Lost, delayed, or damaged baggage: airlines owe up to $4,700 (and must refund your bag fee)

On U.S. domestic flights airlines are liable for up to $4,700 per passenger for lost, delayed, or damaged checked bags; on international flights about $2,000 under the Montreal Convention. What to do at the airport, the deadlines, what "reasonable expenses" you can claim while you wait, and how to get your checked-bag fee refunded.

At the airport: the 20 minutes that decide your claim

1. Go to the airline's baggage service office in the arrivals hall before leaving.
2. File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) for a missing bag, or a damage report for a damaged one. Get the reference number and keep the bag tag stubs from check-in.
3. For damage, photograph the bag and contents at the counter.
4. Ask about the airline's interim expense policy and get it in writing (some hand out overnight kits or a cash allowance).
5. Track the bag with the reference number on the airline's site (WorldTracer).

If you couldn't file at the airport (office closed, late arrival), file online or by phone within 24 hours and keep the confirmation.

What the airline owes you

Delayed bag

Reasonable, documented expenses for what you needed while without the bag: toiletries, underwear, clothes appropriate to the trip, a phone charger. DOT prohibits airlines from setting arbitrary daily limits on domestic flights; "reasonable" depends on the trip (a business traveler needing a suit is reasonable; a full wardrobe is not). Keep receipts. Plus the refund of your checked-bag fee if delivery took longer than 12 hours (domestic) / 15–30 hours (international).

Damaged bag or contents

Repair or replacement value (depreciated) of the bag and damaged items. Airlines can't refuse liability for handles, wheels, straps, or zippers when the damage was their fault, and DOT has told airlines that blanket exclusions for those parts aren't allowed.

Lost bag

Once declared lost (each airline sets a period, typically 5 to 14 days), the airline pays the depreciated value of the contents and the bag, up to the liability limit. You'll submit an itemized list with values and, where possible, receipts. Reasonable estimates are accepted for ordinary items; expensive electronics and jewelry without receipts are often rejected or excluded by the contract of carriage.

Liability limits

• Domestic (DOT): $4,700 per passenger.
• International (Montreal Convention): 1,519 Special Drawing Rights, roughly $2,000 per passenger. Applies to any international itinerary, including the domestic legs on the same ticket.
• You can raise the limit by declaring excess value at check-in and paying a fee (few people do).

How to claim in writing

1. Within the deadline, submit the airline's baggage claim form (online) with: PIR number, flight details, bag tag numbers, itemized list with values, receipts for expenses, photos of damage.
2. State what you're claiming: interim expenses, repair/replacement, or total loss, and the bag-fee refund.
3. Airlines typically respond in 4–8 weeks. If they lowball, reply with your receipts and cite the DOT limit (domestic) or Montreal Convention Article 22 (international).
4. No response or unfair denial: file a DOT complaint. DOT actively enforces baggage rules and airlines respond fast to complaints.
5. Last resort: small claims court for the amount owed (no lawyer needed), or your travel insurance / credit card baggage benefit, which often pays faster.

Credit card and insurance backup

Many travel credit cards (Chase Sapphire, Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X, others) include baggage delay insurance ($100–$500 for delays over 6–12 hours) and lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000) when you paid for the ticket with the card. These pay in addition to, or faster than, the airline. File within the card's deadline (usually 20–60 days).

FAQ

The airline offered $150 for a bag worth $1,200

Push back with an itemized list and the liability limit. Airlines settle higher when you document; DOT complaints move things further.

My bag was delayed on a domestic flight and I bought $300 of clothes for a wedding

Reasonable for the circumstances. Submit receipts and explain the event. Airlines must reimburse reasonable expenses; the $4,700 cap is the only limit.

They say electronics and jewelry aren't covered

Contracts of carriage exclude some items from checked bags. Keep valuables in your carry-on. For international flights, courts have sometimes held airlines liable anyway, but expect a fight.

How long can I wait to file?

Report at the airport immediately; file the written claim within 7 days (damage) or 21 days (delay). Late claims are the number-one reason airlines deny.