Delayed, Lost & Damaged Baggage Compensation 2026
If an airline loses, damages or delays your checked bag on an international flight, you can claim up to 1,519 SDR — about €1,700 (US$2,000) — under the Montreal Convention, a ceiling raised from 1,288 SDR on 28 December 2024. It covers the bag's contents, the essentials you buy while it's missing, and repair or replacement if it's damaged. The catch is the clock: you have just 7 days to report damage, 21 days to report a delay, and 2 years to sue. Miss those and a valid claim is worthless.
Lost or damaged bag? See what you can claim — free
AirHelp handles Montreal Convention baggage claims as well as EU261 flight claims. Enter your details and find out what you're owed in a couple of minutes. No win, no fee.
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How much you can claim
Baggage compensation runs on a different regime from flight-delay compensation. Where delays and cancellations are governed by EU261 with its fixed €250–€600 amounts, lost and damaged baggage falls under the Montreal Convention — and that pays your proven loss, up to a ceiling, rather than a flat sum.
That ceiling is 1,519 SDR per passenger, roughly €1,700 or US$2,000 at current rates. SDR — Special Drawing Rights — is an IMF unit, which is why the limit is quoted that way and converts slightly with exchange rates. The figure rose from 1,288 SDR on 28 December 2024, part of the inflation review the Convention runs every five years, so any older guide citing 1,288 is out of date.
| Montreal limit (per passenger) | SDR | Approx. |
|---|---|---|
| Baggage — loss, damage or delay | 1,519 SDR | ~€1,700 / $2,000 |
| Passenger delay (knock-on costs) | 6,303 SDR | ~€7,000 / $8,400 |
It is a maximum, not a giveaway — you must evidence the value of what you lost. A bag of ordinary holiday clothing rarely approaches the cap; a bag with a damaged laptop or a full wardrobe might. The free checker above also screens Montreal baggage claims, so it's the quickest way to see whether yours is worth pursuing.
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Compare a private charter quote →Delayed, lost and damaged — three different claims
The three outcomes are governed by the same 1,519 SDR ceiling but work differently:
| Situation | What you claim | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Delayed baggage | Reasonable essential replacements | Report within 21 days; keep receipts |
| Lost baggage | Full value of bag + contents (to cap) | Treated as lost after 21 days undelivered |
| Damaged baggage | Repair or replacement value | Report within 7 days of receiving it |
The most common is delay, and it often becomes loss: a bag undelivered for 21 days is, by the Convention's own definition, considered lost — which flips your claim from "the essentials I bought" to "the whole value of the bag". Damage is the strictest on time, with a 7-day window that catches many travellers who notice a cracked case only once they're home.
The deadlines that kill baggage claims
More baggage claims fail on deadlines than on merit. Three clocks run at once, and they are short:
7 days — written complaint to the airline for damaged baggage, from when you received it. 21 days — written complaint for delayed baggage, from when it was finally delivered. 2 years — the absolute limit to bring a lawsuit, from the date of arrival. The first thing to do at the airport is file a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) before you leave the baggage hall — but the PIR is not the formal written complaint, so follow it up in writing inside the 7 or 21-day window.
That distinction trips people up: the PIR you file at the carousel records the problem, but the Convention's written-complaint deadlines still run, so a separate written claim to the airline within 7 or 21 days is what preserves the right. The two-year litigation limit is hard and is not extended by the airline dragging out negotiations — a parallel to the broader claim deadlines that vary by regime.
What's covered, and what isn't
The 1,519 SDR covers the proven value of the bag and its contents — but airlines limit liability for high-value and fragile items packed in checked baggage. Jewellery, electronics, cameras, cash, medication and important documents are routinely excluded or capped, which is precisely why they belong in your cabin bag, not the hold. Compensation is also reduced for ordinary wear and tear and for anything you can't evidence with a receipt, photo or reasonable proof of ownership.
The single best thing you can do before you fly is photograph the contents of your checked bag. A claim backed by photos and receipts is paid; a claim that relies on "trust me, there was a leather jacket in there" is argued down. Valuables go in the cabin — the hold limit won't make you whole on a stolen laptop.
