# Lost luggage compensation: up to 1,519 SDR, 21-day deadline

Source: https://airtravelrights.com/lost-delayed-baggage-compensation/

> Damaged bag: written complaint within 7 days of receipt; sue within 2 years. US domestic, aircraft over 60 seats: $4,700 liability floor per passenger.

# Lost, delayed or damaged baggage compensation (UK, EU, Canada and US flights)

1,519 SDR per passenger is the Montreal Convention limit for a lost, damaged or delayed bag since 28 December 2024. A bag still missing 21 days after it was due counts as lost. A written complaint is due within 7 days of receipt for damage, or within 21 days from the date the bag is placed at your disposal for delay. The full treaty sits in the [Montreal Convention guide](https://airtravelrights.com/montreal-convention/), and the [passenger rights comparison table](https://airtravelrights.com/passenger-rights-comparison-table/) sets the regimes side by side.

## How much can you claim for lost luggage?

Up to 1,519 SDR per passenger is what article 22(2) of the Montreal Convention allows for the destruction, loss, damage or delay of baggage, unless you made a special declaration of interest. The International Civil Aviation Organization's revised limits took effect on 28 December 2024. The figure caps proven loss; it is not a set payment.

Source: Montreal Convention 1999 art. 22(2), 22(5) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:22001A0718(01)); ICAO, 2024 revised limits - [icao.int](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/secretariat/legal/LEB%20Treaty%20Collection%20Documents/2024_Revised_Limits_of_Liability_Under_the_Montreal_Convention_of_1999_en.pdf), checked 2026-09-15.

The limit works per passenger, so two suitcases checked by one traveller share one ceiling.

Flights to, from or within Canada add the baggage fees you paid on top of that liability amount, under section 23 of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations. The CTA's own limits, dates and complaint windows are on the [Canadian lost and delayed baggage page](https://airtravelrights.com/canada-appr/lost-delayed-baggage/).

The previous limit, 1,288 SDR, applied from 28 December 2019. The 2024 revision added 231 SDR per passenger, so a reply quoting 1,288 SDR about a bag mishandled since 28 December 2024 relies on a superseded figure.

These are Convention limits in SDR; a sum converted into another currency is not a legal amount. Under the UK and EU rules for disabled passengers, a wheelchair lost or damaged on an international flight is compensated within that same Montreal limit unless you made a special declaration of interest, as [special assistance when flying](https://airtravelrights.com/special-assistance-flight-rights-uk-eu/) explains.

Article 22(5) removes the ceiling where the damage resulted from an act or omission done with intent to cause damage, or recklessly and with knowledge that damage would probably result.

For a bag mishandled since 28 December 2024, quote "1,519 SDR under article 22(2)" in your claim letter, never a converted figure.

## When is a delayed bag treated as lost?

21 days after the date it ought to have arrived, a checked bag that has still not turned up can be treated as lost under article 17(3) of the Montreal Convention. The same applies as soon as the carrier admits the loss.

Source: Montreal Convention 1999 art. 17(3), 19, 22(2), 31(2), 35(1) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:22001A0718(01)), checked 2026-09-15.

Take a flight that lands on 10 June 2026 without your suitcase. If nothing arrives, the bag counts as lost from 1 July 2026, while the two-year court clock in article 35(1) still runs from 10 June.

While the bag is missing, the 21-day deadline for a delay complaint has not started. Article 31 counts it from the date the bag is placed at your disposal, and nothing stops you complaining in writing earlier.

Two things people expect here do not exist. The Montreal Convention sets **no daily allowance** and no separate sum for the clothes and toiletries you buy while you wait: a delayed bag draws on the same single per-passenger limit as a lost one, so what you spend and what the bag was worth compete for one pot. And UK261 and EU261 do not help — they pay for delay to **you**, not to your luggage, so a bag that arrives two days after you do is not a 261 claim at all, however late the flight was.

