Lost, Damaged & Delayed Baggage: How to Get Compensation from easyJet
Have you had baggage issues after an easyJet flight? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, a study by Forbes found that from 2018 to 2022, easyJet had over 29,100 baggage mishandling complaints making it one of the study’s 3 worst airlines for lost checked luggage.
With compensation amounts, the study found that easyJet's average payout was £559.27 with a 38% compensation rate across all claims.
What does this mean for passengers? You can get compensated for lost, damaged, and delayed baggage, but you’ll have to take specific steps, and file reports and claims within easyJet’s guidelines, or your compensation claim will be denied.
But keep reading, because we’re going to show you exactly what to do to increase your chances of winning a lost, damaged, or delayed baggage compensation claim from easyJet.
Key Points
- If you’ve flown internationally, you could be reimbursed for up to £1,395 for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage.
- For domestic flights, you could get up to £1,000 for baggage mishandling issues.
- Your rights are covered under the Civil Aviation Authority for domestic flights and the Montreal Convention for international flights.
Your Rights as a Passenger
Whether your flight has been delayed or canceled, or your baggage has been damaged or lost, as a passenger, you have rights that are protected under the Civil Aviation Authority for UK domestic flights and the Montreal Convention if you’ve flown internationally.
What Causes Lost and Delayed Baggage
As with most problems, there isn’t one single cause for baggage loss and delay. Instead, these issues are a attributed to a few factors:
- Human error
- Labor shortages
- Technological problems with the plane
- Technical problems with conveyor belts or other machinery
Skift reports that outdated baggage handling technology and a lack of communication among different stakeholders is a growing concern for airlines, and baggage mishandling is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Reports vs. Claims
It’s very important to understand the differences between filing a report and filing a claim. Each has a specific time frame and filing process.
Filing a report is the first step to take if you have damaged or delayed baggage. Filing a report is how you register your problem with easyJet to give them a chance to fix it. You won’t be able to file a claim without first filing a report.
Filing a claim is the second step in the process. A claim is what you file with the airline in order to request compensation for your damaged, delayed, or lost baggage.
Lost & Delayed Baggage
When you land at your final destination and realize that your checked baggage has been delayed, don’t panic. It can sometimes take up to an hour for luggage to make it to the reclaim area. But if you’ve been waiting for more than a half hour, you should begin to take the next steps in finding your belongings.
If you’ve misplaced your carry-on baggage or a personal item, find an easyJet agent to help you locate the Lost and Found.
Make a delayed baggage report
Before you leave the airport, find the easyJet Baggage Services desk and file a report. If you arrive after hours and the desk is closed then you can always make a report using easyJet’s online form. You can also try to find a baggage kiosk or a member of easyJet’s ground crew to help you.
You can contact easyJet’s Baggage Services anywhere you travel by using their full list of location-specific phone numbers and email addresses on this page.
According to Citizen Advice, making a report about missing baggage is not a legal requirement, but it will help you when it comes to compensation.
When you make your report, sometimes called a Property Irregularity Report (PIR), you’ll be given a file reference number or the PIR number. If you aren’t given one, ask for one because this number is a vital part of the baggage claim process. Plus, you’ll need this to track the status of your bags.
Time limits for making a delayed baggage report
Be sure to file a missing baggage report within 24 hours of your flight’s arrival. If you don’t file a report within 24 hours, your compensation claim could be denied.
What to do next
EasyJet reports that most of their delayed baggage is delivered within 5 days, and that they will contact you as soon as they find your delayed baggage to arrange for delivery. But while you’re waiting, you can use the easyJet portal to check the status of your luggage or contact them using their Live Chat.
Reimbursement amounts for essential purchases
You might have to buy a few things to get by while your baggage is missing, especially if you’re away from home when this happens. Fortunately, if your baggage is delayed more than 24 hours and you are away from home, easyJet will reimburse you for your purchases up to £25 every day for 3 days or up to £75 total per passenger.
Always remember to keep receipts for everything you buy because you’ll need these to make your compensation claim.
Filing a Compensation Claim for Lost or Delayed Baggage
When to file your claim
On their site, easyJet says that they don’t consider baggage officially lost until it has been missing for more than 45 days, but don’t let this confuse you!