Proving what your bag was worth
Because the Montreal limit pays your proven loss rather than a flat figure, the size of your payout is decided by evidence, not outrage. A worked example shows why. Say a bag is lost with clothing, a pair of shoes and a jacket. Claim "about £1,200, I think" with no proof and the airline will offer a fraction on a depreciated, per-kilo or per-item basis. Claim £1,200 backed by purchase receipts, a packing photo and a clear itemised list, and you are arguing from evidence the airline has to rebut — far closer to the real figure, comfortably inside the 1,519 SDR ceiling.
Airlines routinely apply depreciation for wear, so newer items recover more of their value than a five-year-old coat. The practical lesson: itemise, evidence, and don't inflate — a credible, documented claim beats a large, vague one every time. A free check is the quickest way to gauge whether your documented loss is worth formally pursuing and what a realistic recovery looks like.
How to claim and document it
The sequence that wins a baggage claim:
| Step | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| File a PIR before leaving the baggage hall | Your first record; needed to start any claim |
| Submit the written complaint in time | 7 days (damage) / 21 days (delay) — the real deadline |
| Keep receipts for replacements | Reimbursed up to the cap; no receipt, no payment |
| Evidence the bag's contents and value | Photos and receipts decide what you recover |
| Note the 2-year litigation limit | Hard deadline to sue if the airline won't pay |
A comprehensive travel insurance policy is the practical hedge here — it typically pays faster than the airline, covers some items the hold limit excludes, and spares you the airline's evidential gauntlet. Many travellers claim on insurance for speed and let the insurer chase the airline, which is often the cleanest route to actually being made whole.
Doing it yourself vs using a service
A clean delayed-bag claim — receipts in hand, complaint filed in time — is straightforward to run yourself and free. It gets harder with a contested loss, a disputed valuation, or an airline that simply doesn't respond, which is where a no-win, no-fee service that handles Montreal baggage claims earns its cut (typically a percentage of the recovery, nothing if it fails). The fastest first move costs nothing:
Frequently asked questions
How much can I claim for lost or damaged baggage?
Under the Montreal Convention the airline's liability for lost, damaged or delayed checked baggage on an international flight is capped at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger — about €1,700 or US$2,000. This limit was raised from 1,288 SDR on 28 December 2024. It is a maximum, not an automatic payout: you are compensated for your proven loss up to that ceiling.
What is the deadline to claim for delayed or damaged baggage?
The deadlines are short and strict. For damaged baggage you must complain to the airline in writing within 7 days of receiving the bag; for delayed baggage, within 21 days of the bag being returned to you. Separately, any lawsuit under the Montreal Convention must be brought within 2 years of arrival. Miss the written-complaint window and the claim is generally lost.
When is delayed baggage officially considered lost?
Checked baggage that has not been delivered within 21 days of the date it should have arrived is treated as lost under the Montreal Convention, at which point you can claim for the full value of the bag and its contents up to the 1,519 SDR limit rather than for delay expenses.
Can I claim for things I had to buy while my bag was delayed?
Yes. While your checked bag is delayed, the airline must reimburse the cost of reasonable essential replacement items — clothing and toiletries you needed to buy — up to the same 1,519 SDR limit. Keep every receipt, buy sensibly, and claim the cost back; extravagant purchases may be reduced as unreasonable.
Does the Montreal Convention cover domestic flights?
The Montreal Convention applies to international carriage between two of its member states. Purely domestic baggage claims are governed by national law or the airline's conditions of carriage, which may set different limits. Many countries apply Montreal-equivalent limits domestically, but you should check the rules for the specific country.
What isn't covered by baggage compensation?
The limit covers the proven value of the baggage and contents, but airlines commonly exclude or limit liability for fragile, valuable or perishable items — jewellery, electronics, cash, important documents — packed in checked baggage. These should travel in your cabin bag. Compensation is also reduced for normal wear and tear and for items you cannot evidence.
Should I use travel insurance or claim from the airline?
Both can apply, and they are not mutually exclusive. The airline's Montreal liability is the baseline; a good travel insurance policy often pays faster, covers items the airline excludes, and avoids the airline's evidential hurdles. Many travellers claim on insurance for speed and let the insurer pursue the airline, or claim both within the rules against double recovery.
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