Luggage Lost or Delayed? Here Is What You Can Do Right Now

The belt is turning, the crowd is thinning — and your suitcase does not appear. Every year, millions of bags worldwide are delivered late, arrive damaged or go missing entirely. The good news: your rights are clearly defined, and with the right steps you almost always get your luggage (or your money) back.

Step 1: report it while you are still at the airport (PIR)

Go to your airline’s lost-and-found desk before you leave the baggage hall and have a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) created. You will need your boarding pass and the baggage tag receipt (the sticker from check-in). The PIR and its reference number are the basis for every later claim — without one, things get difficult. Many airlines also allow you to report online, but reporting in person is better evidence.

Step 2: know your rights

The Montreal Convention governs the airline’s liability — regardless of where the error occurred:

• Delayed luggage: the airline is liable for necessary replacement purchases (clothing, toiletries). Keep the receipts and keep the spending reasonable.
• Damaged luggage: file a written claim within 7 days of receiving the bag.
• Delay: assert your claims within 21 days of delivery.
• Liability cap: currently around €1,600 per person — if the contents are valuable, travel insurance or taking them in your carry-on is worth it.

Step 3: delayed is not lost

Over 95 percent of delayed suitcases turn up again within a few days — usually on the next flight. Track the status with your PIR number in the airline’s tracking portal (WorldTracer). The airline delivers the bag to your accommodation free of charge.

Step 4: after 21 days the bag counts as lost

At that point you can claim the full loss: the current value of the case and its contents, up to the liability cap. Draw up an inventory list with approximate purchase dates and prices — photos of the packed case (taken quickly before the trip) speed up settlement enormously.

The best protection: knowing where your case is

The most frustrating part is the uncertainty — and that is exactly what you can eliminate:

• With the Altair Tracker you see live on your phone where your case is. If it is still at the departure airport, you know before the airline does — and you can give the lost-and-found desk the exact location. In many cases that cuts the return from days to hours.
• A distinctive case gets mixed up less often: you will spot the Altair Original Cabin in aluminum on the belt instantly — and fellow passengers will not grab it by mistake.
• An address tag on the outside and a business card inside: if the label tears off, the airline can still identify the case.

Checklist for when it happens

• ✔ Have a PIR created at the airport, note the reference number
• ✔ Keep the baggage tag receipt and boarding pass
• ✔ Document replacement purchases with receipts
• ✔ Deadlines: 7 days (damage) / 21 days (delay)
• ✔ Pass the tracker location on to the airline

That turns the nightmare at the baggage belt into a solvable problem — with a clear plan, and in the best case a suitcase that tells you itself where it is.