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KLM Lost Baggage Compensation

KLM lost baggage compensation.

How much can you claim? What are the rules?

Baggage gets lost at the airports due to a number of reasons. Whatever the reason your bag is lost, losing luggage is never fun. Standing by the baggage carousel at the airport, patiently waiting for your suitcase, and realising that most likely your bag hasn’t made it. This must be one of the most frustrating sides of air travel.

What to do if your luggage is lost?

What to Do If Your Luggage Is Lost?

First things first, report the loss of your bag.

Don’t leave the baggage reclaim area (baggage hall), and try to find Baggage Service Office. It’s often located in the baggage hall right next to baggage carousels. There you can report the loss of your baggage.

Prepare your passport, baggage tag and boarding pass. Baggage tag is that small sticker that they usually put on your boarding pass after you’ve checked in your baggage. If you have, you can provide also a photo of your bag — this will may make the process of finding your bag easier and faster. Don’t be put off if all you have is your passport and boarding pass, and register the loss anyway.

They will give you a written confirmation (Property Irregularity Report or PIR) with a personal reference number (don’t lose it) and will tell you what to do next. In some situations it takes around 24 hours to locate a lost baggage, in some — longer than that. Most likely it will take a minimum of 12 hours until you hear back from them. 

After they contact you, you will still have to agree upon delivery.

In some cases you may be allowed to report missing baggage online.

Tracking Your Lost Baggage

You can track the progress online.

After reporting the loss of your baggage, now you have a personal reference number. You can see it on the Property Irregularity Report you were given at the airport. You can use the personal reference number to track the progress of your baggage online via the the World Tracer tool. 

Once KLM personnel has found your baggage, they will contact you. 

Euro banknotes
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KLM Lost Baggage Compensation

What are your rights if your baggage is lost?

Could you be entitled to KLM baggage compensation of some sort? Is KLM going to cover any of your expenses, if you now replace some of your belongings?

Is your baggage really lost, or is it simply delayed?

Baggage Delayed For 3+ Days

If your baggage is not found within 3 days, use the World Tracer tool to fill out a Baggage Inventory and Claim Form. It will be shown to you automatically after 3 days. Just log in the World Tracer tool with your last name and the personal reference number. Then fill in the needed information once you’ve logged in your file.

Reimbursement of Expenses

If your baggage is lost, and you have to replace any of necessary items, you are entitled to reimbursement for your expenses (sometimes referred to as delayed baggage compensation). You aren’t getting the money right away, though, and you also shouldn’t be trying to replace everything. Because with necessary items here it’s meant essential things only. These are things that were in your bag that you can’t manage without, such as toiletries, underwear and essential clothes. 

The most important thing — keep all the receipts!

When you file the claim for additional expenses, you’ll need to provide these receipts. Don’t forget that you have 21 days from the day you receive your lost baggage to file a claim for reimbursement. Don’t miss this deadline either!

Lost Baggage Compensation

KLM has 21 days to locate and return your baggage.

If your baggage is lost for more than 21 days (3 weeks), you’re entitled to KLM lost baggage compensation of up to €1300. In order to receive this compensation KLM owes you, you’ll have to provide a list of things you had in your baggage. To make sure you don’t forget what you had in your bag, you may want to prepare this list already earlier.

Please note that it’s not advised to carry electronics, art, jewelry, etc., in checked baggage, because KLM isn’t liable to compensate for the full value of such items, only to the extent defined by the Montreal Convention and its Conditions of Carriage.

In addition to this, you can file a claim for additional expenses.

If your luggage is not found within 21 days, Baggage Inventory and Claim Form is sent to KLM Customer Contact Centre, and they contact you. In case you don’t hear from them, contact KLM yourself to register your KLM compensation claim.

KLM has to pay this compensation to your bank account.

You don’t have to accept KLM compensation voucher.

You can’t buy a new suitcase with it, can you?

Woman at the airport
Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels

Is Travel Insurance Necessary?

It isn’t necessary, but it may come in handy at some point.

While you don’t have to provide any insurance documentation when claiming compensation, it’s highly recommended to buy insurance before your trip.

Having a good travel insurance you’ll be able to enjoy a much more peaceful trip, especially if something does go wrong. Because they — your travel insurance company — will be the ones dealing with most of the consequences. Plus, mostly travel insurance costs very little or you may already have it included with your debit or credit card. 

