Guides / Injuries, illness, delays and lost bags
Lost or delayed luggage: what the airline owes and what insurance adds
The short answer
If your bag doesn't arrive, file a report with the airline before you leave the airport. The airline is responsible first: it should reimburse reasonable essentials while you wait and pay for a lost bag up to its legal limit. Travel insurance adds baggage delay cover (essentials after a set number of hours, often 6–12) and baggage loss cover, which can fill the gap when the airline pays too little.
At the airport
- Go to the airline's baggage desk before leaving the arrivals hall.
- File a report (often called a Property Irregularity Report) and get the reference number.
- Ask what the airline will reimburse for essentials while you wait, and get it in writing.
- Give your hotel address and phone number for delivery.
- Keep your bag tag and boarding pass.
Delayed bags
Most bags turn up within a day or two. Meanwhile, buy essentials (toiletries, a change of clothes, chargers) and keep receipts. The airline should reimburse reasonable costs; baggage delay insurance pays after a set delay, often 6–12 hours, up to a daily and total limit.
Lost bags
If a bag isn't found after a set period (often 21 days on international flights), it's treated as lost. The airline pays up to its liability limit, usually based on the value of the contents with depreciation and proof. Baggage loss insurance covers what the airline doesn't, up to the plan's limit and per-item caps.
Deadlines are short: for damaged bags you may have only days to report; for delayed bags, file a written claim with the airline within the deadline in its terms, often 21 days after delivery. Don't wait until you're home.
What isn't usually covered
- Cash, jewelry and electronics above low per-item limits
- Items left unattended
- Wear and tear
- Fragile items packed in checked bags
Tips
- Pack medicine, a change of clothes and chargers in your carry-on.
- Put a tracker in your checked bag.
- Photograph your packed bag's contents.
Common questions
Does my credit card cover delayed bags?
Many travel cards include baggage delay cover if you paid the fare with the card. Check the delay threshold and limit.
Will insurance pay the full value of my lost bag?
Usually the depreciated value, up to the plan limit and per-item caps, after the airline pays.
Do U.S. airlines refund bag fees for delayed bags?
Under U.S. rules, airlines must refund checked bag fees when bags are significantly delayed. Check the DOT site for the current thresholds.
This guide is general information, not insurance, legal or medical advice. Cover, prices and rules vary by insurer, plan, state and country, and they change. Read the policy wording, and check official sources for entry and passenger-rights rules, before you buy or travel.