In short: Report a delayed bag at the airport desk or on BA’s online baggage portal – BA asks for this within 8 days of your flight – and keep the 10-character reference (e.g. JFKBA12345). Buy only essentials and keep receipts. Claim in writing within 21 days of getting the bag back; damage within 7 days. BA’s limit is 1,519 SDR per passenger (about £1,534 / €1,837 on 10 November 2026).
Step 1: report the problem
Delayed or missing bag. At many airports BA has a baggage desk where you can raise a delayed baggage report and complete any customs forms. You can also report it yourself on BA’s online baggage portal and give a delivery address – including after you have left the airport. BA says delayed bags should be reported within 8 days of your flight. If BA already knows your bag missed its flight, it may text or email you a report number first.
Damaged bag or missing contents. If you are still at the airport, report it to staff before leaving. If you have left, use BA’s online “Report and claim” form. BA requires damage or loss of contents to be reported within seven days of receiving your bag, and asks you to keep the damaged item as it may be needed to verify the claim.
The reference number is five letters and five numbers, such as JFKBA12345. It is not the bag tag receipt you got at check-in. You need it to track the bag and to claim.
If your flight was cancelled and you left the airport without your bags, BA asks you to use the same portal so it can send them on. More background: delayed baggage compensation.
Step 2: tracking and delivery
BA says it returns most missing bags within 72 hours. Through the tracing system you can check the status, add a description, update your delivery address and even share an AirTag location link. When the bag is found, BA delivers it free of charge to the address you choose, subject to customs rules.
Customs can slow things down. BA says no customs form is needed if you didn’t travel, your flight was cancelled, or your journey was within the UK or between the UK and an EU country. Arriving in the UK from elsewhere, you may need a customs declaration; if your goods exceed your allowance, you must declare them yourself in person. In a few countries local law prevents forwarding and you must collect the bag at the airport.
Step 3: what you can claim from BA
BA’s “Making baggage claims” page lists what you can claim for:
- essential items such as toiletries and basics while a bag is delayed, “up to a reasonable value” – keep receipts;
- damage to the bag (BA may offer a repair or replacement, so do not throw the bag away or buy a new one before discussing it);
- damage to contents and missing contents;
- a bag reported missing for more than 21 days.
BA states two filing deadlines: missing bags within 21 days of the bag going missing, and damaged bags or contents within 7 days of receiving the bag. Its conditions of carriage put the delay deadline as 21 days from the bag being made available to you, which is the Montreal Convention rule; meet BA’s earlier date if you can. Claims go through the same Complaints and claims portal; use “Add information to a baggage claim” for an open case.
BA recommends checking your travel insurance first, as a personal policy may pay more, and its Customer Relations team can provide proof of loss or delay for an insurer. If items went missing during a US security inspection, BA says the claim belongs with the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
How much BA pays: the 1,519 SDR limit
BA’s General Conditions of Carriage cap its liability for baggage, including damage caused by delay, at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger – BA quotes “approximately £1,575”. On the IMF rate of 10 November 2026 it was about £1,534 or €1,837. This is a ceiling, not a payout: you receive your proven loss, usually with a deduction for the age of items. You can raise the limit by making a special declaration of value at check-in and paying a fee.
| Problem | Written complaint by | Court claim by |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged bag or contents | 7 days from receiving the bag | 2 years from arrival |
| Delayed bag | 21 days from the bag being made available to you | |
| Lost bag | As soon as possible; it can be treated as lost after 21 days |
BA also says it accepts no liability for jewellery, other valuables and money in checked baggage. Article 26 of the Montreal Convention makes void any contract term that lowers the carrier’s liability below the Convention, so such exclusions can be challenged – but the simple advice stands: carry valuables in your hand luggage. See lost luggage and damaged luggage.
If BA refuses or underpays
Reply in writing with your receipts and ask BA to explain any deduction. If you remain unhappy, BA’s Complaints and claims page points to CEDR, within 12 months of its response; CEDR will tell you whether a baggage complaint is within its scope. After that, a letter before action and the small claims court – within the 2-year limit.
If the flight itself also arrived 3 or more hours late, that is a separate claim for up to £520 – see how to claim from BA.
Frequently asked questions
How do I report delayed baggage to British Airways?
At the BA baggage desk in the arrivals hall, or online through BA’s baggage portal, which also works after you have left the airport. BA asks for delayed bags to be reported within 8 days of your flight. Keep the reference number (five letters and five numbers).
How much does BA pay for essentials while my bag is delayed?
BA does not publish a daily figure; it reimburses essential items such as toiletries and basics “up to a reasonable value” with receipts. Buy what you genuinely need and keep every receipt.
What is the maximum BA pays for lost luggage?
1,519 SDR per passenger under the Montreal Convention and BA’s conditions – about £1,534 or €1,837 on 10 November 2026 (BA quotes approximately £1,575). You receive your proven loss up to that amount, unless you declared a higher value at check-in.
How long do I have to claim for a damaged BA suitcase?
Report and claim within 7 days of receiving the bag. Keep the damaged bag, as BA may want to inspect it or offer a repair or replacement.
The British Airways name belongs to its owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site and is not affiliated with British Airways. Information only, not legal advice.
Sources
- Delayed, lost and damaged baggage – British Airways
- Reporting and tracking baggage – British Airways
- Making baggage claims – British Airways
- General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage – British Airways
- Complaints and claims – British Airways
- Lost, delayed or damaged baggage – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Montreal Convention 1999 – Articles 17, 22, 26, 31 and 35 – EUR-Lex
- SDR valuation – currency units per SDR (10 November 2026) – International Monetary Fund
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