Baggage Claim Deadline: Don't Miss It

Baggage claims have two types of deadlines: the initial report deadline (when you must notify the airline) and the final claim deadline (when you must submit the full value claim). Miss the first, and the airline can refuse to trace. Miss the second, and you forfeit the claim entirely.

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  Initial PIR filing: 24 hours (most US domestic carriers); 7 days for international under the Montreal Convention.

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  Delayed-to-lost conversion: 21 days standard for international, 5 to 21 days depending on carrier for domestic.

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  Full value claim: 2 years for Montreal Convention (international); 2 years typical under US contract law.

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  Damage claim initial report: before leaving the airport for most carriers.

The 24-hour rule is the one that catches people. You fly home, unpack, notice damage the next day, and by the time you contact the airline you are outside the window. Always inspect bags at the airport.

The PIR (Property Irregularity Report) is the airline's first record that your bag is missing or damaged. You typically must file within:

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  At the arrival airport: before leaving the terminal for damaged bags, or before leaving the baggage claim area for delayed/missing bags.

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  24 hours: most US domestic carrier contracts.

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  7 days: Montreal Convention for international flights.

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  21 days: for damaged or delayed bags under Montreal Convention specifically for written claim of damages.

If you leave the airport without filing, you can typically still report within 24 hours, but the claim is weaker. After 24 hours for domestic or 7 days for international, most airlines refuse the trace.

If the bag is delayed, the airline has a window to trace and recover it before the bag is officially "lost." During the delay window:

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  You claim interim expenses (toiletries, clothing, essentials).

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  The airline traces via WorldTracer (the industry database).

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  Eventually: bag is delivered OR declared lost.

Conversion windows:

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  International flights (Montreal Convention): 21 days after arrival of the flight.

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  Domestic flights: typically 5 to 21 days depending on carrier policy.

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  After the window: file the full-value claim.

For the interim expense framework, see [delayed baggage 24 hour and 72 hour rules](/blog/delayed-baggage-24-hour-and-72-hour-rules). The 24-hour and 72-hour milestones affect what expenses are reimbursable.

The full value claim covers the actual replacement cost of lost items. Deadlines:

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  Montreal Convention: 2 years from arrival (or scheduled arrival) of the flight.

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  14 CFR Part 254 (US domestic): 2 years typical, though contract of carriage may specify shorter.

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  Written notification of damages: 7 days after receipt of damaged baggage (Montreal Convention).

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  Written notification of delay: 21 days after the bag is delivered (Montreal Convention).

To preserve your rights, the filing must be formal:

1. 1

   Airport-level PIR counts as the initial filing.

2. 2

   Follow-up online claim through the airline's website counts as formal notification.

3. 3

   Phone calls alone do not count. Always follow up in writing (email, online form, or letter).

4. 4

   Screenshots or confirmation emails prove the filing date.

For how to document the airport filing correctly, see the bag tag proof guide.

If you missed the airport PIR but are within 24 hours:

1. 1

   Call the airline's baggage services line immediately. Request a PIR by phone.

2. 2

   Provide the bag tag number, boarding pass, and details of the flight.

3. 3

   Save the call confirmation number and the agent's name.

4. 4

   Follow up in writing via the airline's online claim form within 24 hours of the call.

If you missed 24 hours but are within 7 days and the flight was international, the Montreal Convention 7-day window still protects you. File immediately and cite the Convention.

If you missed the claim deadline entirely, you may still have remedies through travel insurance or credit card baggage coverage. See the baggage claim vs travel insurance double recovery guide.

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  Leaving the airport without inspecting the bag. Damage noticed the next morning is much harder to prove.

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  Accepting "we will call you back" without a reference number. Without a case number, your claim is not tracked.

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  Not saving bag tag receipts. The tag number is the bag's unique identifier.

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  Relying on the airline's verbal promise without written follow-up.

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  Accepting the first offer without counter-documentation.

For airline-specific guidance, see the damaged luggage compensation step by step and the JetBlue lost bag claim process and payout.

Within the claim window? File in 30 seconds. We confirm the deadline, attach your documentation, and submit within the required timeframe. For the pillar reference, see the airline lost baggage compensation guide.