easyJet delayed or lost baggage: the airport report comes first
Reviewed on 10 August 2026. If an easyJet checked bag does not arrive, contact baggage services before leaving or register it in easyJet's baggage portal within the airline's current 24-hour reporting window. Keep the report reference, baggage tag and delivery record. Necessary purchases and proven baggage loss are Montreal Convention matters, separate from EC261 or UK261 flight compensation.
Free eligibility check
Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
First steps in arrivals
| Action | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Check the belt and oversized-baggage area | Excludes simple delivery to another collection point |
| Contact the airport baggage team | Starts tracing while handling records are available |
| Register the missing bag | Creates the report reference used for updates and claims |
| Photograph the baggage tag and report | Protects identifiers if labels or paper are lost |
| Record your delivery address | Helps the handler return the bag without another airport trip |
| Keep essential-purchase receipts | Supports a documented delay-loss claim |
easyJet currently says a delayed bag should be registered through the airport team or its dedicated portal within 24 hours after flight arrival. Do it immediately where possible. A later explanation that the queue was long is less persuasive than a contemporaneous report or screenshot showing that no desk was available.
A Property Irregularity Report or portal reference is operational evidence, not necessarily the complete written compensation claim. It identifies the passenger, route, tag and bag description for tracing. Keep a PDF or screenshot because portal access can change after delivery.
Describe the bag precisely
Provide brand, colour, dimensions, shell or fabric, wheels, handles and distinctive marks. Avoid relying on “black suitcase.” Photograph the bag before travel when practical and retain the original purchase evidence for expensive luggage.
Do not place passport, medication, keys, cash, jewellery or irreplaceable work equipment in checked baggage when the carrier's conditions exclude or limit such items. If medically necessary equipment is missing, tell easyJet and your insurer immediately and arrange a safe replacement rather than waiting for ordinary tracing.
Keep the bag tag attached to the boarding pass or booking record. If several family bags are missing, match each tag to its owner. The Montreal liability ceiling is per passenger, not one automatic payment for every suitcase on a booking, and the passenger must still prove loss.
Essential purchases while away from home
easyJet's current baggage policy says that when a bag on an outbound journey remains delayed for more than 24 hours, the passenger may buy reasonable essential toiletries and basic clothing up to GBP 25 per person per day for as many as three days, with a current maximum of GBP 75 per person. It requires receipts and an online submission within 21 days of the flight.
This is easyJet's published handling policy, not a universal valuation of every Montreal Convention loss. Buy what is actually needed in the circumstances. A toothbrush and change of clothing are easier to justify than premium cosmetics or a new wardrobe. Weather, trip purpose, age and the length of delay can affect reasonableness.
The stated policy applies while away from home. A delayed bag on the return journey may not create the same essential-purchase allowance because the passenger normally has clothing at home. Proven additional loss can still require individual analysis under the Convention or travel insurance.
Use itemised receipts. Card slips show payment but not what was bought. Mark the passenger and date on each receipt, especially for a family. If the bag is returned, stop buying replacement items and record the delivery date and time.
When delayed becomes treated as lost
Tracing status and legal loss are not determined only by an app label. easyJet currently describes an extended tracing process and asks passengers whose bag remains missing to continue through its specialist route. The Montreal Convention treats checked baggage as lost when the carrier admits loss or when it has not arrived within 21 days after it should have arrived.
Prepare an inventory before memory fades. For each item, record description, age, original price, current evidence and a reasonable present value. Compensation is not automatically the cost of buying every item new. Depreciation and proof matter.
Receipts, order emails, photographs from the trip, warranty records and bank statements can support ownership. Avoid inflated round-number lists. A credible schedule with ordinary items is stronger than a claim that every missing possession was new and high-value.
The 1,519 SDR ceiling
The Montreal Convention baggage liability limit increased to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger from 28 December 2024. SDR is an international unit whose value moves against national currencies. The ceiling is not a guaranteed award and does not mean easyJet pays 1,519 SDR whenever a bag is late.
It covers established damage under the Convention, subject to rules, exclusions and evidence. Essential purchases, the value of lost contents and the case itself are assessed within the relevant liability framework. A special declaration of interest made at check-in can alter the ceiling in limited circumstances, usually with an additional payment.
Travel insurance may offer different limits, new-for-old cover or protection for excluded valuables. Tell each payer about other recoveries and do not collect twice for the same item.
Separate baggage and flight claims
A flight can arrive on time while the bag is delayed, or arrive four hours late with the bag present. Fixed easyJet delayed-flight compensation depends on the flight disruption and extraordinary-circumstance defence. Baggage liability follows the Montreal Convention.
Submit separate schedules and identify them correctly. A baggage report should not ask for EUR 250 merely because the suitcase arrived the next day. Conversely, accepting delivery of the bag does not settle a valid three-hour flight claim.
If rerouting separated the bag from the passenger, keep both original and replacement boarding passes. Identify every carrier involved and where the bag was last checked. Contracting and actual carriers can have roles under Montreal; do not assume the booking brand is the only possible respondent.
A complete written file
Include:
- booking reference, passenger name and contact details;
- flight number, date, origin and destination;
- bag-tag number and report reference;
- bag description and last confirmed location;
- delivery date or confirmation that it remains missing;
- itemised essential purchases with receipts;
- inventory and valuation evidence if loss is established;
- bank details and previous payments.
The easyJet baggage-deadlines guide separates the 24-hour operational report, seven and 21-day written periods, and two-year court limit. Do not wait for tracing to finish before preserving a deadline.
FAQ
Is the airport baggage report the same as my money claim?
No. The report starts tracing and records the irregularity. A written claim with receipts or a loss inventory is a separate step and has its own deadlines.
How much does easyJet pay for essentials?
Its current published policy refers to up to GBP 25 per person per day for up to three days when an outbound bag remains delayed beyond 24 hours. Keep receipts and check the live rules.
Is 1,519 SDR an automatic lost-bag payment?
No. It is the current Montreal Convention liability ceiling per passenger, not a flat award. The passenger must establish the recoverable loss.
Can I claim for a delayed bag on my flight home?
You can report and pursue the delay, but easyJet's stated essential-item allowance is framed for an outbound journey away from home. Prove any actual necessary loss separately.
Can baggage money be added to EC261 compensation?
Yes, when both independent claims are valid, but the same expense cannot be recovered twice. Keep the Montreal baggage schedule separate from the flight claim.