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

By Matthew Johan · Published 2026-09-16 · Updated 2026-09-24

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 → Two minutes to your amount and deadlines.

When does the 7-day clock start?

On the day the bag is handed to you, not the day you notice the damage. A cracked shell seen at the carousel and a broken wheel found at the hotel are both counted from the carousel. If the bag was delayed and then delivered damaged, the 7 days run from the delivery. On a US domestic trip there is no treaty deadline, but the airline’s own rule applies and it is usually hours, not days: most US carriers want damage reported at the airport, and several refuse a domestic damage claim reported later than 24 hours after arrival.

What will the airline pay for a damaged bag?

Repair where the bag can be repaired, replacement where it cannot, and damaged contents at replacement cost. A worked example: a hard-shell suitcase bought for $280 three years ago comes back with the shell split. A luggage shop quotes $95 to replace the shell half; the same model new is $260. The claim is $95 if you accept the repair, or the replacement price if the shop says the bag is not worth repairing. Add a $120 bottle of perfume that broke inside and stained clothes worth $90 to clean, and the claim is $305 to $470, all under either limit.

What counts as normal wear and what is damage?

• Wear: scuffs, scratches, minor scrapes, a dented corner on a soft bag. Airlines will not pay for these and the rules do not make them.
• Damage: a broken wheel, handle, zip, lock or strap; a cracked or split shell; a bag crushed open; a torn seam; contents broken, wet or stained.
• Argued case by case: a wheel that already wobbled, a zip that already stuck. Photographs of the bag before the trip settle these in your favour.

What if the airline says the bag was over-packed or poorly packed?

Under the Montreal Convention the airline is liable unless it proves the damage resulted from an inherent defect, quality or vice of the baggage. Over-packing is its favourite argument for a split seam. Answer with the facts: the bag was within the weight allowance (the tag receipt shows it), it was accepted at check-in without comment, and the damage is consistent with handling. Do not let the argument stall the claim; restate the amount and the deadline for their answer.

Does the airline pay for a bag I bought years ago?

Yes, at what it costs to replace it now, less a deduction the airline has to justify. A five-year-old suitcase that still worked is worth a working suitcase, not nothing; the airline’s starting offer is often a fraction of the price of the same model today. Quote the current price of the same or the nearest equivalent bag and let the airline argue down from there rather than up from zero.

Can I claim if I did not report it at the airport?

Yes, as long as the written claim is inside the 7 days on an international trip. The missing airport report weakens the claim rather than killing it. Photograph the bag the moment you notice, keep the bag tag, and report online the same day, saying when you landed and why you did not see the damage at the belt.