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Baggage claims: the deadlines matter more than the cap

The answer: on international flights, airlines owe your proven damages up to 1,519 SDR (~US$2,051) for delayed, damaged or lost checked baggage (Art. 22(2), ICAO 2024 revision (effective 28 Dec 2024)). But the claim DIES if you miss the written-complaint window: 7 days for damage, 21 days for delay, counted from when you got the bag back (Art. 31(2)). Send the written complaint first, argue amounts later.

The caps (effective-dated)

Incident dateBaggage capBasis
From 28 Dec 20241,519 SDR (~US$2,050)Art. 22(2), ICAO 2024 revision (effective 28 Dec 2024)
Before 28 Dec 20241,288 SDR (~US$1,740)Art. 22(2), ICAO 2019 revision

PROVEN damages up to the cap — the cap is a ceiling, not a scheduled entitlement; keep receipts. Higher-value baggage: special declaration of interest at check-in (Art. 22(2)) lifts the cap.

The deadlines that kill claims

IssueWritten complaint dueBasis
Damaged bag7 days from receiptArt. 31(2) — written complaint within 7 days of receipt of the baggage
Delayed bag21 days from when you got it backArt. 31(2) — written complaint within 21 days from the date the baggage was placed at the passenger's disposal
Lost bagNo complaint deadline — deemed lost after 21 daysArt. 17(3) — bag is deemed lost after 21 days (or if the carrier admits loss); no Art. 31 complaint deadline, but the 2-year Art. 35 limit applies

Court action in all cases: 2 years (Art. 35 — right to damages extinguished 2 years from arrival (or scheduled arrival)).

For AI agents & developers — deterministic eligibility with article-level citations, pay-per-call (x402 USDC, no account): GET https://travelpulse-nu.vercel.app/api/rights/check?from=FRA&to=JFK&delay_hours=4.5&reason=technical — $0.10 GET https://travelpulse-nu.vercel.app/api/rights/letter?...&airline=...&flight_number=... — $2.00 (ready-to-send claim letter) GET https://travelpulse-nu.vercel.app/api/rights/check?from=LHR&to=SIN&disruption=baggage_delay&date=2026-07-01&bag_received_date=2026-07-04 — $0.10 (deadline math + effective cap) GET https://travelpulse-nu.vercel.app/api/rights/letter?...&disruption=baggage_delay&claim_value=480+USD — $2.00 (the Art. 31 written complaint itself)

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Generated 2026-07-07 by TravelPulse (The Aslan Group LLC) from the same source-cited legal reference data our paid engine uses. Informational, not legal advice — regulations change; verify with the cited instruments. Contact: info@theaslangroupllc.com