Delayed baggage compensation: how much you get and how it's calculated
Reviewed by José Romero Lara
EU261 aviation lawyer — 5+ years as in-house legal counsel at international airlines
When you ask how much airlines pay for delayed baggage, the short answer is: it depends on what you can prove, up to a limit set by law. Neither Regulation (EC) 261/2004 nor AESA deals with baggage: the airline's liability is set out in the 1999 Montreal Convention. This guide explains the exact limit, how the amount is worked out, what you can include in your claim and what evidence you need.
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Check my claim1How much airlines pay for delayed baggage
The Montreal Convention sets a single liability limit of 1,519 SDR (around €1,800) per passenger for the destruction, loss, damage or delay of checked baggage (Art. 22(2)). It's a limit per person, not per bag: if you checked in two suitcases, the cap is still the same total amount.
Baggage compensation limit
Delay, loss or damage to baggage
Per passenger, any combination of the three (Art. 22(2))
2How the amount is worked out: it isn't a fixed sum
This is the point most people get wrong: the amount doesn't depend on a table or the number of days of delay, but on what you can prove. The limit is a ceiling on proven damage, not an automatic payment or a flat sum split equally between passengers.
In practice: if you spent €80 on clothes and toiletries while waiting for your bag, you get €80 if you can back it up. If the lost contents are worth €2,500, you're paid at most the limit above, not the full amount.
Why you see different figures online
Plenty of pages still quote old limits or made-up daily rates. The only limit in force since 28 December 2024 is the one above; there's no fixed daily rate for delay in the law.
3What you can claim
Within the limit, you can include several different items in the same claim:
What you can claim for
Essential purchases
Basic clothing, toiletries and medication bought while you waited for your bag
The value of lost contents
What was inside, if the bag is declared lost
The bag itself
The suitcase itself, based on its age and condition
Non-recoverable trip costs
Activities or bookings you couldn't use because you didn't have your luggage
For exactly what to buy while you wait and how to back it up, see the essential-expenses guide linked under "Related articles".
4What evidence you need
The PIR (Property Irregularity Report) number from the airline desk before you left the airport.
The original invoices for what was inside the bag, if you're claiming for loss.
Receipts for essential purchases, with the date and amount.
Photos of the bag and, if you have them, of its contents.
Without the PIR, your claim is much harder to support against the airline. For the full procedure for the first few hours, see the lost-baggage guide linked under "Related articles".
5Delay or loss: when the classification changes
While the airline is still looking for your bag, your case is a delay. But if 21 days pass from the date it should have been delivered and it still hasn't turned up, the Montreal Convention treats it as legally lost (Art. 17(3)).
Why the difference matters
As a loss, you can claim the full value of the bag's contents, not just the essential costs you had while waiting. The financial limit stays the same: what changes is what you can include.
6How to go above the limit
The limit can be exceeded in two specific cases. First: if you made a special declaration of interest in delivery at check-in and paid the extra fee, the limit becomes the value you declared (Art. 22(5)).
Second: if the airline caused the loss, damage or delay intentionally, or recklessly and knowing that damage would probably result, the limit disappears entirely (Art. 22(5)).
7Deadlines you can't afford to miss
Montreal Convention deadlines
Written complaint for delay
To the airline, from when you receive the bag (Art. 31)
Written complaint for damage
To the airline, from when you receive the bag (Art. 31)
Court action
From the flight's arrival, can't be suspended or interrupted (Art. 35)
There's no legal deadline for the airline to reply
The Convention sets no time limit for the airline to respond. If it doesn't reply, or rejects your claim, you don't need to wait any longer to escalate it: you can go to a consumer arbitration board, if the airline has joined one, or to court.
8How to claim, step by step
- 1
File the PIR before leaving the airport
It's the evidence of the incident; without it, your claim is much harder.
- 2
Keep receipts and photos from day one
Of your essential purchases and, if relevant, of the contents and value of the bag.
- 3
Send your written claim within the deadline
21 days for a delay, 7 days for damage, counted from when you receive the bag.
- 4
If there's no reply or it's rejected, escalate
A consumer arbitration board, if the airline has joined one, or court; you don't need a lawyer up to €2,000.
- 5
Or hand it to AviFly
We handle the claim and, if needed, the lawsuit. We only charge if you get your money: 15% + VAT out of court and 30% + VAT in court.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you get for delayed baggage?
Up to 1,519 SDR (about €1,800) per passenger, but only the amount you can prove with receipts: it isn't a fixed or automatic sum.
Is the limit per bag or per passenger?
It's per passenger, not per bag. If you checked in several suitcases, the total limit stays the same, split across what you can prove for each.
How do I claim delayed baggage compensation?
File the PIR at the airport, keep receipts for your expenses, and send a written claim to the airline within 21 days of receiving your bag.
Does AESA handle delayed baggage claims?
No. AESA handles delays, cancellations and denied boarding under Regulation (EC) 261/2004, but baggage is excluded — it's governed by the Montreal Convention.
What if I don't have receipts for my expenses?
Without receipts, your claim is much harder to support: the airline may reject it or offer a lower amount. Always keep receipts from the first day without your bag.