If you’ve ever experienced the frustration of arriving at your destination without your luggage, you know how stressful it can be. You may wonder where your bags are, how long it will take to get them, and the compensation to which you are entitled.
If you find yourself in this situation after an American Airlines flight, it’s important to stay calm and follow a structured approach to ensure the best possible outcome.
That’s where this blog post comes in. We’ll explain, step-by-step, what you need to do when your baggage is delayed on an American Airlines flight.
Remember to keep in mind that, despite what you see and read in the media, the chances of your bags being delayed are very rare. Also, the vast majority of delayed bags are found within 24 hours.
Summary
If your checked baggage is delayed on an American Airlines flight, there are 4 essential steps (the good news is that the vast majority of affected passengers never have to go beyond step 1):
- Report your missing baggage at the airport
- Purchase necessary items while waiting for your delayed baggage (keep receipts!)
- After 5 days: File a delayed baggage claim
- Before 30 days: File a reimbursement claim for incidental purchases
What to Do at the Airport
So, you’ve deplaned from your American Airlines flight, reached the baggage claim area, and the trickle of bags pouring onto the carousel has stopped…and there’s no sign of your bag!
What do you do?
Read on…
Check the Status of Your Baggage
As soon as you realize that your checked baggage hasn’t arrived at the baggage claim area, the first thing you should do is to check the status of your bags.
Note: This isn’t a necessary step as the American Airlines agent will do this when you visit the Baggage Service Office (see next step).
You have a few options available to you, to find out your bags’ current status:
Check the Status of Your Baggage Online
The most convenient way to check the current status of your bags is to access the American Airlines Track Your Bags tool with your phone.
American Airlines Website
You can do this by visiting the American Airlines website and entering your last name and your baggage claim number. This number is printed on the baggage receipt that you received at check-in.
If you can’t find your baggage claim number, you can enter your record locator instead. This number can be found on your boarding pass and in your reservation email.
Once you’ve entered your information, the tool will give you an estimate of when your baggage will arrive and where it is currently located.
American Airlines App
Alternatively, you can use the American Airlines app on your smartphone or tablet to track your baggage.
I usually check the status of my baggage as soon as I arrive at my destination. This is even before I reach the baggage claim area. I find that this gives me some reassurance about my checked baggage and prepares me for any potential problems.
However, if after checking my bags’ status, I discover that there might be an issue, I still turn up at baggage claim and wait for all the bags to come out on to the carousel.
If there’s no sign of your checked bags, the next step is to inform American Airlines.
File a Report at the Baggage Service Office
As soon as you realize that your baggage has not arrived at baggage claim, you should report it to the American Airlines Baggage Service Office at the airport as soon as possible.
Important: Remain Calm
While it’s frustrating to deal with a delayed baggage situation, staying calm is crucial. Panicking or becoming agitated will not resolve the issue any faster.
For flights within the U.S., you must file a report within 4 hours of arriving at your destination.
For international flights, you must file a report upon arriving at your destination and before leaving the airport.
How to Find the Baggage Service Office
The office is usually located near the baggage claim area, or in a separate section of the airport. You can look for signs that say, “Baggage Service” or “American Airlines” with a logo. You can also ask an airport employee or a security officer for directions.
Obtain a Property Irregularity Report (PIR)
Once you’ve advised the airline of your delayed baggage, the agent at the Baggage Service Office will create a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) for your delayed baggage.
What is a Property Irregularity Report (PIR)
A Property Irregularity Report (PIR) is a document that you need to fill out at the airport if your checked baggage is delayed, lost, or damaged. It’s used to track and recover your baggage and to claim compensation if it isn’t found.
It also serves as an official record of your claim.
The PIR will include information such as your personal details, flight information, baggage tag number, description of your baggage and its contents, and contact information.
Once the PIR is completed, you’ll be provided a copy.
Obtain a File Reference Number (FRN)
You will also receive a 13-character File Reference Number (FRN) that you can use to track your bags online or by phone.
You can also use this FRN to submit a claim for reimbursement or compensation if needed.
Keep All Your Receipts and Documents
Another thing you should do is to keep all your documents related to your flight and baggage in a safe place. This includes your boarding pass, baggage claim tag, PIR, and FRN.
These documents will be needed if you need to make any claims related to your delayed baggage.
Hot Tip: Use your phone to take photos of all these documents for safekeeping.
What to Do After Leaving the Airport
Well done! You’ve now formally advised American Airlines of your delayed baggage. In the vast majority of cases, delayed baggage is reunited with their owner within 24 hours.
However, in the rare case that your delayed baggage isn’t recovered, there are few more things that you should do.
Periodically Check the Status of Your Delayed Bag
You should periodically check the status of your baggage online or by phone.
Check the Status of Your Delayed Bag Search Online
This is the most convenient way to check the current status of your delayed baggage.
It’s important to note that American Airlines provides a different online tool to check the status of mishandled baggage – it can be found here.
You need to enter your last name as well as the File Reference Number (FRN) that you received when visiting the Baggage Service Office at the airport.