The Civil Aviation Authority considers baggage to be officially lost if it has been missing more than 21 days. So you can make your lost baggage claim after the 21st day has passed.
For reimbursement for essential items you had to purchase while your baggage was delayed, you must file the reimbursement claim within 21 days of your flight’s arrival.
You can file your claim using easyJet’s claim portal.
Timeframes for Filing Compensation Claims | |
Damaged Baggage | After 7 days of receiving your bags |
Missing or Damaged Contents | After 7 days of receiving your bags |
Delayed Baggage | Up to 21 days of your flight’s arrival |
Lost Baggage | As soon as possible AFTER 21 days when your baggage is considered officially lost. |
Documents needed for your claim
When you make a claim, you will only need your name and PIR number to begin, but you’ll need as much information as possible to back up your claim and get reimbursed. So before you start the process, try to gather the following documents:
- File reference number or PIR number
- Government issued photo ID
- Flight number, ticket receipt, or boarding pass
- Photos of your luggage and the contents (if you have them)
- Receipts from your purchases
- Receipts for items that were part of your lost luggage
Damaged Baggage
If you collect your checked baggage and find that it’s been damaged, then make sure you make a report with easyJet’s Baggage Services before you leave the airport.
When you make the report, your luggage will probably be inspected by an agent. At this point you should take photos of the damage so you can submit the photos as part of your compensation claim. You’ll also be instructed to complete a Property Irregularity Report and given a file number that you need to keep in order to take the next step.
If you’ve already left the airport, you can also make a report using the airline’s reporting form.
You’ll also be instructed to complete a Property Irregularity Report and given a file number that you need to keep in order to take the next step.
Once you make your report at the airport, use the PIR number to register your claim on the easyJet site. You have 7 days from the time of your arrival to do this. However, if you made the initial report on their website, then you don’t need to take this step.
What won’t be covered in a damage baggage claim
- Normally occurring wear from use
- Small cuts
- Scratches
- Damage caused by improper packing
- Damage to fragile items
- Cash
- Jewelry
- Cameras and video equipment
- Broken zippers
- Inconveniences
- Poorly made luggage
- Pre Existing damage
What to include in your damaged baggage claim
- File reference number or PIR number
- Government issued photo ID
- Flight number, ticket receipt, or boarding pass
- Photos of your luggage and the contents (if you have them)
- Receipts from your purchases
- Receipts for items that were part of your lost luggage
What to do next
After you file the report and if you’re in the UK, someone from easyJet will contact you and arrange to pick up your luggage to repair it. If you’re outside the UK, they’ll offer to replace your damaged luggage.
If you have followed all the steps for reporting and making a claim, and easyJet hasn’t responded or you aren’t satisfied with the response, you can always contact the Civil Aviation Authority, fill out their form and ask them to help you.
When will I be reimbursed
There are no set times for how long you will have to wait for easyJet to process your claim. Honestly, it could take awhile. But if you file a claim with your travel insurance, you might have a shorter wait-time for receiving your compensation, and you could get more than what easyJet can provide due to the liability limits.
If you need help with filing insurance claims for damaged baggage, you can contact the CAA here.
About easyJet
With 155 airports and over 1,000 routes, easyJet is Europe’s second largest budget airline. They’ve been offering low-cost flights to popular destinations including Paris and Milan since 1995, they employ approximately 13,000 people, and have their headquarters at London Luton Airport.
Here at AirAdvisor we're working to add baggage claims to our services, but while we’re preparing this service, we want to give you as much information as possible so you can claim compensation for baggage mishandling on your own.
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People Also Ask
What happens if I checked my bags and then found out my flight was canceled?
It depends on your rescheduled flight. If your flight has been rescheduled or you’ve been put on another flight, the airline will usually route your baggage to your final destination. If you don’t have a replacement flight, then go to the baggage reclaim area to get your checked luggage. Check with an easyJet agent. They can help you determine where your checked baggage will be.
What other low cost airlines are there in the UK?
In addition to easyJet, some other low-cost airlines are Virgin Atlantic and Loganair. You can learn more about these and other budget carriers in our Best Budget Airlines UK Edition.
What happens to baggage if you miss your connecting flight?
If you’ve checked your luggage and missed your connecting flight, don’t worry because the airline will forward it to your final destination.
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