Ryanair damaged baggage: PIR and how to claim
Short answer: If Ryanair handed back your suitcase cracked, split, or with a wheel or handle snapped off, deal with it before you leave the airport. Get a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the baggage desk, photograph the damage, then send Ryanair a written claim within 7 days of collecting the bag. Damaged baggage is governed by the Montreal Convention 1999, not EU261 — liability is capped at roughly 1,519 SDR (about EUR 1,900 / GBP 1,650), and you have 2 years to take the matter to court.
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Damaged baggage is a completely separate regime
Compensation for a delayed or cancelled flight comes from EU261 or its retained UK version (UK261). Your suitcase is nothing to do with that. Baggage damage, delay and loss fall under a separate treaty — the Montreal Convention — with its own money limit, deadlines and proof rules. The two can run side by side: EU261 or UK261 cash for a long delay, plus a Montreal claim for the broken case. The EUR 250/400/600 (or GBP 220/350/520) flight-delay figures are not what you claim for a damaged bag.
Because Montreal is treaty-based, the rules apply the same way wherever the aircraft departed — Dublin, London Stansted, Manchester or anywhere across the network. You claim against the operating carrier that flew the damaging leg (the operating-carrier concept in C-532/17 Wirth). Ryanair flies under several Group entities — Ryanair DAC, Malta Air, Buzz and Lauda — but you pursue the Ryanair Group whichever one appears on the aircraft.
Step 1: report the damage before you leave the airport
The single most important move is the PIR (Property Irregularity Report). Go to the Ryanair baggage or ground-handling desk in the arrivals hall, show the damage and the bag tag, and ask staff to log a formal report. Take the reference number with you. If you walk out without a PIR, Ryanair can argue the bag was intact on delivery and that the damage happened afterwards — which makes the claim far harder to win.
Photograph everything at the desk: the whole bag, close-ups of the cracks or torn seams, and the printed baggage tag. If items inside are broken, photograph those too. Keep your boarding pass, the bag-tag stub and any proof of value — a purchase receipt, bank statement or reasonable estimate.
Step 2: send the written claim within 7 days
The PIR opens the file, but it is not the formal claim. Under Article 31 of the Montreal Convention you must send the carrier a written complaint within 7 days of receiving the damaged bag. Miss that window and Ryanair is entitled to reject the claim outright, so this deadline is unforgiving. The related deadlines are worth knowing together:
| Situation | Deadline to notify Ryanair | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged baggage | 7 days from receipt | Montreal Convention, Art. 31 |
| Delayed baggage | 21 days from delivery | Montreal Convention, Art. 31 |
| Court action (any baggage claim) | 2 years | Montreal Convention, Art. 35 |
Submit through Ryanair's baggage channel — the "Lost & Found" claim form under Help on the website, or the myRyanair account — quoting your PIR reference. Attach the photos, receipts and a short account of what happened and what you want: repair, replacement or reimbursement. Our baggage PIR deadlines guide walks through the exact clock.
Step 3: quantify what you are actually owed
Ryanair's liability for baggage is limited to approximately 1,519 SDR per passenger. The SDR is an IMF currency basket, so the local figure moves daily but sits around EUR 1,850 / GBP 1,600. That single cap covers damage, delay and loss combined — and it is a ceiling on Ryanair's exposure, not a flat payout. You must still prove your actual loss.
For a repairable case, claim the repair cost. For a bag beyond repair, claim its depreciated replacement value — what a comparable used case is worth — not the price of a brand-new suitcase. Keep it realistic and documented; well-evidenced claims settle faster.
What Ryanair may argue — and where you stand
Ryanair has a reputation for rejecting first claims, so expect some resistance and answer it calmly. Airlines routinely point to "normal wear and tear", minor scuffs or manufacturing defects — none of which they must pay for. They may decline for pre-existing damage, or for fragile, valuable or perishable items packed against the conditions of carriage. This is exactly why the PIR and dated photos matter: they pin the bag's condition to the moment of delivery and leave little room for a brush-off.
If Ryanair goes quiet or rejects a well-documented file, escalate. For UK departures the enforcement body is the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA); for Dublin and other Irish departures it is the Commission for Aviation Regulation (aviationreg.ie); elsewhere in the EU/EEA, the national aviation authority. See our guide to a rejected Ryanair claim for the push-back.
Where ClaimWinger fits in
ClaimWinger handles airline claims on a no win, no fee basis — no upfront cost, and we only take a commission if money actually reaches you. Ryanair runs a "beware of claims chasers" campaign, but your rights exist regardless of who helps you enforce them, and no-win-no-fee is a legitimate route. If your Ryanair disruption also involved a long delay, cancellation or denied boarding, start your claim at /delayed-flight and let us handle the pushback. For the flight-side questions that often ride alongside a broken case, see the Ryanair compensation hub, our delayed and lost baggage guide and the overall time limits to claim.
FAQ — Frequently asked questions
Is damaged baggage covered by EU261 or UK261?
No. EU261 and UK261 cover delays, cancellations and denied boarding. A damaged suitcase is dealt with under the Montreal Convention, with its own 7-day notice rule and 2-year time bar. The two can run in parallel if the flight itself was also disrupted.
What if I only noticed the damage at home?
Report it as soon as you can and still put it in writing within 7 days of collecting the bag — the clock runs from receipt, not from when you unpacked. A PIR filed at the airport remains the strongest evidence.
How much can I get for a broken Ryanair suitcase?
Up to roughly 1,519 SDR (about EUR 1,850 / GBP 1,600), and only up to your proven loss within that cap. You generally recover the repair cost or the bag's depreciated value, not the price of a new luxury case.
Does it matter that I booked through an OTA or travel agent?
No. Your Montreal Convention rights are against the operating carrier — Ryanair — whether you booked direct or through a third party. Ryanair will, however, ask you to verify identity and payment card via myRyanair before it pays out on an OTA booking.
Which regulator do I complain to if Ryanair refuses?
It follows the departure airport: the UK CAA for UK departures, the Commission for Aviation Regulation (aviationreg.ie) for Dublin and Irish departures, and the relevant national authority for other EU/EEA departures.
Sources
This guide reflects the legal position as of 2026. The EU261 three-hour arrival-delay threshold and compensation of EUR 250/400/600 (UK261: GBP 220/350/520) remain in force, and baggage claims are governed separately by the Montreal Convention with a limit of about 1,519 SDR applicable since 28 December 2024. The July 2026 EU261 reform — including a longer delay window and a fixed airline response deadline — is a proposal, not yet in force, and does not change the baggage rules above. This is general information, not legal advice.