Damaged luggage: how to claim, and the 7-day deadline

Report it at the airport, photograph everything, and get the written claim in within seven days on an international trip.

Damage claims are the ones people lose by waiting. On an international trip the written complaint must reach the airline within 7 days of receiving the bag. Report the damage at the airport before you leave if you possibly can; many airlines’ own rules give you only hours for that first report.

The airline pays repair up to the cost of replacement. A repair quote or a replacement price for the same bag sets the number. Contents damaged inside the bag count too.

• Photograph the bag at the belt, the tag still attached, and every point of damage.
• Keep the bag and the tag until the claim is settled; airlines sometimes ask to inspect.
• Get a repair quote from a luggage shop, or a screenshot of the replacement price for the same model.

Work out your own claim → Free. Takes about ten minutes.