Before leaving the baggage hall
- Report the missing bag to the airline or its baggage-handling desk.
- Provide the baggage-tag receipt and a description or photograph of the bag.
- Obtain and save the Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and tracing reference.
- Confirm the delivery address and a working way for the airline to contact you.
- Ask what the airline authorises for essential purchases and how to submit receipts.
A PIR starts the tracing record but is not itself a written reimbursement claim or a guarantee that the airline will pay. Follow the airline's formal baggage-claim procedure as well.
What can count as an essential purchase?
CAA and GOV.UK guidance say airlines commonly reimburse bare essentials needed while a bag is delayed, particularly when you are away from home. Depending on the circumstances, that may include basic toiletries, underwear, simple replacement clothing and laundry costs.
- Buy what is necessary for the period without the bag, not a complete replacement wardrobe.
- Keep an itemised receipt showing each product, date, currency and total.
- Note why each item was needed and where you were staying.
- Check any daily allowance or approval process published by the airline.
Airlines may view needs differently when the bag is delayed on the return home because clothes and toiletries may already be available there. That does not decide every case, but it affects how to explain necessity.
The written-claim deadline
The CAA says a written claim for delayed baggage must be made within 21 days of receiving the delayed bag. Do not wait until that deadline: submit the purchase schedule and receipts as soon as the bag is returned and its total delay is known. Preserve proof of when the airline delivered it.
Build a simple reimbursement schedule
| Date | Essential item and reason | Amount | Receipt |
|---|---|---|---|
| [date] | [basic toiletries for first night] | £[ ] | [file] |
| [date] | [laundry while bag remained delayed] | £[ ] | [file] |
Attach the PIR, bag tag, booking, delivery confirmation and receipts. State the amount requested rather than asking for generic “compensation”.
If several airlines carried the bag
The CAA says a lost or damaged baggage claim on a multi-airline journey can be made against any of the carriers, although the final airline is usually a sensible first contact. For a delayed bag, start with the airline handling the tracing file and keep the complete through-baggage documentation.
If the bag does not return
GOV.UK says a bag is considered irretrievably lost after 21 days of searching. Do not continue using only an “essential purchases” claim after that point: follow the airline's lost-baggage process and prepare proof of the bag and contents using the lost luggage guide.
If the airline refuses or ignores the claim
First use the airline's internal baggage complaint process. If the complaint reaches deadlock or remains unanswered for eight weeks, check the airline's current ADR scheme. The CAA says aviation ADR can consider baggage loss and delay; PACT may be able to help where no approved scheme is appointed.