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 aim to return your items within four hours (distance permitting), and we’ll be in touch immediately to arrange a delivery time that suits you.

  However within some countries, local laws mean we can’t forward your bag to you, and you’ll need to collect it from the airport. If this is the case for your luggage we’ll let you know when you make your claim.

• How do I track my baggage on my journey?

  Use the baggage tracker in the Emirates App to see where your bags are at every step of the journey. Select your trip under ‘My trips’ and choose ‘My baggage status’. You can follow your bag 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. Check the baggage belt number when your bags are ready to collect.

  If your bag is delayed, the tracker will give you a reference number (called a PIR) and let you know what we’re doing to return your bags to you. 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, our team does everything possible to locate it.

  During the first seven days we undertake ‘primary tracing’ – where we liaise with all the stations involved on the journey, conduct physical checks, investigate with our Security and Lost and Found teams, and check the ramp and store areas, in order to have items back with passengers as soon as possible.

  If the baggage hasn't been located within seven days, we conduct intensive 'secondary tracing'. During this stage, we carry out thorough checks within all airports and with all airlines. We begin this process as soon as the customer completes the Baggage Inventory form and provides us with all required documents. This final check will be completed within ten working days.

  Your cooperation with us, and the timely submission of documents, will speed up the process.