Lost luggage: how to act at the airport

What to bring to the counter and what to ask for

The counter will need your boarding pass and the receipt with the baggage barcode assigned at check-in, the identifier that quickly links you, the flight and the suitcase in the system. You will be asked to describe the baggage precisely — brand, color, dimensions, distinguishing marks — and a photo on your phone speeds up comparison with unidentified baggage accumulated at the hub. At the end you will receive a reference number, the PIR: photograph it or write it down in multiple places, because losing it means starting over with customer service.

Contact information, address and codeshare airlines

Verify that phone, email and accommodation address registered for delivery are written correctly before leaving the counter: a typo can delay return by several days. If the flight was operated under codeshare — sold by one airline but physically operated by another — clearly ask which of the two manages the baggage at that hub, so you don't contact the wrong party in the following days.

After the report: reimbursements, language and multiple baggage

Always ask whether the airline offers a reimbursement for essential purchases during the wait: many offer it but do not communicate it unless explicitly requested. If you are traveling with multiple lost suitcases on the same flight, have a separate case opened for each, with an individual reference number, to avoid confusion when they are found at different times. In an airport where language is a barrier, preparing in advance on your phone a brief written description of the baggage speeds up communication with an operator who does not speak your language. For the next steps, once you have received the PIR, the guide on how to file a claim in 3 steps explains how to proceed.

Before leaving the counter, photograph the PIR received and verify out loud with the operator the registered delivery address: these are the two details that most often cause delays when they are wrong.