Baggage problems
Delayed baggage: your bag arrived late
My bag is delayed — what must I do quickly, and what can I get for the wait?
Applies to: International · United States · National law variesRules last checked:
On this page
In short
Report the delay at the airport and in writing. The Convention makes the carrier liable for damage caused by delay in the carriage of baggage, unless it proves it took all reasonably required measures; for a delay claim you must complain in writing at the latest within 21 days from the date the baggage was placed at your disposal.
The total liability limit for a passenger’s baggage, including delay, is 1,519 SDR. What an airline will pay for essentials while you wait depends on its conditions and national law, so keep receipts and ask before you buy.
What to do next
- Write the claim within 21 days of the bag being placed at your disposal, even if the airline promises to ‘sort it out’.
- Keep receipts for essentials and note dates: the airline will ask for them.
- Send your claim and receipts together and keep a copy.
- Check your travel insurance for a baggage-delay benefit and its own waiting period.
What to do
In the first hours
- File the delayed-bag report at the airport baggage desk and note the reference number.
- Ask where and how the bag will be delivered, and by when; give an address where you will actually be.
- Ask what the airline will cover for essentials (toiletries, clothes) and whether there is a cap or a required receipt type. Keep every receipt regardless.
What to check
The written complaint deadline
The Convention makes the carrier liable for damage occasioned by delay in the carriage by air of baggage, unless it proves that it took all measures that could reasonably be required to avoid the damage or that it was impossible to take them. In the case of delay, the complaint must be made in writing at the latest within 21 days from the date on which the baggage was placed at the passenger’s disposal. If no complaint is made within the time, no action lies against the carrier, save in the case of fraud on its part.
So do not wait for the bag to be delivered before you write: put your claim for the costs caused by the delay in writing, with receipts, within those 21 days of receiving it.
The airline’s liability for destruction, loss, damage or delay of baggage is limited to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR, an IMF unit of account) per passenger, according to the limits ICAO revised with effect from 28 December 2024, unless you made a special declaration of interest at check-in and paid a supplementary sum. The figure was 1,288 SDR before that revision.
Flights in the United States
The Department of Transportation’s refund rules define a ‘significantly delayed’ checked bag by time: not delivered within 12 hours after arrival on a domestic flight, or within 15 or 30 hours on an international flight depending on the length of the non-stop segment (see the exact definition in 14 CFR 260.2). Read the rule for what that definition triggers.
Sources
- Montreal Convention 1999 — text as scheduled in UK legislation — legislation.gov.uk (UK National Archives)
- Revised limits of liability under the Montreal Convention (effective 28 December 2024) — International Civil Aviation Organization
- 14 CFR Part 260 — Refunds and other consumer protections (definitions) — U.S. Government (eCFR)
General information to help you understand your options — not legal advice, and not a promise that any payment or refund is due to you. Your rights depend on the facts of your journey and the law that applies; check the official sources above and the carrier’s own terms.