The belt is empty, the suitcase is nowhere to be seen – or it's arrived, but with a broken lock. For airport baggage damage, one rule outweighs everything else: get a report filed before you leave the airport. This is the PIR (Property Irregularity Report) – without it, you'll have nothing to build a claim on, either with the airline or with your insurer.
- Get the PIR report filed at the baggage service desk on the arrivals side (Lost & Found / Baggage Service) – before you leave the customs zone.
- For the claim, you'll need: the PIR + boarding pass + baggage tag + photos + (for delays) receipts for essential purchases.
- Two parallel routes exist: the airline's liability and your travel insurance – the two complement each other, but the same item can't be claimed twice.
The order of action at the airport
1) While still at the belt, check the baggage tag. 2) Go to the baggage service desk (signposted Lost & Found or Baggage Service), and get a PIR report filed – for delay, damage, or pilferage alike. 3) Ask for a copy of the PIR or its reference number, and photograph it. 4) For a damaged suitcase, take photos on the spot. The PIR isn't a claim itself – it's just the official record of the fact; but without it, the fact can't be proven later.
Delayed baggage: essential purchases
If your suitcase is delayed, you can buy the essentials (toiletries, a change of clothes) – the airline and your insurer's delay cover will reimburse this under their own rules: you need a receipt for everything, and the principle of proportionality applies (necessary replacements are covered, a wardrobe refresh isn't). When the suitcase arrives, keep the delivery paperwork too – it proves how long the delay lasted.
Lost or pilfered baggage
If the baggage is permanently lost, the airline's liability under international conventions applies – the claim must be submitted to the airline, typically within a strict deadline. Alongside this, your travel insurance's baggage cover applies with its own limits. For pilferage (missing contents), it's worth considering a police report alongside the PIR. A list of contents, purchase receipts, photos – all of it helps; the baggage-damage checklist sets out the steps in order.
Deadlines – the silent gatekeepers
Baggage cases are a deadline-sensitive genre: airline notifications are subject to international rules with deadlines measured in days (shorter for damage, longer for delay), and the insurance claim notification has its own deadline under the policy conditions too. The exact figures are set out in the carrier's conditions of carriage and the insurance policy conditions – the practical rule is: report everything immediately, rather than counting down the deadline. For how to submit the claim once you're home, see claims after you return.
Frequently asked questions on this topic
On a connecting trip, which airline should I complain to?
As a general rule, it's the last airline – the one that delivered (or failed to deliver) your baggage. Get the PIR filed with them; the rest of the resolution is their responsibility. This is another reason to keep your ticket and tag details.
After the PIR, how much time do I have for a detailed claim?
The conditions of carriage measure it in days: a shorter deadline for damage, a longer one for delay – and the insurance notification has its own deadline too. The safe approach: submit everything immediately, within days.
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