Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to document a travel insurance claim
Travel insurance claims are the requests you make after a trip goes wrong, and the file you build while the disruption is still happening often decides whether they are paid. US Department of Transportation guidance for air travellers tells passengers to insist that the airline creates a written report before they leave the airport, and then to hold on to all travel documents and receipts for money spent in connection with the mishandling. [6]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Get the report while you are still at the airport: the guidance says to report damage or non-delivery before leaving and to insist that a report is created. [6]
- Log every call with its date and time and the name and telephone number of the person you spoke to, then follow up as soon as possible with a certified letter. [6]
- Keep all receipts and all travel documents for money spent because of the disruption, plus the claim-tag stubs from check-in. [6]
- Airline liability is capped and calculated on depreciated value; anything the carrier does not cover is where your own policy, card issuer or home insurer may come in. [6]
What should you collect while the disruption is still happening?
The first documents in the file are created at the airport, not afterwards. If a bag arrives open, unlocked or visibly damaged, the guidance says to check straight away for missing or damaged contents and to report the problem to the airline before leaving the airport, insisting on having a report created. [6]
Anything reported later by telephone should be written down with the date and time of the call and the name and telephone number of the person you spoke to, and followed up as soon as possible with a certified letter. [6]
Keep the claim-tag stubs the airline gives you at check-in. The guidance notes that they work as claim checks, that they may be needed if a claim becomes necessary, and that they should not be thrown away until the bags are back and the contents checked. [6]
Spending during the disruption needs receipts of its own. Where a bag is delayed, carriers may reimburse the purchase of necessities later even when no cash advance was offered at the airport, and the guidance advises discussing with the carrier which articles would be reimbursable and keeping all receipts. [6]
What should you keep once you are home?
If the claim cannot be settled with airport staff, the guidance says to keep a record of the names of the employees you dealt with and to hold on to all travel documents and receipts for any money spent in connection with the mishandling. [6]
The claim tags can be surrendered when you fill in the airport form, provided you get a copy of the form and it notes that you gave up the tags. [6]
Follow-up goes to the airline's baggage claims office or consumer office. A bag declared permanently lost usually means a second, more detailed form: failing to complete it when required can delay the claim, and missing the filing deadline can invalidate it altogether. [6]
Expect the value question to be documented rather than argued. Airlines often ask for sales receipts and other paperwork to back a claim, particularly where a large amount of money is involved, and they estimate the depreciated value of the contents rather than the original price or the cost of replacing them. [6]
How do you sequence a claim so the airline pays first?
Two rulebooks apply to the same disruption: what a US carrier owes under Department of Transportation rules, and what an individual policy requires you to send. The carrier side is set out below; an insurer's own document list comes from the policy wording itself.
On an international itinerary, the guidance points to Article 19 of the Montreal Convention: a passenger may be able to recover reimbursement for expenses resulting from a delayed or cancelled flight by filing a claim with the airline, and if the claim is denied, may pursue the matter in court where the carrier did not take all measures that could reasonably be required to avoid the damage. [6]
On a US domestic itinerary the position is thinner. Airlines are not required to compensate passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled, and compensation is required by law only when someone is bumped from an oversold flight. [6] A cancellation usually means rebooking on the carrier's next flight with space at no additional charge, and no rule requires the airline to endorse your ticket to a different carrier. [6]
Baggage is a separate claim with its own ceiling, and the ceilings are maximums rather than entitlements: where the depreciated value of the property is lower than the cap, that lower figure is what is offered. [6]
| Route | What it can cover | Limit or timing to record |
|---|---|---|
| Airline, checked baggage on a US domestic trip | Repairs, or a negotiated settlement based on depreciated value [6] | Ceiling regulated by the Department and adjusted for inflation every two years; $4,700 per passenger in the guidance [6] |
| Airline, international journey | Baggage liability under the Montreal Convention [6] | Limit reviewed every five years; 1,288 Special Drawing Rights, about $1,700 when the guidance was written [6] |
| Airline, delayed or cancelled international flight | Expenses, through a claim under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention [6] | A denial can be pursued in court where the carrier did not take all reasonable measures [6] |
| Credit card company | A refund you are due on a ticket paid by card [6] | Written complaint within 60 days of the first statement showing the charge [6] |
| Homeowner's or renter's insurance | Losses away from the residence, where the airline settlement falls short [6] | Comes into play only after the carrier's own settlement is known [6] |
Only once the airline's answer is in does the remainder become visible. Where a settlement does not fully reimburse the loss, the guidance suggests checking homeowner's or renter's insurance, which sometimes covers losses away from the residence, and notes that some credit card companies and travel agencies offer optional or automatic supplemental baggage coverage. [6]
A refund owed on a card ticket follows its own clock. The airline must forward the credit to the card company within seven business days after receiving a complete refund application, although the credit may take a month or two to appear on your statement. [6] If a refund you are due is not being paid, report it in writing to the card company within 60 days of the first monthly statement showing the charge. [6]
Where money is paid at the airport after an oversale, there are usually 30 days from the date on the cheque to decide whether to accept the amount, and cashing it or accepting a free flight instead will probably end the ability to pursue more from the airline later. [6]
What can still defeat a claim?
- Missing the airline's check-in deadline can mean the carrier does not accept liability for a bag that is delayed or lost. [6]
- Airlines may decline to pay for damage caused by the fragile nature of an item or by inadequate packing, and may refuse claims for contents where there is no evidence of external damage to the case. [6]
- Perishable food ruined by a delayed delivery is not reimbursed, although carriers may be liable if they lose or damage perishable items. [6]
- Claims that look inflated or fraudulent may be denied outright, and payment is assessed on depreciated value rather than original price. [6]
- For domestic US trips, what an airline offers delayed passengers is its own policy; there are no federal requirements covering meals or hotel rooms. [6]
- Excess valuation bought at check-in raises the carrier's potential liability but is not insurance, and airlines may refuse to sell it for antiques, musical instruments, jewellery, manuscripts, securities and cash. [6]
Frequently asked questions
How long does an airline baggage claim take?
The guidance says it generally takes an airline anywhere from four weeks to three months to pay passengers for lost luggage. [6]
What paperwork does a lost-bag claim need?
A permanently lost bag usually needs a second, more detailed claim form after the airport report, and airlines often ask for sales receipts and other documentation, especially where a large amount of money is involved. [6]
Can I go to my card company as well as the airline?
If you have trouble getting a refund you are due, the guidance says to write to the card company within 60 days of the first monthly statement showing the charge; inside that window the card company should credit your account even if the airline does not. [6]
Do the same limits apply on international flights?
No. Baggage on a US domestic trip falls under a Department ceiling adjusted for inflation every two years, while an international journey uses the Montreal Convention limit, reviewed every five years. [6]
Is extra valuation bought at check-in the same as insurance?
No. It increases the carrier's potential liability but is not insurance, and it may be refused for especially valuable or breakable items. [6]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. The steps follow US Department of Transportation consumer guidance on air travel; policy wordings from individual insurers, passenger-rights rules outside the United States and carrier-specific baggage tariffs are not covered here.
- US Department of Transportation, Fly Rights: A Consumer Guide to Air Travel, checked 18 October 2026