Lost luggage compensation calculator
Tell us what happened to your bag and what it cost you. You'll get an estimate of what you can typically claim on an international flight, your key deadlines, the documents to keep — and a polite claim letter you can send to the airline today.
⚠️ This is an estimate and a template, not legal advice. Compensation depends on your airline, your route, the applicable law and the evidence you can provide. Always check your airline's conditions of carriage.
What was in the bag?
List the bag itself and its contents, with what each item is reasonably worth today.
Your estimate
- Add at least one item with a value to see your estimate.
Approximate conversion used here: 1 SDR ≈ US$1.37 ≈ €1.17 ≈ £1.02. Exchange rates change daily — check the current SDR rate (the IMF publishes it) before you rely on a figure.
Key deadlines
Typical deadlines under the Montreal Convention — check your airline, as some ask for faster reporting.
- NowReport it at the airport
Before you leave the baggage hall, at your airline's baggage services desk. Ask for a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and its reference number.
- —The bag can be treated as lost
If it hasn't arrived 21 days after it should have. Many airlines declare it lost sooner.
- NowSend your written claim
As soon as the airline confirms the bag is lost, or once 21 days have passed. Don't wait, and keep proof of when you sent it.
- —Time limit for legal action
Court action generally has to start within 2 years of the flight's arrival date.
Add your flight date (and delivery date) above to see exact dates.
Documents to keep
- Property Irregularity Report (PIR) with its reference number
- Boarding pass and the baggage tag stub you got at check-in
- Booking confirmation or e-ticket
- Receipts or other proof of value for the bag and its contents
- Receipts for every essential purchase while you waited
- Photos of the damage and a repair quote (for damaged bags)
- Copies of every form and email you send the airline
Step-by-step checklist
- Report the missing bag at the airline's baggage desk before leaving the airport and get a PIR reference.
- Describe the bag precisely: colour, brand, size, stickers, ribbons and any tag on it.
- Track the file online with your PIR reference and keep a note of every call.
- Buy only essentials while you wait, and keep every receipt.
- After 21 days (or once the airline declares it lost), send your written claim with a list of contents and proof of value.
- If the airline refuses or doesn't reply, escalate to customer relations, then to the national enforcement body, an alternative dispute resolution scheme or your insurer.
Claim letter generator
Fill in the details and we'll draft a polite, ready-to-send letter using the items above. You can edit the text before you send it.
🔒 Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or stored.
How it works
Choose what happened
Lost, delayed or damaged — each has its own rules, deadlines and documents.
List what it cost you
Add the items, their value and whether you have proof. For a delay, list only the essentials you had to buy.
See your estimate and deadlines
We total your claim, cap it at the Montreal Convention limit of 1,519 SDR per passenger, flag weak spots and work out your deadline dates.
Send the claim letter
Add your flight and PIR details and copy, download or print a ready-to-send letter for the airline.
Worked example
Sam flies London to Lisbon. Their bag arrives 4 days late, and in the meantime they spend €95 on toiletries and basic clothes (receipts kept) and €25 on a phone charger (no receipt).
The calculator shows a claim of €120, well under the limit of 1,519 SDR (about €1,777 at the rate used here). It flags the charger as harder to recover without proof, and — because the bag was delivered on 14 June — sets the written-claim deadline to 5 July, 21 days later.
If Sam's bag had never arrived and the contents were worth €2,400, the estimate would be capped at about €1,777, with the remaining €623 shown as above the limit — a cue to check travel insurance.
Frequently asked questions
How much compensation can I get for lost luggage on an international flight?
Under the Montreal Convention, the airline's liability for lost, delayed or damaged checked baggage is capped at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger since 28 December 2024 — roughly US$2,000. It's a ceiling, not a fixed payout: you need to prove what you lost, and airlines usually apply depreciation to older items.
What is an SDR and how much is it worth?
A Special Drawing Right is a reserve unit set by the International Monetary Fund, based on a basket of major currencies. Its value changes daily — at the time of writing 1 SDR is roughly US$1.37. Compensation is converted into local currency, so the exact amount depends on the rate when your claim is settled.
What are the deadlines for a baggage claim?
Report the problem at the airport before you leave. Then send a written claim within 7 days of receiving a damaged bag, or within 21 days of a delayed bag being delivered. A bag still missing 21 days after it should have arrived can be treated as lost. Legal action generally has to start within 2 years. Some airlines ask for faster reporting, so check yours.
Can I claim for things I bought while my bag was delayed?
Usually, yes. Airlines typically reimburse reasonable and necessary interim expenses such as toiletries, underwear, basic clothing and chargers. Keep every receipt and avoid luxury purchases — the airline can refuse costs it considers unreasonable.
What if I don't have receipts for the contents?
You can still claim. Use bank or card statements, order confirmation emails, photos of you with the items, warranty cards or original packaging. Items with no proof at all are the most likely to be reduced or refused, so photographing your packed bag before a trip is worth the 30 seconds.
Is the 1,519 SDR limit per bag or per passenger?
Per passenger, for all of their checked baggage on that journey. If you travel with valuables worth more, you can make a special declaration of value at check-in (often for a fee), or rely on travel or contents insurance.
Does the Montreal Convention apply to domestic flights?
It covers international journeys between countries that have ratified it, which is most of the world. EU airlines apply the same rules to domestic flights within the EU. Other domestic flights — for example within the US — follow national rules with their own limits, so check your airline's conditions of carriage.
Tag your bags so a finder can reach you
Most lost things are found by someone who has no way to contact you. TagTrek turns any bag or item into a QR tag: whoever finds it scans it and can message you anonymously. No app needed for the finder, no GPS tracking.
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