wait for 21 days and your luggage still doesn't turn up, you have a fully documented timeline ready to attach to your compensation claim.

Step 3: Document everything that was in your suitcase

Once you're confident the bag is lost, you need to provide an itemised account of what was in it. Make a detailed list of everything that you packed in the suitcase, and provide cost estimates for each item.

If you have receipts or photos of your packed bag, include these in your claim. The more details and supporting evidence you can provide, the better. The main thing is to reconstruct the contents and their value.

For future flights, remember to photograph the inside and outside of every bag before your trip. It only takes a few seconds, and it can make a huge difference in your final compensation payout.

Step 4: Find out how much compensation you're entitled to

The amount you can claim depends on your route. Payouts for lost baggage on domestic flights are different from what you'll receive on international ones.

Domestic UK Flights

On domestic UK flights, the airline's liability for lost checked luggage is capped at GBP 1,000. There is no fixed payout. Compensation is assessed using the documented value of your bag and its contents. The stronger your documentation, the higher your compensation will be.

International Flights

If your flight departed the UK and travelled to any of the 135 countries that have ratified the Montreal Convention, then international law applies. In these situations, the maximum payout for lost baggage is GBP 1,600 per passenger.

What is the Montreal Convention?

The Montreal Convention is an international treaty that protects passengers when their baggage is mishandled. If your destination country isn't a signatory, the older Warsaw Convention may apply, but it has significantly lower compensation limits.

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Step 5: Create your claim and submit it to the airline

Again, when you submit a lost baggage claim, the more evidence you provide, the better your outcome will be. So, before you hit "send" be sure you include your:

• Checked bag receipts (bag tags). This is proof your bag was checked in
• Boarding passes, ticket receipts, or other proof of travel
• A copy of your PIR and the reference number
• A copy of your photo ID
• Receipts for any interim purchases made while waiting for the bag
• Photos of your bag, inside and outside, ideally taken before the flight
• Receipts and/or an itemised list of the contents for the bag that was lost

Common mistakes that hurt your lost baggage claim

Not filing a PIR: Failing to report your delayed bags is one of the biggest reasons compensation claims are denied.

Assuming the airline will contact you. They might reach out, but if they don't always follow up in writing via email or webform.

Waiting past the claim deadline. Once your bags are officially lost, you have two years from the date of your flight to file a claim for lost baggage. If you miss it, you won't get compensated.

Undervaluing your contents. Don't shortchange yourself. Document every item you can substantiate.

Accepting the first offer. Airlines start low, but you have a right to push back, especially if you have solid documentation.

Need help with your lost baggage claim?

Lost baggage claims are more complex than claims for delayed bags. Plus the stakes are higher, the documentation requirements are more specific, and airlines know it. BagHelp handles the entire compensation claim process on your behalf, from reviewing your documentation to negotiating directly with the airline.

All you have to do is wait to get paid.

Enter your flight details to see how much the airline owes you and to start your claim today.

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