ARC.RECORD TRAVEL

TRAVEL SOS · HELP WHILE YOU TRAVEL

Your bag didn’t arrive. What now?

A missing bag may be delayed rather than lost. Before leaving the airport, report it to the airline and get a tracing reference.

Do these three things first

  1. Find baggage services

    Check your flight’s belt and the oversized-baggage area, then ask for your airline’s Baggage Services or Baggage Tracing desk.

  2. Get a report number

    Show your boarding pass and bag receipt. Save the report confirmation and reference, often called a PIR, and ask how to track it.

  3. Confirm delivery details

    Give a reachable number, your accommodation address and dates there. If you are moving on, ask how to update the address and confirm delivery arrangements.

Go to official help ↓
Airport baggage reclaim
Baggage reclaim: where checked bags arrive

KEEP THESE TOGETHER

What to have ready

  • Boarding pass and booking
  • Bag receipt with its barcode
  • Bag colour, brand, distinctive features or photo
  • Contact details, stay address and dates

Share passport and booking details through official reporting channels, not public posts.

A few things worth knowing

What is a PIR?

A Property Irregularity Report records the baggage problem. Its reference is different from the bag’s barcode number. A tracing report does not necessarily complete a reimbursement claim: check the separate claim process.

Official guidance ↗

Already left the airport?

Use your airline’s official baggage page to report promptly. Online reporting varies by airline. An item left in the terminal or cabin may need a different lost-property service from checked-baggage tracing.

Official guidance ↗

Need clothes or toiletries?

Keep purchases to essentials and save receipts. Ask the airline and insurer about eligible items and claim conditions. Do not assume every purchase will be reimbursed in full.

Official guidance ↗

Damage, loss and deadlines

Photograph and report damage when you notice it. Ask when a delayed bag is treated as lost and when a written claim is due. Applicable rules, routes and terms differ; there is no single worldwide payout or deadline in this guide.

Official guidance ↗

Show this, or copy it

Replace the text in square brackets with your own details.

My checked bag has not arrived. Where can I file a baggage report?

Could you give me the report reference and explain how to track my bag?

I will be at this address until [date]. How can I update the delivery address if I move?

Which essential expenses can I claim, what evidence do you need, and what is the deadline?

OFFICIAL HELP

Use the right official channel

The airlines below are examples explaining their own processes. For your report, open your airline’s official website or app and find Baggage / Delayed baggage. Check your arriving flight and operating airline; do not file through an unrelated carrier.

Official guidance reviewed 15 September 2026. A country’s passport rules or an airline’s claim policy do not automatically apply to every traveller.

Also useful: Lost your passport abroad? Start here. →

A practical guide researched from official sources, not a first-hand account.