Check the Status of Your Delayed Baggage by Phone
You can also call American Airlines to receive an update regarding your delayed baggage. A contact phone number will have been provided during your visit to the Baggage Service Office.
You will need to provide your last name and FRN.
You can also sign up for email or text notifications to receive updates on your delayed baggage.
Purchase Essential Items
While waiting for your baggage to be found, you’re entitled to buy essential items that you might need during the delay. Typically, this would be toiletries and clothing.
Be sure to keep all your receipts. They’ll be required when you submit your claim for reimbursement of these purchases.
Submit a Baggage Claim After 5 Days
If your baggage is not found within five days, you’ll need to fill out a Passenger Property Questionnaire (PPQ) with more details about your baggage and its contents.
You can complete the form online or print it out and send it by mail.
Submit Your Baggage Claim Online
Submitting your delayed baggage claim online is the most convenient option.
American Airlines provides a handy checklist which helps you prepare all the information that you’ll need to complete your claim. Once you have assembled all the information, you can then begin the online claim process.
The form can be found here.
Confusingly, American Airlines uses the same form for claim for delayed baggage and for reimbursement of incidental purchases. The option that we need to select for our delayed bag claim is the last one: “Delayed 5+ days”.
In the “Where did you travel?” box, you’re presented with 3 choices:
- Domestic
- International
- Canada
Select the option which describes your type of travel.
The form is quite lengthy but logically laid out.
Hot Tip: You can refer to your PIR to help you complete this form.
The first section requires your personal details: name, address, contact details, etc.
The next section requires at least one of your unique baggage file identifiers:
- Incident number (13-character file ID: found in your PIR)
- Bag tag number: found on your bag claim stub
- Confirmation/record locator: found on your boarding pass and your flight reservation email
Next, you need to provide a description of your baggage. This section is quite straightforward with many options being point-and-click (baggage type, color, material, etc.) You can claim multiple bags by clicking the “+Add” button.
The next part requires basic information about your flight. Your PIR or reservation email will help you complete this section.
You also need to include information about the circumstances of your baggage check-in: how many bags were checked in, where they were checked (airline counter, gate, etc), and so on.
The final section requires you to upload documents to support your claim:
- Personal ID
- Receipts
- Airline ticket receipts
- Baggage claim stubs
Important: If you paid a baggage fee to check in the bag that was delayed, you can add this expense to your claim.
You will need to upload a copy of your baggage receipt with your claim.
Once you’ve completed this final task, you can submit the form. You will receive confirmation of your submission in your email inbox.
American Airlines’ Central Resolution Office will then review your claim, conduct a final exhaustive search for your bag, and send you an email of the outcome.
Although I can understand your desperation to have your missing bag found, be patient. It could take a few weeks until the airline completes its search for your bag and review your claim.
You can still periodically check the status of your delayed baggage online as well as contact the airline for updates.
Submit Your Baggage Claim by Mail
If you submit your delayed baggage claim by mail, you will need to complete a Passenger Property Questionnaire form. You can enter information directly into the form then print it out.
The information required is identical to what is requested for the online form.
The mailing address for the completed form is as follows:
American Airlines Central Baggage
4000 East Sky Harbor Boulevard
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Claim Reimbursement for Incidental Purchases
Thankfully, claiming reimbursement for incidental purchases is far less involved than for your delayed bag.
The form can be found here.
The option that we need to select for our reimbursement claim is the second to last one: “Delayed bag reimbursement”.
In the “Where did you travel?” box, you’re presented with 3 choices:
- Domestic
- International
- Canada
Select the option which describes your type of travel.
The first section requires your personal details: name, address, contact details, etc.
The next section requires at least one of your unique baggage file identifiers:
- Incident number (13-character file ID: found in your PIR)
- Bag tag number: found on your bag claim stub
- Confirmation/record locator: found on your boarding pass and your flight reservation email
The third section is where you submit the items that you wish to be reimbursed for:
You can more than one item by clicking the “+Add” button.
After you’ve added all the items that you are claiming to be reimbursed for, you can proceed to the final section. This is where you’ll need to upload photos of your item receipts.
Resolution of Your Baggage Claim
Once you’ve submitted your delayed baggage claim after day 5, and any reimbursement claims for incidental purchases, you’ll have to wait while American Airlines completes a final thorough search for your delayed baggage and assess your claim.
This could take up to 4 weeks.
You can continue to periodically check the status of your claim online as well as call the airline.
American Airlines will let you know of the outcome to your claim by email.
Escalate If Necessary
If you aren’t satisfied with the response or the compensation from American Airlines, you can contact their customer relations department by phone or email to express your concerns and request further assistance.
You can also file a complaint with the Department of Transportation (DOT) if you believe that American Airlines violated any federal regulations regarding baggage handling.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this guide has helped you understand what to do if you your checked baggage from your American Airlines flight is delayed. We know that it can be very inconvenient and incredibly stressful.
There are 3 important steps that you need to address:
- Report the delay at the airport,
- Submit a claim for your delayed bag 5 days after the delay,
- Submit a claim for incidental purchases no later than 30 days after the bag delay.
Related: How to Avoid Losing Your Luggage
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