Lost baggage: Can I claim a refund from the airline?

Q: I flew from Spain to Italy recently with a Spanish airline, but my suitcase didn’t arrive with me. It was eventually delivered to our hotel two days later, but by then I’d spent around €250 on clothes, toiletries and other essentials for the holiday. I reported the missing bag at the airport and thankfully kept my receipts. I’ve contacted the airline since getting home looking for the €250 back, but I’m getting nowhere. Am I entitled to a refund, and what should I do next?

Sarah, Dublin

Two days without your suitcase can quickly get expensive, but the good news is you may be able to claim back the reasonable costs you had to cover while you waited.

Your rights for delayed checked baggage are covered by the Montreal Convention, which sets out airlines’ liability when luggage is delayed, damaged or lost on international flights.

The law doesn’t say exactly how airlines should work out or pay these costs, but you can claim for reasonable and necessary expenses caused by the delay. That could include toiletries, underwear, basic clothing or other essentials you genuinely needed during these two days.

What counts as reasonable will depend on the circumstances. The important thing is that the purchases were necessary because you were without your luggage and that the costs were proportionate to what you needed. You have also kept all your receipts which will help support your claim. 

You have already done the right thing by reporting the missing bag at the airport. Your next step is to make a formal written claim to the airline within 21 days of getting your suitcase back. Include your flight details, baggage tag, copies of your receipts and a Property Irregularity Report (PIR), which you should have received when you reported the bag was missing at the airport. Many airlines will not accept a luggage claim without this report. Clearly state that you are seeking reimbursement of the €250 you had to spend because of the baggage delay.

Keep copies of everything you send and avoid relying solely on phone calls. A paper trail is  important if you need to take the complaint further.

If you need help putting your complaint together, the European Consumer Centre Ireland (ECCI) has template complaint letters on its website eccireland.ie. Because your airline is based in Spain rather than Ireland, ECCI is also the place to turn if you have complained and still cannot get the issue resolved. Its service is free and it can work with its counterpart in Spain to help pursue your cross-border complaint.

So, Sarah, do not write off the €250: Get your evidence together, put your claim in writing and, if the airline does not resolve it, contact ECCI.

Originally published in the Sunday Independent on 23 August 2026: Your questions answered: ‘I spent €250 on holiday essentials after my suitcase arrived two days late. Should the airline refund me?’ | Irish Independent

For more information, check out the CCPC's flight travel rights page.