What to do if your baggage doesn't arrive at your destination

How Worldtracer search works

Worldtracer cross-references descriptions of lost baggage with those found without readable tags or misrouted to another hub. The more precise the description left at the counter — brand, exact color, distinguishing marks, stickers or tape applied — the faster the system finds matches with baggage at sorting hubs. If the baggage is found, most airlines deliver it by dedicated courier to your accommodation address without needing to return to the airport: this is why it is important to update your address with the airline if you change lodging during your stay.

After 21 days: the official declaration of loss

If the baggage is not found within 21 days of the report, the Montreal Convention considers it officially lost and you can file a compensation claim for the entire contents, up to the ceiling of 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (about 1,900 euros). At this stage it is worth documenting the value of the contents with a detailed list, even reconstructed from memory with receipts, photos of purchases or bank statements: it strengthens the claim and reduces the risk that the airline contests it.

Reimbursements during the wait and policies that do not stack

Many airlines recognize a reimbursement for essential purchases during the wait, provided you keep the receipts: the amounts vary widely by airline, so it is better to ask for it immediately at the counter rather than find out after paying out of pocket. If you have travel insurance with baggage coverage, you can also file a claim with that, often with faster processing than the airline, but the two policies — travel insurance and any offered by your credit card — do not stack on the same damage: you need to read the respective documentation to know which one to approach first. The guide on how to get maximum reimbursement goes into detail on this procedure.

Itineraries with stopovers: risk increases, not the procedure

Itineraries with multiple intermediate stops increase the statistical risk of this type of mishap, because each aircraft change is a new point where the baggage must be physically transferred, often in tight timeframes. If you are traveling for an event with a fixed date — a wedding, a work commitment — you should state it explicitly to the counter or your first subsequent contact: it is not a contractual obligation, but many airlines route found baggage on the first available flight when they know there is real urgency.

Keep an essential change of clothes and indispensable medicines in your carry-on before departure: it is the only move that makes the wait manageable, whatever the recovery time.