A travel-insurance baggage-loss claim is the process by which the insurer compensates you for checked-in baggage that is lost, delayed beyond a defined threshold, or damaged on an international journey from India. Two parallel claim chains are running in this scenario — the airline's liability under the Montreal Convention 1999 (which India ratified in 2009) and the travel insurer's contractual cover. The two are not duplicate; they are sequential. The airline's payout is the first layer, capped under the Convention at approximately SDR 1,288 per passenger (roughly ₹1.3 lakh at current SDR-to-INR conversion), and the travel insurer pays the gap between the airline's payout and your actual proven loss, subject to the policy sum insured and the standard exclusions. The foundational document for both claim chains is the 'Property Irregularity Report' or 'PIR' — the form filed at the airline's baggage-services counter at the arrival airport before you leave the airside. Without a stamped PIR, neither the airline nor the insurer will treat the loss as a recognised event. A great deal of the difficulty in baggage claims is created by Indian travellers who walk out of the airport assuming the bag will turn up later and only file a PIR a day or two afterwards — by then, the airline's records and the insurer's clock both work against you. This guide walks through the entire baggage-claim sequence: filing the PIR, intimating the insurer's 24x7 helpline, the per-day allowance for delayed-baggage scenarios, the document set for the final insurance claim, the airline's Montreal Convention liability, and the proof-of-purchase rules for high-value items like a laptop or camera. The worked example used throughout is a 35-year-old Mumbai-based traveller's checked-in suitcase lost on a London-Mumbai flight, with the airline paying SDR 1,000 (about ₹1.05 lakh) and the insurer topping up the proven shortfall.
Before you start — keep these ready
- Original baggage tag stub (the sticker the airline gives you at check-in)
- Original boarding pass for the flight on which the baggage was lost or delayed
- Passport with the entry-and-exit stamps of the trip
- Travel insurance policy certificate / e-policy with the 24x7 helpline number
- A 'Property Irregularity Report' (PIR) reference issued at the arrival airport
- Original purchase invoices for any high-value items inside the bag (laptop, camera, jewellery, watches)
- Photographs of the bag and contents, if you have any from packing day
Step-by-step
- 1
File a Property Irregularity Report at the arrival airport
Before leaving the arrival airport — within minutes of discovering the missing bag
Walk to the airline's baggage-services counter inside the arrival airport (the counter is on the airside, before you exit the customs hall) and file a 'Property Irregularity Report' or 'PIR' for the missing or damaged bag. The PIR records the flight number, the baggage tag number, a description of the bag, the time of arrival, and your contact details in India. Insist on a stamped, signed copy of the PIR with the case reference number — without this stub the airline can later deny that the loss was reported at all.
- Bring the baggage tag stub from check-in; the counter will ask for it as the first piece of evidence
- Photograph the damaged bag at the counter if it is a damage (not loss) claim, including all sides and the inside
- Some airports allow filing the PIR online via the airline's mobile app, but a paper / stamped copy is still the safer record
- 2
Intimate the insurer's 24x7 helpline within the policy window
Within 24-72 hours of the PIR
Call the insurer's 24x7 travel-assistance helpline (the number is printed on the policy certificate and the travel pack — save it on your phone before leaving India) and report the loss. Most travel policies require intimation within 24-72 hours of the incident; later intimation is one of the top reasons for query and partial settlement. Note the claim reference number the helpline issues and quote it on every subsequent document.
- Email the PIR copy to the helpline-confirmed claims address on the same call
- Ask the helpline for the exact list of documents the final claim file will need — it varies slightly by insurer
- 3
Pursue the airline's tracing process for 21 days
Day 1 to day 21 of PIR
After a PIR is filed, the airline runs a global tracing process for 21 days — the period after which the bag is presumed permanently lost under the Montreal Convention 1999. During this window, the airline searches for the bag through the international 'WorldTracer' system, contacts you when there is movement, and may pay an interim allowance for emergency purchases. If the bag is not located within 21 days, the airline formally classifies it as lost and begins the compensation process.
