KM Malta Airlines delayed or lost baggage claim
Short answer: report a missing checked bag before leaving the arrivals area and obtain a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). Keep the bag tag. Buy only reasonable essential replacements and retain receipts. Send a written delayed-baggage claim within 21 days after the bag is delivered. KM treats a bag still untraced after 21 days as lost for its process. The current Montreal Convention liability ceiling is 1,519 SDR per passenger, but payment is based on proven loss and is not automatic.
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 EU261 delay compensation for the passenger's flight. The same journey can produce both if each test is met.
KM and ICAO materials were checked on 13 August 2026. The 1,519 SDR limit has applied from 28 December 2024 under ICAO's revised Convention limits.
Timeline
| Time | Action |
|---|---|
| At baggage reclaim | Report missing bag and obtain PIR reference |
| First five days | Follow KM primary tracing and preserve contact |
| Days 6-21 | Secondary tracing continues; update delivery details |
| When bag arrives | Inspect contents, note delivery time and send written delay claim within 21 days |
| After 21 days untraced | Prepare lost-bag inventory and claim |
| Court action | Preserve Montreal Convention two-year period |
A PIR opens tracing but should not be treated as the complete written monetary claim. Submit receipts and requested remedy through KM's official baggage route.
Report before leaving the airport
Go to the baggage services desk in the arrivals area. Present the flight ticket and baggage receipt. Check that the PIR records passenger contact details, bag description, route and tag number correctly.
Photograph the PIR and bag tag. Keep boarding passes for all sectors. If the desk is closed, photograph its status, use the airport or carrier's official reporting method immediately and retain the timestamp.
KM states that claims without a PIR are not considered in its process, so airport reporting is important even when an online tracker shows the bag.
Tracing and delivery
KM describes primary tracing during the first five days and secondary tracing from day six through day 21. Provide an address where delivery is possible and update it when travel continues.
If an Apple AirTag is in the bag, KM permits location sharing through its baggage tracking system. A tracker location can assist search but does not authorise a passenger to enter restricted airport areas or retrieve baggage personally.
When the bag arrives, note delivery time and inspect it immediately. Photograph broken contents or damage and make a separate damage notice within seven days if needed.
Essential purchases during delay
The Montreal Convention compensates proven damage caused by baggage delay, subject to defences and the liability ceiling. Buy reasonable necessities suitable for location, duration and purpose of travel.
| Easier to justify | Needs explanation |
|---|---|
| Basic toiletries | Premium cosmetics |
| Essential underwear and simple clothing | Full replacement wardrobe |
| Necessary work item with no alternative | Luxury electronics |
| Seasonal outerwear at destination | Items already available to passenger |
A resident returning home may have fewer immediate replacement needs than a traveller beginning a holiday, but no rigid zero-expense rule follows. Explain actual necessity.
Keep itemised receipts and proof of payment. If an item remains useful after the bag returns, KM may consider reasonable depreciation rather than full price.
When baggage becomes lost
KM says a bag untraced after 21 days is considered lost and a claim can be submitted. Create an inventory with item, owner, age, original price, current value and proof.
Use receipts, photographs, warranty records or credible replacement prices. Do not claim new retail value for heavily used belongings without accounting for age. Keep high-value items and essential medication in cabin baggage where carriage rules allow.
The 1,519 SDR figure is a maximum per passenger for destruction, loss, damage or delay of baggage under the Montreal Convention, unless a special declaration of interest was made and any required supplement paid. It is not EUR 1,519 and not guaranteed.
SDR is an IMF unit whose currency value changes. Convert at the legally relevant date and forum, not an arbitrary travel-day rate, if payment calculation requires conversion.
Which carrier receives the claim?
For a direct KM-operated journey, use KM's baggage process. On successive international carriage, the Convention can allow a claim against the first carrier, last carrier or carrier performing the segment during which the problem occurred, depending on the claim.
Check whether baggage was through-checked. KM says through-check is available only on the same ticket and where it has the necessary baggage agreement. A bag that the passenger was required to collect and recheck on a separate ticket changes responsibility.
The flight's marketing code alone is not enough. Preserve all bag tags and operating carriers.
Written deadlines and two-year action
For delayed baggage, Article 31 requires a written complaint within 21 days from the date the baggage was placed at the passenger's disposal. Send it sooner once receipts are complete. The airport PIR does not safely replace this complaint.
Article 35 generally extinguishes a damages action if not brought within two years, calculated from arrival, the date the aircraft ought to have arrived or the date carriage stopped, with calculation governed by the forum's law.
These periods do not set the deadline for EUR 250-600 EU261 compensation. Keep separate calendars.
Claim file
Attach PIR, bag tag, ticket, delivery record, receipts, inventory, proof of ownership and bank details. State whether the bag was delayed or now treated as lost. Identify every payment from insurance or another carrier and claim only the remaining proven loss.
Travel insurance can pay under different terms. Notify it promptly, but do not recover the same purchase twice.
FAQ
Is a PIR enough to claim delayed baggage costs?
No. It opens the airport report, but send a written monetary claim with receipts within 21 days after the bag is delivered.
When does KM consider a bag lost?
KM's current process treats baggage still untraced after 21 days as lost and permits a lost-bag claim.
Will KM automatically pay 1,519 SDR?
No. That is a liability ceiling per passenger. The claimant must prove actual loss, subject to Convention rules.
Can I buy replacement clothes?
Reasonable essential items can be claimed when necessary during delay. Keep itemised receipts and avoid disproportionate purchases.
Is baggage compensation the same as EU261?
No. Baggage follows the Montreal Convention, while fixed flight-disruption compensation follows EU261 or another passenger regime.