South African Airways delayed and lost baggage compensation
Use the verified report, tracking and claim routes below for delayed, damaged or lost baggage.
South African Airways takes the report at its baggage services desk immediately on arrival or within 7 days of the incident, with damage reported within 24 hours on domestic flights and within 7 days internationally, and a delay complaint at the latest 21 days from the day the bag was placed at your disposal. It states that a fully completed claim is finalised in up to 21 working days.
Report the baggage problem first, keep the PIR or file reference, then use the relevant claim route below. BagClaim does not submit the form or send documents to the airline.
Where to report, claim and follow up
Report the baggage issue
Report at the Baggage Service Office first and retain the file reference.
Open official routeSubmit the claim form
Use the operating airline's current official filing route and comply with its deadlines and evidence rules.
Open official routePrepare these items before the form opens
- Ticket or boarding pass
- Baggage receipt/tag
- Contents list for a missing bag
- Receipts for delay purchases
A clean three-step handoff
-
1
Report the baggage issue
Create the baggage report promptly and check that the passenger, flight and bag tag details are correct.
-
2
Organise the evidence
Keep the report reference, travel proof, baggage tag, receipts, photographs and relevant airline messages.
-
3
Submit and save confirmation
Use the official claim route, retain the exact submission date and keep every confirmation or case number.
Compensation and deadlines
Baggage compensation is based on documented loss, not a fixed tariff. For international journeys under the Montreal Convention, liability for delayed, damaged or lost luggage is normally capped at 1,519 SDR per passenger, roughly EUR 1,800 depending on exchange rates.
- Damaged baggage: written complaint within 7 days of receiving the bag.
- Delayed baggage: written expense claim within 21 days of the bag being returned.
- Lost baggage: usually treated as lost after 21 days, then claim the documented value of the bag and contents.
If no substantive reply arrives after about 21 days, send a written follow-up and ask for the exact basis of any refusal.
How to report and claim, step by step
No invented claim email
South African Airways publishes baggageservices@flysaa.com for its completed claim form, which can also be handed in at the baggage services desk where the report was filed.
Open South African Airways baggage guidanceSouth African Airways baggage claim questions
How long do I have to complain about baggage?
For an international journey under the Montreal Convention the written complaint is due within 7 days of receiving a damaged bag and within 21 days of a delayed bag being returned to you. A bag that has not arrived within 21 days can be treated as lost. Individual carriers often set shorter reporting windows on top of that, so the deadline that binds you is the earlier of the two.
Where do I report the problem first?
South African Airways takes the report at its baggage services desk immediately on arrival or within 7 days of the incident, with damage reported within 24 hours on domestic flights and within 7 days internationally, and a delay complaint at the latest 21 days from the day the bag was placed at your disposal. It states that a fully completed claim is finalised in up to 21 working days.
Is there an email address for the claim?
South African Airways publishes baggageservices@flysaa.com for its completed claim form, which can also be handed in at the baggage services desk where the report was filed.
How much compensation can I expect?
Baggage compensation is documented loss, not a fixed tariff. The Montreal Convention caps the carrier's liability at 1,519 SDR per passenger, roughly EUR 1,800, and inside that ceiling you are paid what you can prove: receipted essential purchases for a delay, repair or replacement value for damage, and the evidenced value of the bag and its contents for a loss.
What if the airline never answers?
Silence is not a refusal and it does not stop the clock on your own rights. Send one written follow-up quoting the report reference and the date of the original claim, ask for a reasoned decision in writing, and keep every message. If the carrier still does not answer, the national enforcement body or the airline's listed dispute-resolution scheme is the next step, and court action stays open for two years from the date of arrival.
Put the timeline and evidence in one reviewable file.
BagClaim checks the case, drafts the letters and builds the PDF locally in your browser. You stay in control of the airline submission.
Check my claimLinks were automatically checked on 2026-08-30. Airline forms and requirements can change. Confirm the current instructions on the airline's own site before submitting. BagClaim is self-service software, not the airline and not legal advice.