Lost luggage on a US domestic flight: the DOT rules

Up to $4,700 per passenger, no forced depreciation, bag fee refunded after 12 hours: what federal rules require of airlines on domestic trips.

For a trip entirely within the United States, federal regulation (14 CFR Part 254) sets the floor for what an airline must do. The airline’s contract of carriage adds detail but cannot go below it.

The limit is $4,700 per passenger, effective 22 January 2025. The airline may not impose a lower limit for lost, damaged or delayed baggage, and DOT has told airlines they may not apply arbitrary depreciation formulas or refuse to pay for items simply because they are in a category the airline dislikes.

The bag fee. Under the 2024 refund rule the fee must be refunded when the bag is delayed more than 12 hours after the flight lands. Lost bags get the fee back as a matter of course.

Deadlines. Federal rules set no fixed deadline for a domestic written claim, so the airline’s contract of carriage applies. Most give you between 21 and 45 days for the written claim, and only hours to make the first report at the airport. Check your airline’s page on this site for its own numbers.

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