Lost Luggage: Here Is Exactly What to Do

File before you walk out of the terminal. This is the single most important thing you can do. Once you leave, your options narrow and filing deadlines start running.

Head to the airline’s Baggage Service Desk — it’s usually near the carousels or just outside the customs exit. The agent will create a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and enter your bag into WorldTracer, a global tracking system used by over 500 airlines across 2,800 airports. ^[4]

Bring your boarding pass, baggage claim tag, and a detailed description of your bag: color, brand, size, any distinguishing features. The more specific you are, the faster the matching system works.

You’ll receive a PIR reference number in the format AAABBNNNNN (for example, PHLDL19676). This is your case number for everything that follows — tracking, updates, expense claims, and compensation.

Read the full guide: What to Do at the Airport

The PIR is the official document that initiates the airline’s search for your bag. Without it, there’s no formal record that your baggage was mishandled, and any future claim can be rejected.

Airlines use a standardized system. The agent enters your flight details, bag description, contents, contact information, and delivery address into WorldTracer. WorldTracer sounds like a spy movie prop, but it’s the real system airlines use — it continuously matches your report against “on-hand” bags across the entire global network. ^[4]

Many airlines now let you file a PIR through their app or website if you’ve already left the airport. American Airlines, Delta, United, and most major carriers support online filing. But filing in person at the airport is still the fastest and most reliable path.

Common mistakes: getting the bag color wrong under airport lighting, forgetting distinctive identifiers, or providing an inaccurate delivery address. Double-check everything before the agent submits the form.

Read the full guide: How to File a Missing Bag Report

Once your PIR is submitted, you’ve got several ways to monitor progress. Most airlines surface WorldTracer data through their own websites and apps, and you can check status using your reference number at any time.

If you placed a Bluetooth or GPS tracker in your luggage before the trip, now is when it pays off. You can see your bag’s last known location and share that information directly with the airline. Airlines check status during business hours. You can check AirTag status at 3 AM. Apple’s AirTag works with over 50 airlines through its Share Item Location feature, and United was the first carrier to integrate it in December 2024. ^[4]

Check for updates at least once every 12 hours during the first two days. If you haven’t received any update within 24 hours of filing, call the airline’s baggage service number directly and ask for a status report.

Read the full guide: How to Track a Lost Bag

You shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket because the airline misplaced your property. The U.S. Department of Transportation requires airlines to reimburse passengers for “reasonable, verifiable, and actual incidental expenses” while a bag is delayed. ^[5] There’s no fixed federal dollar amount — the standard is “reasonable.”

Qualifying expenses include toiletries, underwear, a change of clothing appropriate for your destination, and any medication that was in your checked bag. Receipts are your proof — don’t throw anything away. Without them, your claim will be denied.

Individual airlines handle this differently. Delta offers $50 per day for the first five days. American Airlines and United reimburse “reasonable” expenses with receipts but don’t publish daily caps. Either way, submit your receipts promptly — United, for example, requires interim expense claims within 45 days of arrival for domestic flights.

Read the full guide: Immediate Expense Claims

Most airlines search for 5 to 14 days before declaring a bag officially lost. Under the Montreal Convention, a bag is deemed lost after 21 days without arrival. ^[3]

Once a bag is declared lost, you move from a delay claim to a compensation claim — and the dollar amounts change significantly. On domestic U.S. flights, airlines must accept liability of at least $4,700 per passenger. ^[2] On international flights covered by the Montreal Convention, the limit is approximately $2,025 (1,519 Special Drawing Rights at current exchange rates). ^[3]

These are not goodwill gestures. They are legal obligations.

You’ll need to submit an itemized list of your bag’s contents with estimated values. Airlines apply depreciation — they pay the depreciated value of your items, not the original purchase price or replacement cost. Having purchase receipts, photos of packed contents, or credit card statements strengthens your claim substantially.

Airlines aren’t always responsive, and some claims stall for weeks. If you’ve hit a wall, you have options.

File a DOT complaint. Submit a complaint online at airconsumer.dot.gov. The airline must acknowledge it within 30 days and respond in writing within 60 days. ^[6] The DOT can’t order compensation directly, but it tracks patterns and takes enforcement action against carriers that systematically violate consumer protection rules.

Dispute through your credit card. If you paid for baggage fees or the flight with a credit card, you may be able to dispute the charge. Many premium credit cards also include baggage delay and loss coverage that supplements airline compensation.

Escalate on social media. Airlines respond faster to public complaints. A clear, factual description of the problem posted to the airline’s official social media channels often gets results within hours.

File in small claims court. For amounts within your jurisdiction’s limit (typically $5,000-$10,000), you can sue the airline directly. It’s a last resort, but it’s available and doesn’t require a lawyer.