Southwest Airlines delayed and lost baggage compensation
Use the verified report, tracking and claim routes below for delayed, damaged or lost baggage.
On domestic itineraries Southwest asks for notice of a delayed or lost bag no later than four hours after the flight arrives or the bag is received, and for damage within 24 hours, reported in person at the baggage service office. International itineraries follow the Montreal Convention periods of seven days for damage and twenty-one for delay. If the bag is not located after five days the claim moves to the baggage claim portal with the incident number.
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 problem
Declare the bag online where available or at the airport and retain the claim number.
Open official routeSubmit a baggage claim
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
- Baggage report reference
- Receipts for delay purchases
- Flight details
- Photographs of the damage
A clean three-step handoff
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1
Report the baggage issue
Create the baggage report promptly and check that the passenger, flight and bag tag details are correct.
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2
Organise the evidence
Keep the report reference, travel proof, baggage tag, receipts, photographs and relevant airline messages.
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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 30 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
Southwest publishes no baggage claim address and routes reports and claims through its baggage portal and help centre. Its customer service plan promises to acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days and to answer it within 60.
Open Southwest baggage guidanceSouthwest Airlines 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?
On domestic itineraries Southwest asks for notice of a delayed or lost bag no later than four hours after the flight arrives or the bag is received, and for damage within 24 hours, reported in person at the baggage service office. International itineraries follow the Montreal Convention periods of seven days for damage and twenty-one for delay. If the bag is not located after five days the claim moves to the baggage claim portal with the incident number.
Is there an email address for the claim?
Southwest publishes no baggage claim address and routes reports and claims through its baggage portal and help centre. Its customer service plan promises to acknowledge a written complaint within 30 days and to answer it within 60.
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.