- 4
Keep every receipt for emergency purchases (delayed-baggage scenario)
Through the period of delay
If the bag is delayed (not lost) and you make essential purchases — a change of clothes, toiletries, a charger, prescription medicine — keep every original receipt. Most travel policies pay a per-day allowance for delayed baggage, typically up to USD 100 per day (about ₹8,400) capped at a total like USD 500-1,000, after a deductible-time threshold of 4-12 hours from arrival. The receipts must be from after the time of arrival and for items genuinely needed because the checked-in bag was unavailable.
- Stay within reasonable replacement-cost ranges; the insurer will reject luxury upgrades as not 'essential'
- Date-stamped receipts are best; ask the shop for a printed bill rather than a hand-written one
- 5
Receive the airline's Montreal Convention payout
21-45 days from PIR
Once the bag is classified as lost (after 21 days) or the delay claim is settled, the airline pays its statutory liability. Under the Montreal Convention 1999, the airline's per-passenger liability for checked baggage is capped at approximately SDR 1,288, which works out to roughly ₹1.3 lakh at current SDR-to-INR conversion. The airline issues a payout letter listing the SDR amount, the conversion rate used, and the net INR or foreign-currency amount credited to you. Keep this letter — it is the primary document the insurer needs to size the top-up.
- 6
Assemble the document set for the insurer's claim
Within 30 days of airline payout
Compile the full bundle for the insurer: the original stamped PIR, the original boarding pass, the original baggage tag stub, the airline's payout letter (showing SDR amount and INR conversion), original receipts for emergency purchases (if delayed-baggage), original purchase invoices for any high-value items lost, the passport with arrival and departure stamps, the policy certificate, and a completed claim form. Number every page and list them in a cover letter.
- 7
File the claim with the insurer post-trip
Within 30 days of receiving the airline payout letter
Submit the bundle to the insurer either through the online claim portal (uploading scanned originals) or by registered post / courier with acknowledgement to the address on the policy certificate. Get a stamped acknowledgement listing every document received. The IRDAI 30-day clock starts from the date the insurer acknowledges receipt of the last required document.
- Photograph or scan every original document before submission as backup
- Mention the claim reference number from intimation prominently in the cover letter
- 8
Insurer co-ordinates with the airline and tops up the gap
Within 15-45 days of complete document submission
The insurer reviews the airline's payout letter, computes the gap between your proven actual loss and the airline payout, and approves the admissible top-up subject to the policy sum insured. The standard rule is: insurer pays = (proven loss) − (airline payout) − (deductible) − (depreciation if any), capped at the baggage-loss section sum insured. The settlement letter lists every line so you can audit it.
- 9
Provide proof of purchase for high-value items
With the claim file
For high-value items inside the bag — a laptop, camera, jewellery, prescription glasses, watches — the insurer requires the original purchase invoice with date, dealer name, model and serial number. If the original invoice is unavailable, a credit-card statement showing the purchase, a warranty card, or a manufacturer service-record can serve as supporting evidence, but the insurer may apply a higher depreciation in the absence of a clean invoice. Items not declared at check-in may have a separate value cap.
- 10
Receive settlement via NEFT in INR
Within 7 working days of approval
The admissible amount is credited to the policyholder's Indian bank account by NEFT or RTGS, usually within 7 working days of approval. Foreign-currency receipts (USD-denominated emergency-purchase receipts) are converted to INR at the exchange rate the insurer's policy specifies — typically the RBI reference rate on the date of incident or the date of payment. The settlement letter is the primary record.
- 11
Escalate any short-payment in the right order
Within 90 days of partial settlement
If the insurer settles materially less than expected, write to the insurer's grievance redressal officer within 15 days, then to the IRDAI 'Bima Bharosa' portal, then to the Insurance Ombudsman (free, no lawyer needed, jurisdiction up to ₹50 lakh). Most baggage-claim disputes turn on the depreciation applied to high-value items or on the airline-vs-insurer split — both are auditable from the documents you already hold.
