How Do I File a Lost Baggage Claim with Air Canada?

File a lost baggage claim with Air Canada in writing and by contacting customer support. You get a tracking number and if the baggage is not found within 21 days, you can get compensation for the bags and its contents. If that doesn't happen, pursue the matter with Canadian Transportation Agency or the courts.

Jeff Whelpley is the editor / author responsible for this content.
Jul 9, 2020

How Do I File a Lost Baggage Claim with Air Canada?

If you have lost your baggage on Air Canada, there is a procedure that you can follow to receive compensation. For delayed baggage, the passenger is eligible to receive refund fees paid when checking in. However, it's good to note that the airline's liability towards you is limited when your baggage is damaged, delayed or lost.

First you need to contact Air Canada customer support to report your lost baggage. You need to file a lost baggage report with Air Canada and record an audio of the interaction with the customer support agents.

Reasonable interim expenses you are eligible to receive include rental of items or purchase of items for your travel and ground transport to make those purchases. Remember to keep the receipts and detailed notes of the purchases such as amount, description and date.

Air Canada is liable to meet the cost of interim expenses due to the loss up to a certain amount. The airline will start the process of tracing your baggage in the meantime and ensure the problem is resolved within 21 days.

Go ahead and file a compensation claim which is covered under the Montreal convention. Remember, the compensation is limited. If you have travel insurance, it can help you cover the excess of the compensation limit.

The Canadian Transportation Agency together with the transportation act terms ensures that the carrier fully respects your rights as a traveler. For instance, it offers a prompt dispute resolution process including mediation services. So, if you are not satisfied with the result of your claim, you can always file a complaint with an agency like if your baggage is lost.

However, the first step is to contact Air Canada customer support and file a lost baggage claim. Try to resolve the situation with the airline first and give them approximately 30 days as you wait for a resolution or response. All complaints can be filed through the Air travel complaints form.

You get a complaint like a court process that enables you to challenge the airline policy if they are unreasonable, unclear or discriminatory. Sometimes passengers take too long to file for a lost baggage claim thinking that they can't recover it when it's lying somewhere at the airport waiting for the legitimate owner to claim it.

Most airports have sections where airlines keep the lost baggage that are still unclaimed. Therefore, it's important that you file your claim. Travelers shouldn't struggle to reconnect with their lost baggage as the process is simpler now and once you file your complaint, the process starts immediately. You get a tracking number that you can use to check online for progress concerning your lost baggage.

Sometimes you struggle to look for your lost baggage, but it's just lying in an odd pile just tucked between baggage carousels.

Airlines are legally obligated to transport passengers within their baggage and ensure that the travel gets his/her baggage when they arrive at the intended destination.

Currently, airlines carriers have their own lost baggage policy. It means that the compensation you stand to get from Air Canada depends on what their policy states. Compensation also varies depending on the career you fly with at that time.

How Do I File a Lost Baggage Claim?

You can file your lost baggage claim in writing and address it to Air Canada. Passengers are entitled to receive compensation ranging from $1500 - $2100 for your expenses as the airline is tracking your baggage. The expenses include the ones you incur when retrieving the baggage like a taxi ride to the airport, parking and gas costs.

After 21 days, if your baggage is not found, Air Canada is under obligation to replace the bags and its contents.

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Jeff truly believes that all customers deserve good service. He’s been building tools, inventing phone tree hacks and helping customers since before his days at GetHuman. He's also a Google GDE and involved in the Angular community.
How Do I File a Lost Baggage Claim with Air Canada?

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