easyJet damaged baggage: preserve proof before you leave arrivals

What to do before leaving the airport

easyJet's current baggage page expressly asks passengers to photograph damage before leaving the airport. Later photographs may be rejected because they do not establish when the damage happened. Put the bag beside a recognisable arrivals or baggage-services background and retain the original image metadata.

If the desk is closed, use easyJet's dedicated reporting route immediately and screenshot the time. Photograph any closed-desk notice. Do not postpone the report until unpacking at home simply because the queue is inconvenient.

A paper report alone may not finish easyJet's process. The airline currently instructs passengers to make the damage report and then register the claim on its dedicated page, even where the airport report was completed in person. Follow both steps within seven days.

Distinguish transport damage from ordinary wear

Take clear images of the whole bag and the specific defect. A missing wheel, split shell, broken frame or handle pulled away from its mount is different from surface marks that do not affect use.

easyJet currently excludes responsibility in its published handling policy for superficial scuffs and scratches, overpacking-related damage, water, rain or snow effects, and damage to fragile or perishable items inside the bag. These statements do not decide every legal dispute, but they show what evidence the airline will examine.

For a structural defect, demonstrate function. A short video showing that the telescopic handle no longer extends or that the case cannot close can be more useful than several dark photographs. If contents were exposed, photograph their condition before moving them.

Overpacking is often alleged when a zip or seam fails. Preserve the bag's weight receipt, allowance and photographs of normal packing. Being below the weight limit does not prove careful packing, but it answers one part of the allegation.

Repair, replacement and valuation

The Montreal Convention makes the carrier liable for destruction, loss or damage to checked baggage while it was in the carrier's charge, unless the damage resulted from the bag's inherent defect, quality or vice. Recovery concerns the actual established loss.

An economical repair can restore a relatively new suitcase. If repair is impossible, valuation may consider age, purchase price, condition and useful life rather than simply awarding the retail cost of the newest equivalent model. Keep the original receipt, order email, model information and pre-flight photographs.

Do not discard the bag until easyJet or its handler confirms in writing that inspection is unnecessary. If a broken case cannot safely be transported, ask for written authority before replacing or disposing of it and retain photographs from every angle.

If easyJet appoints a repair company, record collection and return condition. Test wheels, locks and handles promptly. Report an incomplete repair in writing rather than opening an unrelated new claim months later.

Damage to contents

Photograph the packing arrangement and every affected item. A damaged object inside an intact case may raise questions about packing and fragility. easyJet's current guidance directs claims for fragile or perishable contents toward travel insurance, while Montreal and contractual rules require a fact-specific assessment.

List each object with age, original value and evidence. Cash, jewellery, keys, electronics, business documents and other valuables are commonly restricted in checked-baggage conditions. Do not assume the 1,519 SDR ceiling overrides exclusions or proves that the item was in the bag.

For medication or accessibility equipment, prioritise safety and urgent replacement. Keep medical evidence, invoices and the reason the cost could not wait for the ordinary claims process.

The seven-day written period

Under the Montreal Convention, damage to checked baggage should be complained of in writing immediately after discovery and no later than seven days after receipt. easyJet's operational instructions also require the report and claim registration within seven days of the flight.

Submit early. Include the booking reference, flight, passenger, tag, report number, photographs, purchase evidence and requested remedy. An app chat that says “my case is broken” may not contain enough information to operate as the complete written complaint.

The two-year period for court proceedings does not replace the seven-day notice. Missing the short complaint period can make the claim inadmissible except in unusual circumstances such as fraud by the carrier. The easyJet baggage-deadlines guide gives a single timeline for every step.

The liability ceiling is not a tariff

From 28 December 2024 the revised Montreal Convention baggage limit is 1,519 SDR per passenger. Currency value changes over time. The limit ordinarily combines relevant recoverable baggage damage for the passenger; it is not 1,519 SDR for the suitcase plus another 1,519 SDR for each item.

The award can be lower because the repair costs less, the bag was old, evidence is weak or an exclusion applies. A passenger who made an accepted special declaration of interest at check-in may have a different ceiling. Travel insurance can provide another contractual route, but disclose any airline payment to prevent duplicate recovery.

Do not mix it with a flight-disruption claim

Baggage damage does not trigger EUR 250, 400 or 600, or the UK equivalents. Those fixed sums concern qualifying cancellation, long arrival delay or denied boarding under EC261 or UK261. A damaged suitcase is governed principally by Montreal.

Both can exist after the same journey. If an easyJet flight arrived over three hours late and the case was broken, submit a flight-compensation claim and a separately evidenced baggage claim. Do not let one reference number obscure the other.

Claim checklist

• booking confirmation and boarding pass;
• baggage tag and weight receipt;
• airport damage report reference;
• photographs taken before leaving arrivals;
• description of functional damage;
• suitcase purchase evidence and age;
• repair estimate or confirmation that repair is impossible;
• content inventory where applicable;
• copy and timestamp of the written claim.

Keep originals until the matter is closed. If easyJet rejects the claim as wear and tear, ask it to identify which photograph, inspection or condition supports that conclusion.

FAQ

Can I photograph the damage after I get home?

You should photograph it before leaving the airport. easyJet warns that later images may not be accepted because they cannot reliably show when the damage occurred.

Is an airport PIR enough for damaged baggage?

Not necessarily. easyJet currently requires a report and separate claim registration. Complete the online step and retain both references within seven days.

Will easyJet buy me a brand-new suitcase?

Not automatically. The remedy can be repair, replacement or proven value, taking account of age, condition and the facts of the damage.

Are scratches covered?

easyJet's published policy excludes superficial scuffs and scratches. Structural damage that affects normal use should be documented functionally and assessed separately.

Can I also claim for a delayed flight?

Yes, if the independent EC261 or UK261 conditions are met. Submit separate claims because baggage damage itself does not produce fixed flight compensation.

Sources

• easyJet damaged, delayed and lost luggage guidance
• easyJet terms and conditions
• easyJet important notices
• Montreal Convention 1999
• ICAO 2024 revision of Montreal liability limits
• UK CAA baggage problems