LATAM Lost Baggage Compensation: How to Claim for Damaged & Delayed Bags
You could get paid as much as £1,600 if LATAM loses or damages your checked baggage. Here’s what you need to know about your rights and the steps you need to take to get compensated for baggage mishandling.
Your Rights for Mishandled Luggage
If you fly LATAM and your checked luggage goes missing or gets damaged, you’re protected by an international treaty called the Montreal Convention. This states that the airline must compensate you up to roughly £1,600 for the loss and inconvenience.
Disrupted flight? You might have a right to compensation - up to 600 €Check Your Flight
If LATAM Lost Your Baggage
Nothing ruins a trip like delayed or lost luggage, but if you land and realize that your bags are missing, you must follow certain steps to report the problem before leaving the airport (if possible). If you don’t, you might not get as much as you should in compensation.
Here’s what one passenger wrote on TripAdvisor about her experience on LATAM:
On my flight to Brasil, my baggage was lost and delayed for 3 days. After a nightmare exchange of phone calls and emails I got $50 USD in compensation (1/3 of the expenses), and it was never transferred. Now nobody answers. No line in Germany, France, USA has any agent to talk to. On the return flight my suitcase got permanently lost. I received NOTHING for it.
- Katarzyna T. .
Take These Steps if Your Bags are Delayed or Lost
LATAM recommends that you do the following for delayed or lost luggage:
- File a report about your missing items at the airport.
Look for the baggage service desk in the reclaim area. You’ll be asked to complete a document called a Property Irregularity Report. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! It’s your official report to LATAM stating what happened and when.
The airline also asks passengers to use the QR code to formalize your report on the Report My Bag page of the LATAM website.
- Keep a copy of the report and the PIR number.
You should get regular status updates via WhatsApp, but you will need the number to track your bags on your own. Also, you’ll need the report if you want to file a baggage compensation claim.
- Wait for LATAM to locate your baggage.
The airline will search for your belongings, but if they can’t find it within 14 days (international flights) or 7 days (domestic flights), LATAM will automatically initiate the compensation claim process.
Be on the lookout for a compensation proposal. If you get one, it will be valid for 1 year.
- Keep your receipts!
You’ll probably need to buy a few things like clothing and toiletries. Whatever you do, keep these receipts. You can submit them for reimbursement along with your claim.
When Your Baggage is Damaged or Destroyed
First, it’s important to note that LATAM will not compensate you for:
- Natural wear and tear to your suitcase (small cuts, bumps, etc) or
- If the damage is caused by overpacking, or
- For already existing damage, or
- For fragile items, cash, or heirlooms
So, if your checked luggage is damaged, you need to take the following steps.
Take These Steps if LATAM Damages Your Baggage
- File a damaged baggage report before you leave the airport.
You can do this at the baggage help desk. Also, you’ll need to show:
- Your boarding pass
- An official ID
- Your checked bag tag
Remember to keep a copy of the report in case you need it for a damage claim.
- Take photos of the damage.
Airport staff will most likely photograph your belongings to record the damage, but you should also take photos. This will really help you if you need to pursue a damage claim.
- Already left the airport? Do this . . .
Write to LATAM on WhatsApp at +56 9 6825 0850, but make sure you do this WITHIN 7 DAYS
What International Law Says about LATAM Baggage Mishandling
As mentioned at the beginning, the Montreal Convention sets the rules for baggage mishandling on international flights. So, here is what you need to know if your checked baggage has problems.
Baggage Issue | Deadline |
Damaged Luggage | 7 days after receiving your bags |
Missing or damaged contents | 7 days after receiving your bags |
Delayed Luggage | 21 days after the flight |
Lost Luggage | As soon as possible after 21 days when it is considered officially lost. |
How to File a Baggage Compensation Claim
The first thing you need to do is organize all the documents related to your lost or damaged baggage including your:
- Checked bag tags
- Boarding pass
- Property Irregularity Report
- Receipts for essential purchases
- An itemized list of the damage and photos (as applies)
The next thing you need to do is send all this information along with a written statement to LATAM explaining what happened to your bags and when. You’ll need to provide as many details as possible for your claim to be processed.
You can find LATAM’s contact information for claims and complaints here:
You can expect to get your compensation payout within 2-4 weeks for your claim submission, but this can vary depending on the specifics of your case.
If you don’t get a response from LATAM in 30 days, or if you’re not happy with their answer, you can lodge a formal complaint with the travel authority in your country of residence.
Need more help with LATAM flights? Here are a few articles that might be of interest to you:
Author:
Joanna Teljeur
Job/Position: Editor, Senior Writer
Joanna is a writer, editor, and consumer rights advocate.
Damaged or lost luggage?
Compensation can be as much as £1,620 (€1,920) if your checked bags were mishandled.
