Delayed or damaged baggage

Delayed and damaged baggage and tracking

• Am I entitled to interim compensation if my baggage is delayed?

  Emirates offers Interim Relief (IR) compensation to all customers who have travelled to and from the US who have reported a missing piece of baggage. IR is also offered to passengers who have travelled on other routes when no baggage is received (excluding residents).

  This can be used to purchase essential items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and sleepwear. To claim IR compensation, please visit your nearest Emirates office with your passport and a receipt of your purchased ticket.

  We undertake extensive tracking to reunite passengers with their bags. In the unfortunate incident that baggage is declared as lost, we will contact you in order to provide compensation.

• Can I claim compensation if my checked baggage is damaged, delayed or lost?

  You may be entitled to compensation under the conditions and limits of the Montreal Convention 1999. 

  If you want to claim compensation from us for damage to your checked baggage, you must notify us as follows: 

  (a) if the damage to your baggage is physical in nature, you must notify us in writing within 7 days of receipt of the baggage; 

  (b) if the damage consists of total or partial loss of your baggage, you must notify us in writing within 7 days of the date the baggage arrived or should have arrived;

  (c) if you incur any damage due the late delivery of your checked baggage and want to claim compensation from us, you must notify us in writing within 21 days from the date the baggage was placed at your disposal.

• Do I have to collect delayed baggage from the airport?

  Once we’ve found your baggage and it’s been cleared by customs, we’ll be in touch with you to arrange a delivery time that suits you.

  However, in some countries, local laws and regulations mean we’re unable to clear your baggage through customs on your behalf, and you’ll need to collect it from the airport. If this is the case, our airport staff will let you know when you register the missing baggage at Arrivals.

• How do I track my baggage on my journey?

  Use the baggage tracker in the Emirates app to see where your baggage is at every step of your journey. 

  You can follow your baggage from check-in to loading on the aircraft, while it’s being transferred to a connecting flight, and see when it has arrived at your destination. You can also check the baggage belt number when your baggage is ready to be collected in Dubai.

  To track your bags, go to notifications on the home screen. You can also find it under the baggage section in My Trips. You can track your bags on nearly all our routes and in some of our destinations you can receive notifications about your baggage carousel number. 

  If your baggage is delayed, you will automatically receive a reference number (called a PIR) and will be able to track the status of your baggage.

  If you don’t have the app, you can use the delayed or damaged baggage tracker on our website.

• How does Emirates find delayed baggage?

  When baggage is delayed, we start the process of tracing it. We may ask you for certain documents and you will need to complete a Baggage Inventory Form (BIF) that provides information on the contents of your baggage.

  As multiple airlines or airports may be involved this may take up to 21 days.

  Please complete the Baggage Inventory Form (BIF) with a list of the contents of your bag. Check you have included everything accurately - once the form is submitted it cannot be edited or resent.

  To access the form, you will need to enter your last name and the PIR number given to you when you reported your bag was missing.