Kenya Airways delayed, lost or damaged baggage claim
Kenya Airways baggage claims are governed mainly by the Montreal Convention, not the EUR 250-600 flight-disruption scale. Report a missing or damaged checked bag before leaving the arrival airport, obtain a Property Irregularity Report reference and send a written claim with receipts. The current international liability limit is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger, but that is a ceiling rather than 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:
Damage should be complained about in writing no later than seven days after receiving the bag; delay complaints have a 21-day deadline after the bag is returned. Court action is generally limited to two years.
Use the Kenya Airways claim-channel guide after creating the airport report. If the aircraft also arrived late or was cancelled, assess that distinct event under the flight compensation overview.
Match the remedy to the baggage problem
| Problem | Immediate action | Main claim |
|---|---|---|
| Bag does not arrive | Create a missing-bag file at the airport | Reasonable essential purchases during delay |
| Bag remains missing and is treated as lost | Inventory contents and prove value | Proven value up to the applicable Convention limit |
| Suitcase or contents are damaged | Report before leaving and photograph condition | Reasonable repair or replacement value |
| Mobility aid is missing or damaged | Request urgent assistance and accessible replacement | Apply baggage and accessibility protections |
| Cabin item is damaged | Record how KQ or its staff caused the event | Carrier fault generally needs to be shown |
Do not wait for an online tracing result before protecting the written deadlines.
Create a PIR at the arrival airport
Go to the baggage-services desk for Kenya Airways or its handling agent. Provide the bag tag, boarding pass, contact address and a detailed description. Obtain the Property Irregularity Report number and photograph the report.
A PIR starts tracing, but it is not always the complete written compensation claim. Follow it with a demand identifying purchases or damage and attach evidence within the applicable period.
If the desk is closed, photograph the area, use the airport or KQ reporting channel immediately and save the timestamp. Do not discard a damaged suitcase until Kenya Airways has had a reasonable chance to inspect it.
Delayed baggage purchases
Buy only reasonable essentials needed until the bag returns: basic clothing, toiletries and necessary replacement items. Keep itemised receipts and explain why each purchase was needed. A traveller away from home will usually have a stronger need than someone returning to a fully equipped residence.
Kenya Airways' current baggage page describes a First Needs Allowance when a bag remains missing more than 24 hours at a destination outside the passenger's country of residence. It lists USD 100 for Economy and USD 150 for Premier World, with 50% for children aged 2-12 and no allowance for infants. KQ also says an advance is deducted from final compensation in a total-loss case.
That company allowance does not redefine the Montreal Convention ceiling or guarantee every purchase. If actual reasonable loss exceeds the advance, submit the receipts and full calculation.
Lost baggage valuation
The Montreal Convention allows a passenger to enforce rights for loss when the carrier admits the bag is lost or it has not arrived after 21 days from the date it should have arrived. Kenya Airways may start a settlement earlier under its own tracing process.
List each item, approximate purchase date, original price, present value and supporting receipt or photograph. Insurers and airlines commonly account for age and wear; the claim is not a new-for-old shopping budget unless the applicable policy says so.
The 1,519 SDR limit applies per passenger for destruction, loss, damage and delay of baggage combined, unless a higher special declaration of interest was made at check-in and any supplementary fee paid. SDR value changes, so convert it using a reputable rate on the relevant settlement date rather than fixing a permanent EUR, GBP or USD number.
Damaged suitcase or contents
Photograph every side of the bag, baggage tag, broken part and affected contents before repair. Ask for a repair assessment where practical. If repair is impossible, obtain a written statement or replacement quote for a comparable item.
Airlines are not liable for damage caused solely by the baggage's inherent defect, quality or vice. Ordinary wear, superficial scuffs and overpacking can be disputed. A crushed shell, torn structure or missing wheel caused during carriage is a different factual case.
For checked valuables, money, documents, jewellery, medication and electronics, Kenya Airways' Conditions contain exclusions and warnings. These items should generally travel in cabin baggage where permitted. Travel insurance may provide wider cover.
Seven days and 21 days
Under the Convention, a complaint about checked-baggage damage must be made in writing promptly and at the latest within seven days of receipt. For delayed baggage, the written complaint must be sent at the latest within 21 days from the date the bag was placed at the passenger's disposal.
Kenya Airways' public baggage page asks passengers seeking compensation to write within seven days after arrival. Follow that earlier request where possible, especially for damage, while preserving the Convention's distinct 21-day delayed-bag rule after delivery.
The two-year period for legal action is separate. It does not allow a passenger to ignore the short written complaint periods.
Codeshare and successive carriage
Report at the final airport to the carrier or handler delivering the journey. Keep all bag tags and boarding passes where Kenya Airways, KLM, Air France or another airline handled different sectors.
The Montreal Convention has rules for successive carriers. Depending on the event, baggage claims can involve the first carrier, last carrier and the carrier during whose transport the loss, damage or delay occurred. Do not let a marketing code erase the physical baggage route.
If separate tickets required collecting and rechecking, identify which carrier last accepted the bag. A through-tag photograph is valuable evidence.
Baggage delay is separate from flight delay
A passenger can receive EU261 or UK261 fixed compensation for a qualifying late flight and also recover proven baggage-delay purchases. One does not replace the other because they address different events.
Conversely, an on-time Paris-Nairobi flight with a missing bag does not generate EUR 600. Use the Montreal baggage route. Direction is much less restrictive here than EU261 because the Convention can cover international carriage both from and to Nairobi.
On travel to or from the United States, current DOT refund rules can also require return of a checked-bag fee when the bag is significantly delayed under its time criteria. That fee refund is separate from the value of essential purchases.
Build and send the file
Attach the PIR, bag tag, e-ticket, boarding passes, photographs, delivery receipt, itemised purchases, contents inventory and payment proof. State the dates the bag should have arrived, was reported and was delivered.
Use Kenya Airways' baggage tracing and written claim route, quote the PIR in every message and retain the submission confirmation. If an insurer pays, disclose it and claim only uninsured loss unless the policy transfers recovery rights differently.
For a damaged or lost mobility aid, also record accessibility consequences and replacement needs. Do not accept an ordinary suitcase valuation without examining the special rules that may protect assistive devices on the route.
Worked baggage example
An Economy passenger arrives in Paris from Nairobi, but the checked bag appears four days later. Away from home, the passenger buys EUR 165 of basic clothing and toiletries and keeps itemised receipts. KQ's published first-needs amount may produce an initial allowance, while the passenger can substantiate the full reasonable Montreal loss up to the overall limit.
If the traveller waits 30 days after delivery to send the first written delay claim, the 21-day Convention period becomes a serious problem even though the two-year action period has not expired.
FAQ
Is the Kenya Airways baggage limit an automatic 1,519 SDR payment?
No. It is the current liability ceiling per passenger; actual proven loss can be lower.
How long do I have for a delayed-bag claim?
Send the written complaint within 21 days after the bag is delivered, and follow KQ's earlier reporting request where possible.
What is the deadline for damaged baggage?
Complain in writing promptly and no later than seven days after receiving the checked bag.
Can I buy replacement clothes?
Yes when reasonably necessary during delay; keep itemised receipts and avoid excessive purchases.
Does a missing bag qualify for EUR 600 under EU261?
No by itself. EU261 fixed sums concern flight disruption, while baggage loss and delay use Montreal rules.