Generally speaking, if it’s airline’s not your fault that the luggage got lost or delayed, mostly you will be able to get money back for purchases that could be described as necessities in your particular situation — either directly from KLM or from your insurer. Don’t forget, though, always to keep all the receipts, if you are buying anything that you plan to claim for reimbursement later.

Please note, that not all insurance policies cover baggage delays.

Find out what your travel insurance covers.

Travel Prepared

It’s always a good idea to have a plan B.

Baggage doesn’t get lost too often. But it happens.

Hence it’s a great idea to pack a change of clothes and some underwear in your carry on. Just in case your suitcase gets lost or is delayed for a day or two. Also, carry your medications and valuables in your carry on bag. So you can have access to them even if your checked baggage doesn’t arrive to your destination. 

Always be prepared that your bag may get lost somewhere.

Note that in this case, with KLM compensation for delayed baggage / lost baggage, just like in many other situations we are talking about on this website, it isn’t only about KLM. Rules are the same for other airlines as well. In this case that’s because of the Montreal Convention, a treaty that applies to the carriage of baggage. It applies to most international flights of KLM and other airlines around the world.

Featured photo by Markus Winkler from Pexels

31 thoughts on “KLM Lost Baggage Compensation”

  1. Pingback: KLM Missed Connection Compensation - KLM Compensation Guide

  2. Hi

    My bag got lost whilst travelling from aberdeen to denmark
    I have just received my bag and my samsung tablet is missing and a jacket

    thanks

    fraser

  3. This was my fist international trip, very frustrating process. KLM lost my bag and my mother’s bag. In the bag contained my daughter’s birthday outfit and gifts, she’s turning six years old. Not only didn’t she have her things for three days straight no answer to where our bags were. We had to come out of pocket for clothes also took away from the plans we had. We were treated with no empathy. I will never use this airline again, plus this our 3rd day with no bags!!!!

    1. KLM rejected my claim for my lost bags because they said my receipts were not sent in the proper format and were unreadable. I sent revised photos three additional times. KLM has refused to respond to my emails

  4. Mine and mas luggage lost 15/5/22 and still not recovered. As well as this we missed our cruise due to wrong information given by KLM representative. Impossible to get update over the telephone and tracker just says will email once dealt with. This is so frustrating !

  5. On July 15th it will be one full month since I arrived from Amsterdam to Montreal. I can no longer track my lost luggage. I am so upset since I packed my best clothes and shoes for this trip. I have purchased dress for myself as well as little clutch bag in Amsterdam for the wedding I am supposed to attend. Ive had couple of gifts as well and I am very upset wth the value that I have lost. I was patiently waiting while hoping that bag will arrive any day…but nothing… I have no idea how much will be compensation for me and how I can get that. Please help.

    1. Woman using a laptop

      Dear Tanja, if you had a travel insurance, go directly to them. They should be able to assist you. When things are as hectic as they were this summer, dealing through an insurance company may turn out way easier that dealing with an airline directly.

  6. KLM has the worst customer service, I have ever experienced. They lost my luggage and there is only one way to claim it via KLM website. I failed to do it, since the website didn’t accept my booking code. I tried to contact them via Whatsapp, the service agents are always busy, I was waiting for 6 hours without any success. I went to the KLM branch in Paramaribo, Suriname. They even didn’t want to listen to me. They just got me out of the office with words “Do it online on our website”. Is it the way how you should treat your customers.

  7. KLM was not helpful at the airport and would not take my information about my lost luggage. They only would take the person I was traveling with information. I paid for my own plane ticket!! I attempted to file claim with the baggage office and was told to file online. The online claim process rejected my information. I will never fly with KLM again!!

  8. I’m having an issue with the delayed baggage compensation website. I completed all the required information and attach needed receipts and when I hit the submit button the website says Oops, something went wrong. Is anyone else having this issue. BTW: when you call the KLM support center it directs you to the website and hangs up on you.

  9. KLM lost our cases now missing for 0ver 31 DAYS AND CANNOT GET ANY RESPONSE FROM ANY OF THERE CONTACTS. SHOCKING SERVICE FOR A FLYING BLUE MEMBER

    1. Woman using a laptop

      We would advise you to remind them of your case. This summer was crazy for travel industry, and your case may also be overlooked and forgotten about.

