Lost Luggage Compensation Calculator
How Lost Luggage Compensation Works
When an airline loses or significantly delays your checked baggage, it usually has a legal obligation to compensate you. However, the amount you actually receive depends on several factors: the value of what was in your bag, whether the flight was domestic or international, how long you were without your belongings, and what you can prove with receipts or other documentation.
This calculator is designed to give you a rough estimate of potential compensation, not an exact payout. It focuses on typical U.S. domestic flights and international trips covered by the Montreal Convention. Use the result as a starting point for expectations and negotiations with the airline, not as a guarantee.
Legal Limits for Lost Checked Baggage
Airline liability for lost baggage is capped. That means even if your suitcase contained items worth far more than the limit, the airline usually does not have to pay more than a set maximum, unless you declared a higher value and paid extra at check-in.
Domestic flights (within the United States)
For most domestic flights within the U.S., the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) sets a maximum liability per passenger. As of recent guidance, this is roughly in the range of a few thousand U.S. dollars per person and may be adjusted periodically for inflation. Airlines can pay less than the maximum if they determine your documented loss is lower.
Key points for U.S. domestic flights include:
- Compensation is usually based on the actual, documented value of your belongings, sometimes after depreciation.
- The airline does not automatically pay the full legal maximum; they pay the lower of your proven loss or the cap.
- Some categories of items (like cash, certain jewelry, or fragile valuables) may be excluded or limited under the airline’s contract of carriage.
International flights (Montreal Convention)
Most international flights are governed by the Montreal Convention, an international treaty that sets a standard liability limit for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage. This limit is expressed in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), a unit of account used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and then converted to local currency.
Important aspects of Montreal Convention coverage:
- The limit is a fixed number of SDRs per passenger, converted to your local currency on the relevant date.
- The SDR-to-currency exchange rate changes over time, so the exact amount in U.S. dollars or other currencies can vary from day to day.
- Some airlines voluntarily offer higher internal limits or additional goodwill compensation, but they are not always required to do so.
The calculator simplifies these rules by using a rounded, approximate U.S. dollar equivalent for the Montreal Convention limit. This helps you get an order-of-magnitude estimate but will not exactly match the SDR conversion used in a real claim.
How This Calculator Estimates Your Compensation
The tool uses three main inputs:
- Value of lost items (V): your best estimate of the total replacement value of what was in the checked bag, in U.S. dollars.
- Days without luggage (d): how many days you were without your bag before it was declared lost or before it was returned.
- Trip type: whether the flight was a domestic U.S. trip or an international trip typically covered by the Montreal Convention.
Based on the trip type, the calculator chooses a legal liability limit (L). It then assumes that you may have already received or will receive some reimbursement for essential purchases (like clothing and toiletries) during the delay. To keep the model simple, it uses a notional $50 per day incidental allowance.
The calculator then estimates your potential compensation as the lower of your claimed value and the legal limit, minus this daily allowance. It never produces a negative number; if the allowance would reduce the figure below zero, the result is set to zero.
Formula used in the calculator
The calculation can be written mathematically as:
Where:
- C is the estimated compensation from the calculator.
- V is the value of items you say were lost.
- L is the applicable legal liability limit based on your trip type.
- d is the number of days you were without your luggage.
The min(V, L) term means the estimate is never higher than the cap, even if you claim very expensive items. The max(0, …) term ensures the result cannot be negative; at worst, the estimate is zero.
Interpreting Your Result
After you enter your numbers, the calculator returns an estimated compensation figure. Keep these points in mind when reading the result:
- It is a simplified estimate. Real claims often consider depreciation, proof of purchase, and carrier-specific rules.
- Receipts matter. Airlines usually require receipts or other evidence of what was in your bag and what you purchased while it was missing.
- Different airlines, different practices. Some carriers are stricter, while others offer goodwill credits, miles, or vouchers in addition to cash.
- Delay vs. permanent loss. If your bag is delayed but eventually returned, the airline typically only pays for reasonable interim expenses, not the full value of everything in the suitcase.
Use the estimate as a starting number when thinking about what to request from the airline, but always check the airline’s contract of carriage and the latest official rules for your route.
Worked Example
Imagine a traveler on a domestic U.S. flight whose checked bag never arrives. Here is how the calculator logic might apply in a simple example.
Scenario:
- You estimate the replacement value of everything in your checked bag at $2,000.
- You were without your luggage for 5 days before the airline declared it lost.
- This was a domestic U.S. trip, so the tool uses the domestic liability limit (L).
Step-by-step:
- The calculator sets V = 2,000.
- For a domestic trip, it uses a domestic liability cap L based on current U.S. DOT rules (simplified as a rounded figure in U.S. dollars).
- It compares your claimed value to the limit:
min(V, L). Since $2,000 is typically less than the cap, the smaller value is $2,000. - It calculates the incidental allowance: $50 × 5 days = $250.
- It subtracts this allowance from your capped amount: $2,000 − $250 = $1,750.
- If this number were negative, it would be reset to zero. In this case, it stays at $1,750.
The calculator would therefore display an estimated compensation of $1,750. In reality, the airline might offer more or less, depending on your receipts, the items involved, and its internal policies.