Article 22(2) sets no separate sum for essential items or other interim expenses: destruction, loss, damage and delay share one 1,519 SDR cap per passenger. For damage caused by the delay, article 19 frees the carrier only if it proves it took all measures reasonably required to avoid the damage, or that it was impossible to take them.

Add 21 days to the date your bag was due. On that date, tell the carrier in writing that you treat the bag as lost under article 17(3).

## What deadlines apply to baggage claims?

7 days from receipt for a damaged checked bag and 21 days from the date a delayed bag is placed at your disposal are the written complaint deadlines in article 31 of the Montreal Convention. Miss them and no action lies against the carrier, save in the case of fraud.

**Baggage claim deadlines**

| Situation | Deadline | Counted from | Rule |
|:--|:--|:--|:--|
| Damaged checked bag | Written complaint, at the latest 7 days | Receipt of the bag | art. 31(2) |
| Delayed bag | Written complaint, at the latest 21 days | Bag placed at your disposal | art. 31(2) |
| Bag never arrives | Treated as lost after 21 days | Date it ought to have arrived | art. 17(3) |
| Claim refused | Court action within 2 years | Arrival at destination, date the aircraft ought to have arrived, or date carriage stopped | art. 35(1) |

Source: Montreal Convention 1999 art. 17(3), 31(2)-(4), 35(1) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:22001A0718(01)), checked 2026-09-15.

Both complaint windows run from the return of the bag, not from landing. For damage, article 31(2) also says to complain forthwith after discovery.

Your flight lands on 10 June 2026 and the bag reaches you on 13 June with a split seam. The damage complaint is due by 20 June 2026, the complaint about the wait by 4 July 2026, and court action before 10 June 2028.

Article 31(3) requires every complaint in writing, given or dispatched within those times.

Send each complaint in a form whose date you can prove, and keep a copy.

## Is a Property Irregularity Report the same as a written claim?

No article of the Montreal Convention mentions a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). Article 31 asks for a complaint in writing, given or dispatched within 7 days of receipt for damage, or within 21 days of the bag being placed at your disposal for delay. Keep the PIR reference and send the written complaint to the carrier separately.

Source: Montreal Convention 1999 art. 31(2)-(4) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:22001A0718(01)); Civil Aviation Authority, How the CAA can help - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/how-the-caa-can-help/), checked 2026-09-15.

The Civil Aviation Authority's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) asks for proof of address, the Property Irregularity Report and itemised lists with a baggage complaint, plus copies of correspondence, flight details and receipts.

The Convention caps proven loss, so the same papers back up the value you claim.

On the day the bag comes back, write to the carrier: name the flight, quote the PIR reference, attach the itemised list with receipts, and cite article 31.

## What are your rights for bags on US domestic flights?

$4,700 per passenger is the lowest limit a US carrier may set on its baggage liability for domestic flights on aircraft with more than 60 seats, under 14 CFR 254.4. A separate federal rule refunds the checked bag fee for a bag not delivered within 12 hours on a domestic flight, if you filed a Mishandled Baggage Report.

| Itinerary | Bag not delivered within | Result |
|:--|:--|:--|
| Domestic flight | 12 hours | Bag fee refund |
| International, nonstop US-foreign segment of 12 hours or less | 15 hours | Bag fee refund |
| International, nonstop US-foreign segment of more than 12 hours | 30 hours | Bag fee refund |

Source: 14 CFR 254.4 - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-254/section-254.4); 14 CFR 260.2, 260.5(b) - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-260); 89 FR 84815 - [federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/24/2024-23588/periodic-revisions-to-denied-boarding-compensation-and-domestic-baggage-liability-limits), checked 2026-09-15.

The $4,700 figure is a floor under the liability limit, not a set payment. DOT raised it from $3,800 in the rule published at 89 FR 84815.

The eCFR text of 14 CFR 254.4 still showed $4,700 when checked on 15 September 2026. DOT has changed it before, so read the page again on the day you file.

The fee test counts hours, not days. Refunds for disrupted flights follow the [airline refund rules](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/airline-refund-rules/).

File the Mishandled Baggage Report, note the hour the bag reached you, then request the fee refund.