  10. I need to claim for compensation for lost baggage and there is no link or site to do this. KLM lost my luggage on July 20,2022 at Prague Airport Czechia

  11. We were travelling from Inverness to Copenhagen through Amsterdam July 9th 2022 and when we reached Copenhagen 1030 pm both our checked suitcases were missing. We filed reports there and then got tags to show it. Sunday July 10th a I received a phone call from SAS, that they had my suitcase (identified through some documents inside the suitcase) and I was told SAS could not turn it over to me, but they would turn it over to KLM and they would contact me regarding how to get it back into my possession, which has not happened by todays date. We are back in the USA at this point and I have completed the inventory list long time ago, I check for updates daily, but nothing has changed. We got my wife’s suitcase back the day we left Copenhagen, while at the airport, and there is no chance it could have been the one in possession of SAS, due to identification process.

    1. Woman using a laptop

      Did you have a travel insurance? If yes – go directly to them. Mostly it’s much faster and easier than dealing with an airline regarding lost or damaged suitcase.

  12. We flew from Las Vegas USA to Amsterdam. My bags were never sent from Amsterdam to Dublin where I would be vacationing for two weeks. It went missing July 20 it is now August 15. I still do not have my luggage. I have no idea where I can get a form to get reimbursed for the items of necessity that I needed to purchase. I filled out a claim form at the airport when the luggage never showed up on the carousel. We were told there were no bags put on our flight so they were numerous people almost 50 of them that did not have their bags. There is never anyone to talk in customer service as they will not pick up and we have no one to correspond with. We have our claim numbers that we filed for both bags when we were in Dublin. At one point they said they would be sent from Amsterdam to Dublin and they would contact us when they arrived. That never happened. I really want to be reimbursed for the items that I had to buy in Dublin so I would have clothes on my back but cannot locate a claim form for that . Has anyone found a claim form for reimbursement for items purchased??

  13. Susanna Demitra DePaul

    We flew KLM from Los Angleles to Heathrow for a family cruise. Our luggage did not arrive at Heathrow and we went without luggage for the next 5 days on our cruise. I filled out a claims report for purchases made by myself and my husband to clothe ourselves and purchase necessary toiletries ($756.38), but have heard nothing.

  14. I find it incredulous that in this day and age KLM have managed to lose a LARGE suitcase containing rare and unique items, does anyone actually ever look into the suitcases to see whats in them ? My own is literally Unique and would be so obvious and yet has totally gone missing! It has led to weeks of misery and unable to work!

  15. KLM lost my bag and it’s been 10 days, they have not contacted me at all. I have tried to follow up but they don’t want to be bothered. I have my medicine and all my work clothes for the 2 week business trip. I tried when I got to Munich it find out info but the did not want to help at the KLM counter.

    1. Woman using a laptop

      According the law, an airline has 21 days to locate and return your baggage. After that it’s considered lost. If you can’t get through to KLM, try to contact your travel insurance company.

  16. Going on 5 days from lost baggage and not getting anywhere with KLM
    Why is it such a problem to locate my bag ?
    And to talk to a representative
    They said 24 to 48 hours my bag will be delivered and still nothing

  17. Hi Ive travelled Business class KLM LHR to AMS, then a separate airline to Kazakhstan. My bag did not arrive in Kazakhstan.
    This is the second time in around 6 weeks Schipol have lost my bag, last time they found it this time still not after 4 days. There are literally thousands of lost bags at Schipol as I have seen them when I had to collect a missing bag, its disgusting and I will take it to the UK Guardian press travel section as I don’t believe this should be allowed to continue. These are people’s belongings and its a safety issue as well.

  18. my wife luggage were lost last may 31 to KLM flight to hamburg KL1188
    this is whole luggage with clothes and Old passport with US VISA

    and they dont want to compensate properly as what their policy says even after more than 21 days.

    we are crew member from one of the leading cruiseliner in the world

  19. KLM has my luggage since 7/10/23. Our flight was cancelled after our bags were on board. They moved us to another airline. The bags were not taken off KLM and are still in their possession. KLM will not help me even though they are in possession of my bag. They state the other airline is responsible even though the other airline never had my luggage. Our entire experience with KLM has been atrocious.

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