Common pitfalls
- Do not leave the airport without a stamped PIR — a same-day call to the airline a few hours later does not substitute for an airside PIR
- Do not assume cash, jewellery, electronics packed in the bag are automatically covered — most travel policies exclude cash entirely and apply a per-item sub-limit on jewellery and electronics
- Do not throw away the boarding pass or the baggage tag stub at the airport exit; they are the only proof that the bag was actually checked in on that flight
- Do not buy luxury replacement items on the delayed-baggage allowance — the insurer reimburses essentials at reasonable cost, and a flagged luxury purchase can taint the entire claim
- Do not submit photocopies of original purchase invoices as primary evidence — insurers require originals or a clear credit-card statement trail for high-value items
- Do not expect duplicate compensation from airline and insurer — the insurer's payout is the gap between your actual loss and what the airline already paid, never both in full
Frequently asked questions
- Worked example: ₹1.85 lakh loss on a London-Mumbai flight
- A 35-year-old Mumbai-based traveller's checked-in suitcase is lost on a London-Mumbai flight. PIR is filed at the Mumbai airport baggage-services counter on arrival. The airline traces for 21 days, classifies the bag as lost on day 23, and pays SDR 1,000 (about ₹1.05 lakh) on day 35. The traveller files an insurance claim with the proven actual loss of ₹1.85 lakh (laptop with original invoice, formal clothing, prescription medicines, gifts). The insurer settles ₹80,000 — the gap between ₹1.85 lakh proven loss and the ₹1.05 lakh airline payout — on day 60.
- What is SDR and why does the airline pay in SDR units?
- 'SDR' stands for Special Drawing Rights, an international reserve asset created by the International Monetary Fund. The Montreal Convention 1999 — which sets airline liability for international baggage — denominates the cap in SDR rather than any single national currency, so it adjusts automatically with currency movements. As of recent rates, 1 SDR is roughly ₹110-115, so the per-passenger cap of SDR 1,288 works out to approximately ₹1.3-1.5 lakh.
- Is delayed baggage treated the same as lost baggage?
- No. Delayed baggage triggers a per-day emergency-purchase allowance (typically up to USD 100/day, about ₹8,400, capped at USD 500-1,000) after a deductible-time threshold of 4-12 hours from arrival. Lost baggage triggers the full sum-insured top-up after the airline's 21-day tracing window. If a delayed bag eventually arrives, the per-day allowance you already drew is netted out from any later loss claim if the bag was found damaged.
- What if the airline refuses to pay or pays less than the SDR cap?
- The Montreal Convention SDR 1,288 figure is a cap, not a fixed payout — the airline can pay less if the assessed value of the bag is lower or if you cannot prove the contents. Some airlines apply a per-kg formula on the checked-in weight as a default. If you disagree with the airline's assessment, the insurer's settlement still proceeds on the airline-payout-actually-received basis, and any unrecovered shortfall against the airline becomes your decision to litigate separately.
- What items are typically excluded from baggage cover?
- Cash and currency notes are excluded by every travel policy. Cheques, demand drafts, traveller's cheques, securities, and important documents are usually excluded. Jewellery and ornaments are subject to a per-item or per-occurrence sub-limit (typically USD 200-500 unless declared and additional premium paid). Fragile items packed in checked-in baggage without proper packaging may also be excluded. Read the policy schedule's exclusion section before assuming a category is covered.
- Do I need to declare a high-value laptop at check-in?
- For airline liability under the Montreal Convention, declaring a higher value at check-in (and paying the small declared-value supplement) raises the airline's per-piece cap above the standard SDR 1,288. For insurance, undeclared high-value electronics are usually still covered up to a per-item sub-limit, but a separate high-value declaration in the policy certificate at the time of buying the policy gives the cleanest claim experience.
- How is the airline payout converted to INR?
- The airline's payout letter shows the SDR amount, the conversion rate used (usually the IMF reference rate on the date of payment), and the net amount paid in INR or USD. The insurer accepts this conversion and computes the top-up gap on the INR-equivalent received. If the airline pays in USD, the insurer's claim is also computed in INR using the RBI reference rate on the date of incident or settlement, per the policy schedule.
Further reading
- Claim Intimation — glossary
- Material Disclosure — glossary