Ryanair lost your suitcase: how to claim for lost, damaged or delayed baggage
Reviewed by José Romero Lara
EU261 aviation lawyer — 5+ years as in-house legal counsel at international airlines
When your bag does not come off the belt on a Ryanair flight, the rules that decide what you are owed are not Regulation (EC) 261/2004 on delays and cancellations but the 1999 Montreal Convention. Ryanair is an Irish EU carrier, so those rules apply to its domestic flights too. This guide covers what to do at the airport, how to file the complaint, which deadlines are running and what to do if Ryanair will not pay.
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Start my claim1Which baggage Ryanair covers, and under which rules
The Montreal Convention covers three different things that can happen to your baggage: it is lost, it arrives damaged, or it arrives late. Regulation (EC) 2027/97, as amended by 889/2002, applies those same rules and limits to EU airlines. Ryanair holds an Irish licence, so it is liable in the same way on a Barcelona–Rome flight as on a Madrid–Palma one.
For checked baggage liability is strict: it is enough that the loss or damage happened on board or while the bag was in the carrier’s charge, and you do not have to prove negligence. For hand baggage and the things you carry with you, the airline is liable only if the damage resulted from its fault or that of its staff (Art. 17(2)).
This is not EU261
The flat €250, €400 or €600 payments are for flight delays and cancellations. Baggage is compensated for the loss you can prove, within the Convention’s limit, and is claimed through a different route.
2Step 1: the PIR before you leave the airport
The Property Irregularity Report (PIR) is your proof that you reported the problem there and then. It is opened at the baggage desk in the arrivals hall, which on Ryanair flights is usually run by a ground handling company. Find it before you leave the reclaim area.
Describe the bag in detail: brand, colour, size and anything that makes it recognisable.
Write down the PIR reference: it is the number Ryanair will use to identify your case.
Ask for a stamped copy signed by the agent, on paper or by email.
Keep the baggage tag stub and your boarding pass.
If the bag arrived damaged, photograph it at the airport before you move it.
If you leave without a PIR
Collecting the bag without complaining creates a presumption that it was delivered in good condition (Art. 31(1)). You can still complain in writing within the deadline, but you will have to prove the damage some other way.
3Step 2: the written complaint to Ryanair
The PIR is not the claim. To ask for money you must send Ryanair a written complaint, which is filed through the baggage form in its help centre using the PIR reference.
- 1
Gather your documents
The stamped PIR with its reference, your boarding pass, the baggage tag stub, the booking, and receipts or photos of what was inside.
- 2
Go to Ryanair’s help centre
Look for the baggage claim form. You need the PIR reference and the booking number to open the case.
- 3
Explain what happened and what you want
Say whether the bag arrived late, arrived damaged or never arrived, give the flight date, and break the amount you are claiming down item by item.
- 4
Attach the evidence
Upload the PIR, the receipts for what you had to buy while waiting and photos of the damage. Keep the case number and a copy of everything you send.
- 5
Send it within the deadline
Seven days if the bag arrived damaged, twenty-one if it arrived late. Keep proof of the date you sent it.
- 6
Or hand it to AviFly
We look at your case, claim from Ryanair and, if needed, file the lawsuit. We only charge if you get your money: 15% + VAT out of court and 30% + VAT in court.
4The deadlines you cannot miss
Montreal Convention deadlines with Ryanair
PIR at the airport
Before you leave the baggage reclaim area
Damaged baggage
Written complaint to the airline (Art. 31)
Delayed baggage
Written complaint to the airline (Art. 31)
Baggage never delivered
You may treat it as lost and claim its value (Art. 17(3))
Court claim
From arrival, or from the date the flight should have arrived (Art. 35)
The 2 years cannot be paused
The Art. 35 period extinguishes the right: writing to Ryanair again, reopening the case or waiting for its answer does not stop the clock. Once the two years are up, the claim is gone.
