Montreal Convention
Your baggage was delayed, damaged or lost
One of the most common mix-ups. EU261 is about delayed people; baggage is a separate treaty with its own rules and its own tight clock.
The short answer
This is not EU261. Baggage is covered by the Montreal Convention, with a different limit and a much shorter deadline to report it.
The one thing to know: Report delayed or damaged baggage in writing fast — within 7 days for damage, 21 days for delay. Miss that window and the claim is much harder.
How it actually works
- Different law entirely
- The Montreal Convention governs baggage. It caps the airline's liability at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger — about €1,790 or £1,530 at current rates. The cap is revised every five years and rose from 1,288 SDR on 28 December 2024, so older guides understate it by nearly a fifth.
- The tight deadlines
- Damaged bag: complain in writing within 7 days of receiving it. Delayed bag: within 21 days of getting it back. These are much shorter than EU261's limitation periods.
- Keep receipts
- You claim for the actual reasonable cost of essentials bought while your bag was missing, up to the cap. Keep every receipt and the property irregularity report from the airport.
No claims service can help where no compensation is due — anyone who says otherwise is selling. Your care and refund rights still stand.
What to do now
- Photograph the evidence — the departure board, the app before it updates, the arrival time when the door opens. The full checklist →
- Write to the airline, quoting the article and the flight. Use the template →
- Give them 28 days, then escalate free to the national enforcement body.
- Check your time limit — it ranges from one year to six by country. See yours →
Questions
Your baggage was delayed, damaged or lost: am I owed compensation?
This is not EU261. Baggage is covered by the Montreal Convention, with a different limit and a much shorter deadline to report it.
How do I claim it?
Write to the airline first, quoting the article and flight, and allow 28 days. It is free and you keep the whole amount. Escalate to the national enforcement body if refused.
Your money, not theirs
Delayed or cancelled EU flight? You may be owed up to €600 per passenger. Check your claim in two minutes — no win, no fee.