How Do I Report Baggage Problems to British Airways?

In a nutshell: If your baggage is lost, damaged, or has missing contents after traveling with British Airways, you must report the issue within specific timeframes: within 21 days for lost baggage, and within seven days for damage or missing items. Claims for losses, including damages or missing items, can be made after these reports

Jeff Whelpley is the editor / author responsible for this content.
Oct 14, 2025

Introduction

If you recently took a trip on British Airways and your baggage went missing, or was returned to you in a damaged condition, or had missing contents, you need to learn how to report a baggage problem to the company. The process is pretty fast and easy to do.

What You'll Need

You have to make your report of missing baggage within 21 days of the baggage going missing.You have to report damaged baggage within seven days of receiving your bag at the end of the flight.You should report items missing from your baggage within 7 days of receiving it.If your baggage is lost and cannot be found, you may wish to make a claim for damages. Before you make that claim, check your travel insurance, if you have it. The terms of your insurance might actually work out better for you than anything British Airways could do.You can make claims for: Baggage that has been missing for at least 21 days, damage to your baggage, damage to your baggage's contents, missing baggage contents, and essential items you had to purchase because of the missing baggage.British Airways finds most customers' missing baggage and returns it within 72 hours.

The first thing to do is to check your phone and the email associated with your British Airways ticket.

The company may already be aware that your baggage did not get put on the flight and that you will therefore not receive it. If they do, they will send you either an email or a text message alerting you to the situation. Follow the instructions in the email or text.

If you are still at the airport, go up to a British Airways desk and report the problem to one of the staff members there.

If you have already left the airport, go to the British Airways web page.

How Do I Report Baggage Problems to British Airways? (Step 3)

Click on the Log In link in the upper right corner of the screen to log into your British Airways account.

How Do I Report Baggage Problems to British Airways? (Step 4)

Go to the British Airways report and claims page.

British Airways report and claims page

How Do I Report Baggage Problems to British Airways? (Step 5)

Click on one of the options under the "What would you like to do?" header.

There is an option for reporting missing or damaged baggage and one for claiming compensation for lost or damaged baggage.

Follow the prompts to finish making your report.

If British Airways is unable to find your baggage, or if your baggage is damaged, or if items are missing from it, you can make a claim for damages by repeating steps three through six and clicking on the claim option at the menu in step six.

Conclusion

If you want to check on the progress of the search for your missing baggage, or to check on your claim for compensation, call a British Airways customer support representative. The customer service center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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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.

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British Airways

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