5How much you can get
What is compensated in each case
Delayed bag
What you had to buy while you waited, backed by receipts
Lost bag
The value of the bag and its contents, backed by receipts or photos
Damaged bag
Repair, or the value of the bag if it cannot be repaired
Limit per passenger
Art. 22(2), in force since 28 December 2024
The 1,519 SDR figure is a ceiling, not an automatic payment: Ryanair pays the loss you can prove, up to that maximum. The SDR is an International Monetary Fund unit of account whose value moves daily; in 2025–2026 it has hovered between €1.15 and €1.25, which is where the approximate €1,800 comes from.
How to go above the limit
If you made a special declaration of interest at check-in and paid the supplement, the declared value becomes the limit. There is also no limit if the damage was caused intentionally or recklessly (Art. 22(5)).
6What to answer when Ryanair pushes back
“Baggage is handled by the ground handling company”
The carrier is the one liable to you. The Convention also attributes to it the acts of its servants and agents acting within the scope of their employment (Art. 30), so the claim goes to Ryanair.
“We cannot find that PIR on our system”
The stamped report and the baggage tag stub prove the incident. Ask them to search by booking and flight number, and attach the copy to your complaint.
“We need receipts for everything you claim”
Asking for proof is legitimate, because what is compensated is the loss you establish. If you no longer have every receipt, use bank statements, photos of the contents or replacement prices.
“The bag broke through its own wear and tear”
The Convention excludes damage resulting solely from the inherent defect, quality or vice of the baggage (Art. 17(2)) — but it is for the airline to prove it.
7If Ryanair will not pay, or does not reply
There is no fixed legal deadline for an airline to answer a baggage complaint. If time passes with no reply, or the claim is rejected, escalating a baggage case does not go through AESA.
AESA does not handle baggage
AESA deals with the delays, cancellations and denied boarding covered by Regulation (EC) 261/2004. Carrier liability for baggage belongs to the Montreal Convention and sits outside its procedure, so it will simply reply that it has no competence.
- 1
Press again in writing
Repeat the complaint with the case number, the PIR reference and the breakdown of the amount, and keep a record of the date.
- 2
Consumer arbitration
It is free, but it only works if the airline has signed up to the consumer arbitration system. You apply through the arbitration board of your region.
- 3
Court claim
You have 2 years from the arrival of the flight. Up to €2,000 you need neither a lawyer nor a court agent.
- 4
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.
Where you can sue
Art. 33 of the Convention lets you choose between several courts, and one of them is the court at the place of destination. If you were flying to Spain, you can normally sue there even though Ryanair is Irish.
AviFly claims your baggage from Ryanair
Nothing upfront. We only charge if you get your money.
Claim for my bagFrequently asked questions
How much does Ryanair pay for a lost suitcase?
Up to 1,519 SDR per passenger, about €1,800 at current rates. It is a maximum, not a fixed sum: you get the value of the bag and the contents you can actually evidence.
When is a bag treated as lost?
When the airline admits it is lost, or when it has not been delivered 21 days after the date it should have arrived. From then on you can claim its value as a loss (Art. 17(3) of the Montreal Convention).
Can I claim from Ryanair without a PIR?
You can, but it is harder. Taking the bag without complaining creates a presumption that it was delivered in good condition, so you will have to prove the damage with photos, receipts or other documents, always within the 7- or 21-day deadlines.
Is there any point complaining about baggage to AESA?
No. AESA handles Regulation (EC) 261/2004 complaints about delays, cancellations and denied boarding, and excludes baggage liability. Escalation means consumer arbitration, if the airline has joined it, or the courts.
Does the Montreal Convention apply to a Ryanair domestic flight?
Yes. Ryanair is an EU airline, and Regulation (EC) 2027/97 extends the Convention’s rules and limits to EU carriers’ domestic flights, a Madrid–Palma for example.
Does it cover hand baggage too?
Yes, but only if the damage resulted from the fault of the airline or its staff (Art. 17(2)). For checked baggage you do not have to show any fault at all.
How long do I have to sue Ryanair?
Two years from the arrival of the flight, or from the date it should have arrived (Art. 35 of the Convention). Complaining to the airline does not pause that period: once it expires, the right is extinguished.