As soon as you find out that your baggage has been lost, please contact the Lost and Found Service at the airport to file a lost baggage claim.
This claim will contain a 5-letter code (airport code and airline code) and five digits, e.g. LONBA12345. You can use this code for online baggage tracing at www.worldtracer.aero.
Under the Montreal Convention, the maximum airline liability for lost baggage is limited to a fixed amount of 1,131 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) per passenger.
Any delayed baggage is considered lost if the carrier admits it has been lost or if the delayed baggage is not delivered within 21 days.
The current SDR rate is available here.
Generally, airlines do not accept any liability for inconvenience arising from the delay or loss of baggage during the first 21 days. However, many of them do pay a lump sum compensation or daily allowance to cover costs of essential items.
We urge you to keep all your receipts.