## Can you go to court if the airline refuses your baggage claim?

Yes, within 2 years. Under article 35(1) of the Montreal Convention, the right to damages is extinguished unless an action is brought within two years from arrival at the destination, from the date the aircraft ought to have arrived, or from the date carriage stopped.

Source: Montreal Convention 1999 art. 35(1) - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:22001A0718(01)); CAA - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/how-the-caa-can-help/); CPR r. 26.9 - [justice.gov.uk](https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part26); IAA - [iaa.ie](https://www.iaa.ie/consumer-protection/air-passenger-rights/apr-faqs); 14 CFR 259.7(c) - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-259/section-259.7); Canada Transportation Act s. 85.04(1)(d) - [laws-lois.justice.gc.ca](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-10.4/FullText.html), checked 2026-09-15.

### UK

For lost luggage compensation in the UK, the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team (PACT) takes Montreal Convention baggage complaints. It is only likely to consider one where the airline is not a member of an approved ADR body, and only after you complained in writing and were not satisfied, or got no reply within 8 weeks. It will not handle a complaint with less than a year left to take legal action, so reach PACT within 12 months of arrival, and it cannot impose a solution on an airline. In England and Wales, the small claims track is the normal track for claims worth not more than £10,000 ([small claims court guide](https://airtravelrights.com/uk261/small-claims-court/)).

### Ireland

The Irish Aviation Authority says "There is no designated body in Ireland for that Convention", states that it has no powers over Montreal baggage complaints, and suggests the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission ([CCPC](https://airtravelrights.com/eu261/ireland-flight-compensation/)) for Irish-registered carriers.

### US and Canada

On US flights, 14 CFR 259.7(c) requires airlines to acknowledge a complaint within 30 days and respond in writing within 60 days; contact the airline before using the [DOT complaint route](https://airtravelrights.com/us-dot/airline-complaint/). In Canada, a complaint to the [Canadian Transportation Agency](https://airtravelrights.com/airline-refused-compensation/) needs a written request to the carrier that was not resolved within 30 days.

Write two dates in your diary the day you land: 12 months for PACT and 2 years for court.

General information, not legal advice. For your specific case, contact [Citizens Advice](https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/get-airline-compensation-for-lost-or-delayed-luggage/) (UK), the US Department of Transportation or the Canadian Transportation Agency.

## Sources

All sources checked 2026-09-15.

- Montreal Convention 1999, arts. 17, 19, 22, 31, 35 - [eur-lex.europa.eu](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:22001A0718(01))
- ICAO, 2024 revised limits of liability - [icao.int](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/secretariat/legal/LEB%20Treaty%20Collection%20Documents/2024_Revised_Limits_of_Liability_Under_the_Montreal_Convention_of_1999_en.pdf)
- 14 CFR 254.4 - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-254/section-254.4)
- 14 CFR 260.2 and 260.5 - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-260)
- 14 CFR 259.7 - [ecfr.gov](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-259/section-259.7)
- US DOT, 89 FR 84815 (2024) - [federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/10/24/2024-23588/periodic-revisions-to-denied-boarding-compensation-and-domestic-baggage-liability-limits)
- Air Passenger Protection Regulations (SOR/2019-150) - [laws-lois.justice.gc.ca](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2019-150/FullText.html)
- Canada Transportation Act - [laws-lois.justice.gc.ca](https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-10.4/FullText.html)
- Canadian Transportation Agency, Air travel complaints - [otc-cta.gc.ca](https://protection-passager-passenger.otc-cta.gc.ca/en/air-travel-complaints)
- Civil Aviation Authority, How the CAA can help - [caa.co.uk](https://www.caa.co.uk/air-passengers/travel-problems-and-rights/travel-complaints/how-the-caa-can-help/)
- Civil Procedure Rules, Part 26 - [justice.gov.uk](https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part26)
- Irish Aviation Authority, APR FAQs - [iaa.ie](https://www.iaa.ie/consumer-protection/air-passenger-rights/apr-faqs)