What to Do If Finnair Loses or Delays Your Baggage

Joanna Teljeur

By:  Joanna Teljeur

Last Updated:  21 May 2025

Claim up to approximately $2,080 for delayed, lost, or damaged baggage!

Did Finnair lose or damage your luggage? If they did, they owe you as much as $2,080 based on an international treaty called the Montreal Convention. In this guide, we’ll explain the rules for compensation, what steps to take when you realise your bags were mishandled, and how to file a luggage claim with Finnair.

If Finnair Delayed or Lost Your Baggage

Many passengers are surprised to learn that there are laws surrounding airline baggage mishandling. But based on the rules of the Montreal Convention, you’re owed as much as £1,600 from Finnair if your checked luggage goes missing after a flight.

But here’s an important point: You must file a report AND file your claim within certain timeframes in order to get money back from Finnair.

Did you know that most baggage is lost or delayed during transfers? This means that if you have connecting flights, there’s a higher likelihood that your bags could be lost, especially if you miss a connection.

What to Do if Your Baggage is Delayed or Lost

If you don’t see your bags on the baggage carousel, you might think they are lost, but to Finnair, they are ‘delayed’.They won’t consider your things to be officially lost unless 21 days have passed and your luggage still hasn’t been found.

So, here’s what you need to do IMMEDIATELY as soon as you realise you have a baggage issue.

Step 1: Make a lost baggage report - DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!

1. Report your lost baggage immediately, ideally while you’re still at the airport. Look for Finnair’s Baggage Help Desk. The agent will ask you to complete a Property Irregularity Report (PIR).
2. You can also make the report using Finnair’s webform.
3. After you finish the report, keep the PIR number to track the status of your belongings and to file for compensation later if you need to. 

Step 2: Purchase essentials

1. Understandably, you’ll need a few things like toiletries and essentials, so feel free to purchase what you need, knowing you can get reimbursed for these expenses. 
2. Limit your spending to truly essential items because Finnair will only pay you for necessary purchases.
3. Keep all your receipts to send in with your baggage claim. 

Step 3: Track your baggage

1. Wait for Finnair to locate your baggage. You will receive SMS updates, but you can also trace the status via the Finnair website.  
2. If your baggage hasn’t been returned to you after 21 days, then you can file a compensation claim.

Getting Compensated for Lost Luggage

As soon as 21 days pass, you can file your compensation claim with Finnair using the forms on their website. Be sure to submit:

• Receipts for essential purchases
• Flight information/booking number, and 
• The PIR number

You should get a response to your claim within a week or so, but it could take up to a month for the airline to reach a decision about compensation and to send you your money.

You have up to 2 years to submit a baggage compensation claim to Finnair, but you should always try to do this sooner rather than later.

If Finnair Damages Your Checked Baggage

If you get your luggage and find that it’s been damaged or destroyed, here’s what you need to do:

1. Make a damaged baggage report before you leave the airport or online at Finnair’s official baggage problems page. YOU MUST DO THIS WITHIN 7 DAYS.
2. Keep your Property Irregularity Report (PIR) number.
3. Take photos of the damaged items so you can back up your claim.

If you’re away from home when the damage occurs, you can buy essentials to replace anything that’s been damaged inside your suitcase, but don’t go on a spending spree! Finnair will typically only pay you back for these items ONLY if you’re away from home.

If you had damage to the luggage itself, then Finnair will contact you about your options for having your belongings repaired. At this point you can either submit a claim for baggage compensation to Finnair OR to your travel insurance. In most cases, travel insurance requires you to first file a claim with Finnair, and then they will cover what the airline doesn’t.

What Other Finnair Passengers Experienced

Here are a few reviews written on TripAdvisor by Finnair passengers who had their luggage mishandled by the airline.

Finnair lost all our luggage and it arrived at the airport five days later without clear communication, but luckily we set an alarm, took a taxi to the airport and found our luggage arrived.

We bought the very minimum to get through the cold days. In total we spent only €200 per person for the five days. Our claim case is still not closed after numerous communication exchanges over the past ~3 months, and the Finnair clerk allows himself approx three weeks to reply each time.

Finnair offers closure by compensating 30 euros a day per person. With this amount one can afford underwear pants and a pair of socks each, no other clothing let alone winter gear! - Maria-Therese N. - March 2024.

Finnair lost all my luggage on a short direct flight to Helsinki. I made the staff upon landing aware of this and they told me not to worry as it will arrive on the next flight in 24 hours and someone will call - it is now day 4 of having no clothes, no medical supplies and absolutely no one has made any attempt to call or contact me.

Upon my arrival at the airport I was told my baggage had been lost when it didn't turn up. The staff gave me a card and told me to go to my hotel and fill out the form. I told the staff I was put on standby and did not have a receipt for the baggage but she told me to go and fill it out anyway. After arriving at my hotel at 1am I realised that I needed the baggage receipt to fill out the missing item form then had to travel back to the airport in the early hours of the morning to do this. I finally got through to an advisor today (day 4) who told me that the baggage had not been sent anywhere for some reason but should hopefully be on a flight tomorrow and arrive then. No effort has been made to offer me any kind of refund or compensation- even the checked luggage fee I had to pay for [baggage] that never arrived. - Mo S August 2023.

Need Help with a Finnair Disruption?

If you’ve had a recent flight delay or cancellation with Finnair, you could also be owed as much as around $650 in compensation for the inconvenience.

Check to see if your flight qualifies and how much payment you could get from the airlineStart by entering a few details about your flight in the link below!Check Your Flight

Author:

Joanna Teljeur

Job/Position: Editor, Senior Writer

Joanna is a writer, editor, and consumer rights advocate.

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