If your bag does not show up on the carousel the first step is to stay at the airport and go straight to the airline baggage service desk. Do not leave the terminal without reporting it. Tell the staff the bag is missing and they will start a Property Irregularity Report, usually called a PIR.

Fill in the form carefully. Give a clear description of the bag including colour size and any distinctive marks. List the main contents you remember and add your contact details plus the address where the bag should be delivered. Keep the baggage tag stubs and your boarding pass ready to show them. Once the report is filed you get a copy with a unique reference number. That number is the key for everything that follows.

Use the reference to track the bag online through the airline system. Most carriers update the status within a day or two. A large share of missing bags turn up within 48 hours and get delivered to the address you provided at no extra cost. While you wait you can often claim reasonable expenses for essential items like toiletries or a change of clothes. Save every receipt because the airline will ask for them later.

If the bag is still missing after several days the search continues. Airlines usually declare a bag officially lost somewhere between five and twenty-one days depending on the route and their policy. International flights often follow the twenty-one day mark under the main global rules. Once it is declared lost you can submit a formal compensation claim for the bag and its contents.

The claim needs the PIR reference, copies of your tickets and tags, a detailed list of what was inside with approximate values, and any receipts you still have. Liability limits apply. On most international journeys the maximum is set by the Montreal Convention and sits around two thousand dollars or the local equivalent. Domestic rules in some countries allow higher amounts. The airline may reduce the payout for depreciation or items they consider excluded.

Send the claim in writing and keep copies of everything you submit. Follow up if you hear nothing after a couple of weeks. Acting quickly at the airport and holding onto the paperwork gives you the strongest position from the start.