Missing Plane
Passenger rights

Lost, delayed or damaged baggage: what you can claim

By Jules Aubry · · How we check facts
The short answerHow much can I claim for lost or delayed luggage?

Under the Montreal Convention, the airline is liable up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger (about €1,880) for lost, damaged or delayed baggage. Report it at the airport before leaving, then claim in writing within 7 days for damage and 21 days for delay.

Check my flight in 30 seconds

Baggage is not covered by EU261 but by the Montreal Convention, which sets the airline's liability for checked bags worldwide.

At the airport
  • Go to the baggage desk before you leave the arrivals hall and file a report (often called a PIR). Keep its reference.
  • Photograph any damage and the bag tag.

Deadlines
ProblemWritten claim to the airline
Damaged bagWithin 7 days of receiving it
Delayed bagWithin 21 days of receiving it
Lost bagAs soon as the airline confirms it is lost (usually after 21 days)

How much

The airline is liable up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger, about €1,880, for proven losses (KLM's notice). While your bag is delayed, reasonable essentials (toiletries, a change of clothes) are refunded with receipts.

Your travel insurance or bank card insurance may pay on top. Check your card.

Sources

What happened to your flight?
Where were you flying?

How late did you arrive?

At your final destination, when the doors opened.

What reason did the airline give?

Check the email or text message they sent you.

— → —
€250–€600Enter your route
Why this answer?
  • Under EU261, a flight 3+ hours late, cancelled at short notice or overbooked pays €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, depending on distance. Pick your airports to see your amount.
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More guides

All guides
The airline refused or ignored your claim: what to do nextThe free steps after an airline says no: challenge the reason, the national enforcement body, approved mediators, European consumer centres, then small claims without a lawyer.How far back can you claim? Flight compensation time limits by countryEU261 sets no deadline, so national time limits apply: from 1 year to 10 years depending on the country. Which country's limit you can use, examples, and the 9-month limit expected with the reform.How to prove your flight delay: the evidence that wins a claimWhat to keep on the day and what to find afterwards to prove a delay or cancellation: boarding passes, the door-opening time, the airline's reason, receipts and flight records.Flight delayed? When you get €250 to €600, and what you're owed while you waitYour flight is late: meals from 2 hours, compensation from 3 hours late at arrival, a refund option from 5 hours. The rules, examples and what to do now.Christmas flights: snow, strikes and family tripsWhat you are owed when holiday flights go wrong, and how to lower the risk.Claim yourself or use a claim service?Doing it yourself is free. Services save time and take a share.