You arrive at your destination airport, wait for your luggage at the conveyor belt, and it never shows up. This happens more often than you'd think. According to SITA Baggage IT Insights 2025, the global aviation industry mishandled over 33 million bags in 2024. The question: who do you call first, the airline or your insurance company?
The Short Answer: Report to the Airline First
This isn't just advice—it's a requirement. For lost or damaged checked luggage, your first step is reporting it to the airline within 24 hours. More importantly, almost all travel insurance companies require an official airline report as a mandatory document before processing your claim. In other words, without the airline report, your insurance claim will likely be rejected.
Step One: File a PIR Before Leaving the Airport
The most critical step is filing a loss report with the airline before leaving the airport area, showing your ID and boarding pass as proof.
You'll be directed to the airline's Lost and Found counter to fill out a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). The PIR is official documentation that your luggage was indeed missing or damaged, and you must keep a copy because it's required for your claim later.
What you need when filing a PIR:
- Boarding pass and flight ticket
- Baggage tag received at check-in
- ID or passport
- Complete luggage description: color, size, brand, distinctive features
- List of contents if possible
Travel expert Stacey Hamilton from Private Tours England emphasizes that even a few hours of delay in reporting can complicate tracking and weaken your claim rights.
How Long Does the Airline Search for Your Luggage?
According to international guidelines, airlines have 21 days to trace your luggage before it's declared permanently lost. During this time, monitor progress using the PIR number provided. If there's no update within three days, contact the airport baggage service or visit the airline's office directly.
How Much Compensation Does the Airline Provide?
Compensation amounts are regulated, not determined by airline policy alone. Based on Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation Regulation Number PM 77 of 2011 and the Montreal Convention 1999, baggage loss compensation is calculated by weight: 200,000 rupiah per kilogram for domestic flights, and 24 US dollars per kilogram for international flights.
Airline compensation often doesn't reflect the actual value of your luggage contents, especially if it includes clothing, electronics, or high-value items. This is where travel insurance provides an additional layer of protection.
When Can You File an Insurance Claim?
If you have travel insurance, you can file an additional claim beyond airline compensation, submitting supporting documents like the loss report and proof of purchase.
Insurance claims don't replace airline reports—they work together. The PIR from the airline becomes one of the main requirements for your baggage insurance claim. Some insurance companies also require:
- Proof of compensation from the airline and the amount given
- Proof of purchase for lost items (receipts or invoices)
- Police report if theft is suspected
- Boarding pass and flight ticket
- Completed claim form
What Does Travel Insurance Cover for Lost Luggage?
Zurich Travel Insurance, for example, includes Personal Belongings and Baggage coverage up to 15,000,000 rupiah for international travel, plus Lost Travel Documents coverage up to 5,000,000 rupiah. There's also Baggage Delay coverage that provides daily allowance for every 4 hours of delay—useful while waiting for your luggage and needing to buy essentials.
For baggage delay claims, coverage only applies if the delay is at least 4 hours. Keep all receipts for emergency purchases while waiting, as these become the basis for reimbursement.
Claim Deadlines: Don't Miss Them
Each party has different deadlines. Here's what to track:
- Report to airline—ideally within 24 hours, before leaving the airport
- Formal claim to airline—generally 7 days for damage, 21 days for loss
- Report to insurance—most policies require notification within 30 calendar days of the incident
- Submit claim documents to insurance—typically 90 days from the date of incident
- Final deadline for documentation—some policies set a maximum of 180 calendar days
Missing even one deadline can result in claim rejection, even if the incident qualifies.
Tips Before You Travel to Make Claims Easier
Preparation before flying is far more effective than trying to remember details while panicking at the airport:
- Take photos of your luggage from all angles with the baggage tag before check-in
- Take photos of the contents—especially electronics, expensive clothing, or important documents
- Keep receipts for high-value items you're bringing
- Note your baggage tag number on your phone or in a note
- Avoid storing valuables like laptops, jewelry, or passports in checked luggage
Don't Rely on Airline Compensation Alone
Airline compensation does exist, but it's limited and often doesn't reflect your actual loss. Travel insurance fills that gap, reimbursing the value of lost items closer to their real price, while also covering emergency needs while you wait for your luggage to be found.
If you travel frequently and keep important items in your luggage, having travel insurance that includes baggage protection isn't optional—it's a smart part of travel preparation.
Check out Zurich Travel Insurance packages with baggage protection here.
Conclusion
The correct order when luggage is lost at the airport: report to the airline first, get the PIR, then file your insurance claim with complete documentation. They're not alternatives to each other—they complement each other. The faster you report and the more complete your documentation, the better your chances of getting appropriate compensation.
