What to Do If Your Air Canada Baggage is Lost, Delayed, or Damaged
If you flew Air Canada and ran into problems with your baggage, you have a better chance of finding your belongings or having them repaired or replaced if you follow certain steps. You might also be compensated by the airline, but this hinges on whether or not you report your problem and file a claim within particular time frames.
Your Baggage Rights as an Air Canada Passenger
If you’re flying to or from the United States, you are covered by the Montreal Convention (1999), an international treaty that sets out what airlines owe you when baggage issues occur on cross-border flights.
On domestic flights within Canada, you are protected under the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR), enforced by the Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA).
Both of these legal frameworks are built into Air Canada’s Contract of Carriage (its official terms and conditions). Once you buy a ticket, those protections automatically apply to you.
Flying Between the US and Canada (International Rules)
If your flight starts in the United States and lands in Canada, or the other way around, the Montreal Convention holds Air Canada responsible for checked baggage that’s delayed, damaged, or lost.
What You’re Entitled To
- Maximum compensation: up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger, which is roughly $2,080 USD ($2,850 CAD)
- Reimbursement for essentials: Air Canada must cover reasonable out-of-pocket expenses if your bag is delayed (e.g. clothing, toiletries, chargers), but you’ll have to provide receipts as proof of purchase.
- Refund of baggage fees: You’ll be refunded for the checked baggage fee on any bag that’s delayed, damaged, or lost.
Baggage Rules for Air Canada Domestic Flights
If your entire journey was within Canada, you’re covered by the Canadian Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR). These rules are similar to the international ones but they are enforced by the Canadian Transportation Agency.
What You’re Entitled To
- Full refund of baggage fees if your bag is lost, delayed, or damaged. You don’t have to request this refund separately because it’s part of the standard compensation process once you report a baggage issue.
- Reimbursement for reasonable expenses while waiting for your luggage, for instance, toiletries or a few changes of clothes.
- Compensation limits: up to around $2,850 CAD or $2,080 USD per passenger for lost, delayed, or damaged baggage.
These rights are written directly into Rule 60 (Baggage) and Rule 105 (Liability of Carrier) of Air Canada’s Contract of Carriage, which mirrors international standards.
Reports vs. Claims: Know the Difference
People often confuse these two terms, but they’re separate steps in the process:
- A Report must be filed immediately when you realize your baggage is missing or damaged.
- A Claim is what you file after the report, when you request reimbursement or compensation for your expenses or lost items.
What to Do If Your Air Canada Baggage Is Delayed
If your checked bag doesn’t arrive, Air Canada usually delivers it within 24 hours, but there are steps you should take right away.
Step 1: Report your missing baggage
- Visit the Air Canada Baggage Service Counter before leaving the airport, or
- File your report online or by scanning the QR code posted near the baggage area.
- You’ll get a Property Irregularity Report number (e.g. YULAC12345) that lets you track your case. KEEP A COPY OF THIS! It is essential for a compensation or reimbursement claim. Without this, your claim will likely be rejected.
Step 2: Track It
Use the Air Canada app or the link in your confirmation email to check status updates. You can also request to pick it up at the airport instead of home delivery.
Step 3: Claim Your Expenses
If your bag is delayed, you can get reimbursed for essential purchases, like toiletries or a change of clothes. You must submit your receipts online through Air Canada’s Baggage Issues page within 21 days of getting your bag back.
If your bag hasn’t been found within 21 days, Air Canada officially considers it lost, and you can claim up to the full SDR limit, which is roughly $2,080 USD.
Start your claim today. Just enter your flight details below.Check Your Flight
What to Do If Your Baggage Is Damaged by Air Canada
If your suitcase arrives broken, ripped, or dented, go straight to the baggage counter or help desk in the baggage reclaim area to report it. You have 7 days from receiving your luggage to report any damage.
If you only notice the damage later, you can file your report online with your boarding pass, baggage tag, and photos.
Next, Air Canada will either repair or replace your bag. If you are arriving at select US airports, replacement luggage may even be provided before you leave.
What to Do If Your Bag Is Declared Lost
If your bag hasn’t been located within 21 days, it’s officially considered lost.
So, once that happens, you can file a claim for compensation under the Montreal Convention (for international travel) or the Canadian APPR (for domestic).
The maximum payout for damaged luggage is 1,519 SDR (≈ $2,850 CAD / $2,080 USD) per passenger, unless you declared a higher value at or before check-in.
Which Air Canada Routes See the Most Mishandled Baggage?
While Air Canada doesn’t publish route-specific baggage performance, AirAdvisor’s own claim records show some clear patterns.
Baggage issues with Air Canada tend to happen most often on long-haul international flights that connect through Toronto Pearson (YYZ) or Montreal (YUL). These airports handle enormous volumes of baggage every day, and tight transfer windows mean bags are more likely to miss their connections.
Based on our internal claim data, the riskiest itineraries are flights where passengers travel:
- From Europe into Toronto or Montreal with a connecting domestic flight,
- From the United States into Canada where bags must be re-screened on arrival, and
- From busy seasonal airports like Marseille or Palma de Mallorca, where heavy summer baggage loads often lead to congestion or misrouting.
So, if you’re flying to Toronto or Montreal on a long-haul route and have a tight layover for your connecting flight, your bag is more likely to be mishandled. These hubs process tens of thousands of bags per day, and it only takes a slight delay or staffing bottleneck for baggage to be placed on a later flight.
If your itinerary includes one of these higher-risk routes, it’s a good idea to keep essentials such as medication, chargers, and a change of clothes in your carry-on, and to photograph your checked bag and tag before boarding. These simple steps make the claims process much smoother if something does go wrong.
How to File a Baggage Claim with Air Canada
If you submitted a report about your baggage and have a PIR number, here’s what you should do to file a claim:
- Visit the Air Canada Baggage Issues page.
- Choose baggage and submit your expenses or lost or damaged baggage claim.
- Upload:
☑ Your baggage report number (PIR number)
☑ Receipts for the bag’s contents (if you have them)
☑ Your bag tag receipt
☑ Receipts for essentials you purchased during the delay
When to submit your claim:
- 7 days for damaged baggage
- 21 days for delayed baggage reimbursement
- After 21 days and up to 2 years for baggage that has been lost
Air Canada typically reviews and responds within about 30 days, but if they don’t you might have to follow up with them a few times to ensure your claim is processed.
But there’s an easier way to do this.
How AirAdvisor Helped an Air Canada Passenger Win Baggage Compensation
A passenger flying from Montreal (YUL) to Chicago (ORD) reached out to AirAdvisor after their checked suitcase disappeared for 16 days. It contained business clothes and personal items worth around $1,400 USD.
We helped the traveler submit a precise, well-documented claim supported by receipts and the official Air Canada report. Then we cited both the Montreal Convention and Air Canada’s Tariff liability rules, ensuring the claim covered every eligible cost. After that we negotiated reimbursement for lost contents and a refund of the checked-bag fee.
The Outcome: Air Canada paid $2,020 USD, covering the passenger’s losses and out-of-pocket expenses.
Let us help! We’ve been helping passengers since 2017 get the payouts they deserve.Start your claim
Author:
Joanna Teljeur
Job/Position: Senior Editor & Content Lead
Joanna Teljeur is a senior editor and writer with 15+ years of experience in editorial leadership, journalism, and content development with a focus on consumer rights, aviation law, and public-interest reporting. Her work centers on transforming complex regulatory and legal topics into clear, accurate, and accessible content for international audiences.
