Finnair delayed or lost baggage claim
Report missing checked baggage to Finnair or the arrival service before leaving the airport where possible, obtain a WorldTracer reference, keep receipts for reasonable essentials and submit the written expense claim within 21 days after the bag is returned. Baggage not found after 21 days, or admitted lost earlier, can be treated as lost under the Montreal Convention. The current aggregate liability limit is 1,519 SDR per passenger, not an automatic payout.
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:
Baggage compensation is separate from EUR 250-600 for a qualifying flight delay or cancellation.
Immediate baggage steps
| Stage | Action | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| Carousel ends without bag | Check oversize area and make a delayed-baggage report | WorldTracer/PIR reference |
| Report is open | Verify tag number, address and contact details | Copy or screenshot of report |
| Bag remains missing | Track status and retain essential-purchase receipts | WorldTracer updates and invoices |
| Bag is delivered | Record date, time and condition | Delivery receipt and photographs |
| Written claim | Send itemised costs within 21 days after delivery | Submission confirmation |
| Bag is lost | Provide contents and value evidence | Receipts, age and replacement basis |
Do not wait for tracing to end before gathering documents. The baggage tag and original ticket are often essential.
PIR and written monetary claim are different
A Property Irregularity Report records that the baggage did not arrive and starts tracing. Finnair's feedback and compensation page asks for the WorldTracer reference when claiming delayed baggage costs.
The PIR is not always the complete written claim for money. After the bag returns, send a specific list of essential purchases and receipts within 21 days from the date baggage was placed at the passenger's disposal. Preserve both the airport report and later claim confirmation.
If the online report fails, contact the arrival service or Finnair and document the attempt. Correct an inaccurate tag, name or delivery address promptly.
Reasonable essential purchases
The Montreal Convention compensates proven damage caused by baggage delay, subject to carrier defences and the liability limit. Purchases should be necessary, proportionate and connected to the time without the bag.
Examples can include basic clothing, toiletries and essential items for the trip. A winter coat may be reasonable when arriving in Finland without luggage, while a complete luxury wardrobe is unlikely to be. Items bought after returning home receive stricter scrutiny because ordinary belongings may be available.
Keep itemised receipts, not only card statements. Explain special needs, business clothing or equipment briefly. Durable replacement items may be reduced because the passenger keeps their value.
Finnair and home-arrival differences
Airline policies often distinguish baggage delayed away from home from baggage delayed on the return home. Montreal does not create a simple fixed daily allowance. Actual proven loss and reasonableness control.
At home, essential purchases may be limited because the passenger can use existing belongings. That does not mean no loss is ever recoverable; medicine, work equipment or unavailable necessities can require evidence.
Do not fabricate a daily rate. Submit what was actually purchased and why it was needed before delivery.
When baggage becomes lost
Under the Montreal Convention, checked baggage can be treated as lost if the carrier admits loss or it has not arrived after 21 days from the date it ought to have arrived. Continue tracking, but prepare a contents inventory with purchase date, original price, condition and evidence.
Compensation is based on proven current value, not automatically the cost of buying every item new. Depreciation can apply. Receipts, photographs, warranties, bank records and prior packing lists help. Jewellery, electronics and valuable items placed in checked baggage can face carrier-condition exclusions or proof difficulties.
The 1,519 SDR limit applies in aggregate per passenger to destruction, loss, damage or delay unless a higher-value declaration was made and any required supplement paid at check-in. SDR is an IMF unit whose currency value changes, so convert it on the relevant date rather than hard-coding one EUR figure.
One passenger, several bags
The liability cap normally follows the passenger, not each suitcase. Two lost checked bags do not create two separate 1,519 SDR limits for the same traveller. Where one bag contains property of several family members but was checked under one passenger's tag, proof of ownership and allocation can become important.
Label each item by owner and provide tickets and baggage tags for all travellers. Do not duplicate the same contents across family claims.
A special declaration of interest made before travel can increase potential liability under the Convention, subject to its conditions.
Which airline handles an interline baggage claim?
Montreal rules allow claims against contracting and actual carriers in the circumstances they cover, and successive carriage has additional provisions. In practice, report to the airline or handler at final arrival and use the baggage tag to identify the route.
An AY ticket can include Finnair, Norra or a partner. Do not send the flight-delay EU261 claim and baggage inventory to an arbitrary marketing carrier. Finnair's limits notice says the passenger can address a complaint against the contracting or actual carrier where they differ.
Keep evidence that baggage was checked through to the final destination. Separate tickets and rechecking can change which carriage segment lost custody.
Baggage delay plus flight compensation
EU261 fixed compensation addresses a qualifying flight disruption. Montreal baggage damages address the bag. A passenger can claim both where both events satisfy their separate tests.
Example: Finnair arrives in Tokyo five hours late after an ordinary technical fault and the bag arrives two days later. The passenger can assess EUR 600 for the flight, plus reasonable essential-purchase loss under Montreal. The baggage expenses should not be multiplied by the fixed compensation amount.
Care meals during the flight wait are a third category. Keep receipt tables separate so Finnair can route them correctly.
Two-year court-action limit
Any court action for Montreal damages must generally be brought within two years from arrival, scheduled arrival or the date carriage stopped. This does not extend the 21-day written complaint requirement for delayed baggage.
An airline negotiation or insurance claim may not suspend the court period. Obtain jurisdiction-specific advice before the deadline where the value justifies proceedings.
Claim package
Submit the ticket, baggage tag, PIR/WorldTracer reference, delivery record, essential-purchase schedule and itemised receipts. For a lost bag, add the inventory, age, original value, current value and proof. State the currency for every item.
Finnair's feedback and compensation form currently requests the WorldTracer report number for delayed baggage. Add documents to the existing case reference rather than opening duplicates.
The damaged baggage guide covers the separate seven-day period when the returned bag is physically damaged.
Finnair and Montreal baggage rules checked on 15 August 2026.
FAQ
Is the WorldTracer report enough to claim expenses?
Do not rely on it alone. Send a written monetary claim with receipts within 21 days after the bag is returned.
Does Finnair pay a fixed daily baggage allowance?
Not under the Montreal Convention. The claim is based on reasonable, proven loss within the liability limit.
When is a delayed bag considered lost?
It can be treated as lost after 21 days without delivery or when the carrier admits the loss earlier.
Is 1,519 SDR paid for every lost suitcase?
No. It is an aggregate liability ceiling per passenger, subject to proof and any valid defences.
Can I also claim EU261 flight compensation?
Yes, if the flight disruption independently satisfies EU261; baggage delay uses a separate Montreal claim.