This post is a step-by-step guide to help you get compensation for your lost bag.

According to the Montreal Convention of 1999, you may get up to 1,131 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) for your lost luggage. SDRs is the currency created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to calculate the compensation amount.

Up until the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 that put a halt to air travel, the number of air passengers and checked bags kept growing from one year to the next.

According to SITA’s 2019 report, in 2018, 4.36 billion travelers checked in more than 4.27 billion bags. The leading provider of IT services to over 400 airlines worldwide further highlighted that over 28 million bags are mishandled each year.

Depending on whether it is the Montreal Convention or US regulations that are applicable, you may claim between $1,800 and $3,500 in compensation for your delayed or lost checked baggage.

Since the end of the first quarter of 2021, air traffic has been increasing. We’re still nowhere near the volumes of 2019, but IATA expects global passenger numbers to reach 52% of pre-COVID levels.