This page goes deeper on one part of the policy. The full record is at Air China Baggage Rules.
Air China treats a bag as lost once 72 hours pass from your report without it being found. That clock only starts when you file at the airport.
An Air China lost baggage case opened from home days later starts weak. The claim gets harder from there.
The carrier publishes its full irregularity procedure on its US site. Read it once before you fly.
The deadlines are short, and the counter is the only place to open a case. This page covers the report, the tracker, the claim, and what compensation actually looks like on Air China.
How to report a bag that did not arrive
Go to the Air China baggage service counter in the arrivals hall before you leave the baggage area. At airports where a ground handler works for Air China, that handler’s counter opens the case instead. Staff fill out a Record of Baggage Transport Irregularities with you, and that document is your case file.
Bring the identity document you flew on and every baggage claim tag stub. Staff may also ask for your boarding pass or e-ticket itinerary.
Keep the receipt for any excess baggage you paid for. Keep the record they hand you, since every later step references it.
If you already left the airport, call Air China’s US line at 1-800-882-8122. You can still open a case.
The airline’s own rules, though, say it is not liable when you raise no objection at delivery. Our guide on reporting a missing bag covers what to say when the counter is already closed.
Air China baggage tracking after the report
Air China runs a Check Lost and Delayed Baggage service on its website. It sits under Self Service as the lost and delayed baggage inquiry. You look up your case with the details printed on your irregularity record.
The airline also says it will contact you with search updates. You can call the number on the record for a status too.
The carrier states that most bags that miss the flight are found and delivered. Delivery is arranged by phone once the bag turns up.
Keep the number you gave at the counter reachable. For what a tracking status actually means, see how to track a lost bag.
A tracker of your own changes this stage. An AirTag or an Android tracker in the bag shows the counter agent a live location.
That is hard for a search desk to ignore. The prevention section below covers which one to use.
Interim expenses while the bag is delayed
Air China does not publish a daily allowance or a flat interim payment for a delayed bag. Its rules say it may be liable for delay.
The exception is when it proves it took all reasonable steps to prevent it. In practice that means you buy essentials, keep every receipt, and file the amounts as part of your claim.
Keep purchases modest and clearly tied to the delay: toiletries, a change of clothes, a phone charger. File the delayed bag claim within 21 days of the day the bag was delivered. Miss that window and the airline states it will not compensate.
When delayed becomes lost, and the claim deadlines
Air China’s stated threshold is 72 hours. If the bag is not found within 72 hours of your report, the airline contacts you.
The file then moves into its lost baggage procedure. From there you document the contents and their value, and Air China assesses the claim under its carriage rules.
Two more deadlines matter. A damaged bag claim must be filed within 7 days of receiving the bag.
Legal action on any baggage claim is cut off after 2 years. The clock runs from the date the aircraft arrived, or should have arrived.
What Air China pays
Every Air China flight to or from the United States is international. The Montreal Convention governs the claim, not the US domestic limit. Air China’s own page states a combined limit of 1,288 SDR per passenger for checked and unchecked baggage.
That figure is out of date. The convention’s limit rose to 1,519 SDR on 28 December 2024, as the US Department of Transportation confirms. Cite the current figure in your claim.
Compensation is paid on proven actual loss up to that cap, not automatically at the cap. Receipts, photos of the packed bag, and a dated packing list win claims. Read what lost luggage compensation covers before you write the value list.
Domestic flights inside China work on a different scale. Air China caps checked baggage compensation at RMB 100 per kilogram.
Unchecked baggage is capped at RMB 3,000 per passenger. Flights to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan follow the international rules instead.
One interline rule catches connecting travelers. Air China says it is liable only for the segments it operated. If it was the first or last carrier on the ticket, you may still file with Air China.
On a partner itinerary, file with the carrier that flew the last segment first. That is who has the bag.
Damaged bags on Air China
Report damage at the same counter before leaving the airport, with the bag in hand. Air China says a staff member will contact you after the report to discuss next steps.
The formal claim deadline is 7 days from receipt of the bag. The airline excludes damage from inherent defects, and from items packed against its advice.
Photograph the damage with the claim tag visible before you file. Our damaged luggage claims guide explains what counts as normal wear and what does not.
What travelers report about Air China lost baggage claims
Traveler accounts of Air China lost baggage cases share a pattern. The counter report goes smoothly. The follow up is slow, and email replies can take weeks.
Claims that succeed have a complete irregularity record, itemized receipts, and a clear timeline. Claims that stall were opened by phone after leaving the airport, or filed without the claim tag stubs.
Travelers connecting through Beijing on a single ticket say the bag usually turns up within two or three days. Keep every purchase receipt from those days. The 21 day claim window runs from delivery, not from the flight.
Preventing the next Air China lost baggage case
Put a tracker in every checked bag. An Apple AirTag 4 pack covers a family’s luggage.
A Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 does the same job for Android phones. A dot on a map at Beijing Capital, shown to an agent whose file says still tracing, tends to move things along.
Label the outside as well. A pair of Travelambo leather luggage tags with a phone number and an email still reaches you when the airline tag is torn off.
Put a copy of your itinerary inside the bag too. A handler who opens an untagged bag looks there first.
Check Air China’s checked baggage rules before you pack anything valuable. The carrier’s liability rules exclude items packed against its recommendations, which include cash, electronics and documents. Those travel in the cabin, within the Air China baggage allowance.
If your card or travel insurance covers delayed baggage, that policy usually pays faster than the airline. Our guide to baggage insurance and credit card cover explains what to claim where.
The bottom line
File at the counter before you leave the airport. Keep the Record of Baggage Transport Irregularities, and watch the 72 hour mark. Claim within 21 days for a delayed bag and 7 days for a damaged one, with receipts for everything.
Air China’s delayed, damaged and lost baggage page sets out every rule above. A tracker in the bag is the cheapest insurance against needing it.
Common questions
How long does Air China take to declare a bag lost?
Air China treats a bag as lost if it has not been found within 72 hours of your report at the airport. The airline then contacts you to start its lost baggage procedure.
How do I track my delayed Air China bag?
Use the Check Lost and Delayed Baggage inquiry under Self Service on Air China’s website, with the details on your Record of Baggage Transport Irregularities. You can also call the number printed on that record.
What is the deadline to claim for a delayed bag on Air China?
File the compensation claim within 21 days of the day the bag was delivered to you. Damaged bag claims must be filed within 7 days of receiving the bag.
How much does Air China pay for lost luggage on a US flight?
Flights to and from the US fall under the Montreal Convention. Air China’s page lists 1,288 SDR per passenger, but the convention’s limit rose to 1,519 SDR in December 2024, and payment is based on proven actual loss.
Does Air China reimburse purchases while my bag is delayed?
Air China publishes no fixed daily allowance. Keep receipts for reasonable essentials and submit them with your delayed bag claim inside the 21 day window.
Who do I claim from when Air China was only one carrier on my ticket?
Air China says it is liable for the segments it operated, but you can file with Air China if it was the first or last carrier on the ticket. In practice, report first to the airline that flew your final segment.
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