Domestic vs. International Rules at a Glance
The table below summarizes some of the main differences between typical domestic U.S. and international baggage loss rules. It is a general guide and does not replace official documentation.
| Aspect | Domestic U.S. flight | International flight (Montreal Convention) |
|---|---|---|
| Governing framework | U.S. Department of Transportation rules + airline contract of carriage | Montreal Convention + local laws + airline contract of carriage |
| Liability basis | Maximum cash limit per passenger, periodically adjusted | Liability limit expressed in SDRs per passenger |
| Currency | U.S. dollars | Converted from SDRs to local currency; varies with exchange rates |
| Scope of coverage | Lost, damaged, or delayed checked baggage; some exclusions | Lost, damaged, or delayed checked baggage; similar exclusions |
| Higher declared value option | Often available for an extra fee, subject to airline rules | Often available, but procedures differ by carrier |
| Typical documentation | Boarding pass, bag tags, lost baggage report, receipts for items | Same as domestic, plus passport and international itinerary details |
| Treatment of incidentals | Reimbursement for reasonable interim purchases, up to the cap | Interim expenses also count toward the Montreal limit |
Steps to File a Lost Luggage Claim
If your bag is lost or significantly delayed, taking the right steps quickly can increase your chances of a fair payout:
- Report the problem immediately at the airport. Before leaving the baggage area, go to the airline’s baggage service desk and file a report. Get a written copy or a reference number.
- Keep all travel documents. Save your boarding passes, bag tags, and any receipts for checked baggage fees or priority handling.
- Document what was in your bag. Make a list of items and approximate values. Old receipts, photos of your luggage and contents, and bank or card statements can all help.
- Track your claim online. Most airlines allow you to view the status of your baggage report using the reference number.
- Submit a written claim by the deadline. Airlines often require a more detailed written claim within a set number of days. Deadlines and procedures vary by carrier and jurisdiction.
- Negotiate if necessary. If the airline’s offer seems too low, you can respond with additional documentation or clarification. In disputes, you may consider consumer protection agencies, ombuds services, or legal advice.
Important Limitations and Assumptions of This Tool
This calculator deliberately simplifies a complex subject to make it easier to understand. Knowing what it does not cover is just as important as knowing what it does:
- Approximate legal limits. The tool uses rounded U.S. dollar figures for domestic and Montreal Convention limits. Official amounts can change over time and are sometimes adjusted for inflation.
- Assumed incidental allowance. The $50 per day incidental figure is only an illustrative assumption. Airlines do not guarantee this amount; they may allow more or less, or require strict receipts.
- No automatic inclusion of depreciation. Real claims may reduce payouts to reflect the age and condition of your items. The calculator does not apply any depreciation formula.
- Receipts and proof not modeled. The estimate assumes you can substantiate your claim, but actual payouts may be reduced if you lack sufficient documentation.
- Excluded items. Many contracts of carriage exclude or limit coverage for cash, jewelry, artwork, antiques, fragile items, or certain electronics. The calculator treats all item values the same and does not factor in these exclusions.
- Jurisdiction differences. Some countries have additional consumer protection rules or different liability frameworks. The tool primarily reflects common U.S. and Montreal Convention scenarios.
Because of these limitations, the result should be viewed as a non-binding estimate for educational purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my bag is delayed but eventually returned?
When baggage is delayed but not permanently lost, airlines typically cover reasonable interim expenses such as clothing and toiletries you needed while you were without your bag. They usually do not pay the full value of everything in your suitcase once it arrives. The calculator’s structure can still give you a sense of how interim expenses relate to liability limits, but it is not a precise model for delay-only situations.
Can I claim for electronics, jewelry, or cash?
Many airlines limit or exclude liability for high-value or fragile items, including cash, certain jewelry, artwork, antiques, and some electronics. If you packed these items in checked baggage, the airline may argue that you assumed the risk. The calculator does not treat these categories differently, so its estimate may be higher than what you can actually recover for such items.
Do I need receipts for everything in my suitcase?
Receipts are extremely helpful, especially for high-value items. If you cannot provide receipts, the airline may accept other proofs, such as photos, credit card statements, or detailed descriptions, but it has more discretion to reduce your claim. The calculator assumes that your stated value is generally supportable, which may not always be the case in real negotiations.
What if the airline already gave me a voucher or cash?
Airlines sometimes issue vouchers, miles, or cash advances while they investigate your claim. In most cases, these amounts count toward the overall liability limit. The calculator’s incidental allowance is meant to represent this type of support in aggregate, but it does not track actual payments you received. When discussing settlement, be prepared for the airline to subtract any prior payments from the final offer.
How accurate is this estimate?
The estimate is intentionally conservative and simplified. It does not account for every factor that may affect your actual payout, such as negotiated settlements, higher declared value coverage, airline goodwill gestures, or separate travel insurance policies you may have purchased. Treat the result as an informational guide rather than a promise.
Legal and Policy Notes
This page and the calculator are provided for information and education only. They are not legal, financial, or insurance advice, and they do not create a client relationship of any kind. Airline policies, government regulations, and international treaties can change, and their application can vary depending on the facts of your case.
Before relying on any estimate, you should:
- Review your airline’s contract of carriage and baggage policy on its official website.
- Check the latest information from relevant regulators (for example, the U.S. Department of Transportation for U.S. flights).
- Consider speaking with a qualified professional if you are involved in a complex or disputed claim.
By using this calculator, you acknowledge that the output is an approximation designed to help you understand typical ranges and rules, not a definitive statement of what any airline or court must pay.