Quick answer
Reviewed · 4 min read
If your bag doesn’t arrive, file a report with the airline at the airport before you leave, get a file reference number, and keep receipts for essentials you buy. US airlines must reimburse reasonable, verifiable expenses for delayed bags and compensate for lost ones up to a liability limit. DOT rules also require refunding checked-bag fees for significantly delayed bags.
Researched and maintained by Empyrean Travel · How we research
- First step
- File a report before leaving the airport
- Bag-fee refund
- 12+ hours late domestic; 15–30+ international
- International delay claims
- In writing within 21 days
- International damage claims
- Within 7 days of receipt
What should you do if your luggage doesn’t arrive?
Don’t leave the airport without reporting it. Most delayed bags are found and delivered within a day or two, and a report starts the search.
- Go to the baggage service office of the airline that operated your last flight
- File a report, often called a Property Irregularity Report, and get the reference number
- Give a delivery address and phone number for the next few days
- Photograph your bag tag receipt and keep your boarding pass
- Ask about the airline’s policy for interim expenses
What do airlines owe you for delayed or lost bags?
On US flights, DOT says airlines must cover reasonable, verifiable incidental expenses while your bag is delayed, such as toiletries and essential clothing. Keep every receipt. If a bag is lost, the airline must compensate you for the depreciated value of its contents up to a liability limit, and refund any fee you paid to check it.
Under DOT’s 2024 rules, you’re also owed a refund of the checked-bag fee if your bag is significantly delayed: more than 12 hours after arrival on domestic flights, 15 hours on international flights of 12 hours or less, or 30 hours on longer international flights. International trips are generally governed by the Montreal Convention, which sets its own liability limits.
How do you file a lost luggage claim?
Follow up with a written claim even if you filed a report at the airport. Deadlines matter. Under the Montreal Convention, which covers most international trips, written complaints are due within 7 days of receiving a damaged bag and within 21 days for a delayed bag. Domestic deadlines are set in each airline’s contract of carriage and can be short.
List the bag’s contents with estimated values and receipts where you have them. Valuables like jewelry, cash, and electronics are often excluded from airline liability.
How can trackers and smart packing help?
A tracking tag in your checked bag tells you where it is, and many major airlines now accept shared tracker locations, such as through Apple’s Share Item Location feature, to help find delayed bags.
Packing well limits the damage. See our business trip packing list for a carry-on that can carry you through a day or two.
- Medications, valuables, and electronics in your carry-on
- A change of clothes and basic toiletries in your carry-on
- Name and contact details inside and outside every bag
- A photo of your bag and its contents before you leave home
What if the airline’s offer isn’t fair?
Escalate in writing with your receipts and reference number. If you can’t resolve it, file a complaint with the US Department of Transportation for US airlines or flights.
Other coverage can fill gaps: travel insurance baggage benefits, credit card baggage protection, and sometimes homeowners or renters insurance. See travel insurance explained and flight delay and cancellation rights.
Frequently asked questions
How long before a delayed bag is considered lost?
Will the airline deliver my bag when it’s found?
Does travel insurance cover lost luggage?
Can I get my checked bag fee refunded?
Who handles my claim if my bag was lost on a connecting flight?
Official sources
Rules, fees and schedules change — confirm the latest details at the source before you travel.