If an airline has lost or damaged your luggage

Discovering your luggage has been damaged in transit is a hazard of air travel. Even worse is standing by a carousel waiting anxiously for a bag that never appears. Mishandled luggage means frustration and inconvenience for passengers. And it can be costly too. You might have to buy essential items while you wait for your luggage to be found, pay for expensive repairs or brand new cases, or fork out for transport to pick a delayed suitcase up.

You have the right to compensation

When you travel by air, the airline is always responsible for looking after your luggage as soon as you check it in, right up until you collect it from the baggage hall at your destination. If your luggage is damaged or lost, you can claim compensation from either the airline or your travel insurance company. For mishandled baggage claims, the liability limit of airlines is around £1,200 per passenger. You should fill in a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) – a form you can get from airline staff – and keep receipts for everything you need to buy. 

How we can help

Baggage is one of the biggest areas of complaint for air passengers and our legal team are experts in every aspect. They can talk you through the airline’s obligations, the timeframes you need to claim within, and the supporting evidence you might need to supply when you claim. We’ll:

• listen to the problem and explain what your rights are
• talk you through the possible compensation you might be entitled to
• help you understand what steps you can take to make a claim