Lost, delayed or damaged baggage: claim what the airline owes you
What the airline owes
On most international flights the Montreal Convention makes the airline liable for checked baggage that is lost, delayed or damaged, up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger. That is roughly US$2,000, £1,500 or €1,850; the exact figure moves with exchange rates.
The limit is a ceiling, not a fixed payment. You are paid what you can show: the value of what was lost or damaged, or what you had to buy while the bag was missing. Airlines reduce the value of used items and pay less when there are no receipts.
Deadlines that end a claim
| What happened | Write to the airline within |
|---|---|
| Bag arrived damaged | 7 days of receiving it |
| Bag arrived late | 21 days of getting it back |
| Bag never arrived | It counts as lost after 21 days; claim as soon as it does |
Report the problem at the airport before you leave and keep the reference number of the report. Any court action must start within two years.
What we do
- Review your report, receipts and photos, and tell you by email what you can realistically claim.
- Write the itemized claim and send it to the airline in your name.
- Follow up and, where the airline refuses and a free complaints body is available to you, prepare that complaint.
Fee
One flat fee per claim, paid once after we confirm the claim is worth making: US$69, £49, €59 or CA$59. We take no share of what the airline pays, and the airline pays you directly.
If your loss is small, we will tell you the fee is not worth it and how to write to the airline yourself.
What to send us
- The baggage report from the airport and its reference number.
- Your boarding pass or booking confirmation, and the bag tag if you have it.
- A list of what was lost or damaged with approximate values, and any receipts.
- Photos of the damage, or receipts for what you bought while the bag was missing.
The review is free. We confirm by email whether the claim is worth making before you pay anything. No outcome is promised.