Disruption playbook · Do this right now

My bag did not arrive

Bag missing? Go straight to the airline's baggage service office in the baggage hall and file a delayed baggage report before you leave the airport - an on-site claim is dramatically easier to resolve. Get the file reference number in writing, photograph it, and ask what interim essentials they will reimburse.

Playbook

My bag did not arrive

Delayed bags are the most common disruption and the most recoverable - but only if you do the paperwork before you leave the airport. Travelers who walk out first and call later almost always have a harder time.

⏱ File before you leave the airport. An on-site claim is dramatically easier to resolve.
1
Go to the baggage service office immediately
It is usually a small counter near the carousels. Do not leave the baggage hall, and do not go upstairs to ticketing. File the report here, in person, before you exit.
Say this, word for word
My bag did not arrive on flight [number]. I need to file a delayed baggage report and get a file reference number.
2
Get the file reference number in writing
This number is how every future conversation gets resolved. Photograph it. Without it, you are starting from scratch on every call.
3
Describe the bag precisely and give a real delivery address
Color, brand, size, and any distinguishing marks. Give the address where you will actually be tonight - hotel, not home, if you are traveling. Airlines deliver bags directly and will not chase you.
4
Ask what they will reimburse for essentials tonight
Most airlines cover reasonable interim expenses - toiletries, a change of clothes - while your bag is delayed. Ask what the daily limit is and keep every receipt.
Say this, word for word
What is your interim expense allowance while the bag is delayed, and what receipts do you need?
5
Know when "delayed" becomes "lost"
Most carriers declare a bag lost after 21 days - from that point you can file a full loss claim for the bag and its contents, up to the airline's liability limit. Do not let a delayed-bag claim quietly expire without escalating it.
Check your travel insurance and your credit card benefits too. Both frequently cover delayed baggage separately from the airline.
What most people get wrong
✕ Leaving the airport before filing. It makes every later step harder.
✕ Not photographing the file reference number.
✕ Giving a home address when you will be at a hotel for three days.
✕ Never claiming interim expenses, which most airlines do cover on request.
Find my options now → What the airline owes me

The one rule that matters most

Do several things at once. Get in the line, and call the airline, and open the app - whichever connects first wins. Standing in one line doing nothing else is how travelers lose four hours and every good seat.

The line
Join it, but treat it as your slowest channel. Keep moving on the others while you stand there.
The phone
Call while you walk. Some airlines have shorter waits on their international or foreign-language lines.
The app
Self-service rebooking often shows options before an agent can pull them up.
Social media
Airline support teams on X or messaging apps sometimes respond in minutes when phones are jammed.

Other scenarios

⏱ I missed my connection You landed late and the next flight is gone ✕ My flight was canceled It is off the board entirely ⚠ My flight keeps getting delayed The time keeps moving and nobody explains ↷ My flight was diverted You landed somewhere you never planned to be ⇄ I got bumped or denied boarding The flight was oversold and you lost the seat → All disruption playbooks Pick what happened

Facts reviewed August 2026. General guidance, not legal advice.