This page goes deeper on one part of the policy. The full record is at Air India Baggage Rules.
Air India tracks a mishandled bag through WorldTracer, the same tracing system most full service carriers use. A bag not traced within 21 days counts as lost. That deadline shapes what you do in the first three weeks.
This page goes deeper than the Air India baggage allowance record on what happens after a bag does not arrive. Think of it as the Air India baggage tracer guide: reporting, tracking, interim expenses and the claim.
The Air India baggage tracer: how to track a delayed bag
File a report at the arrival hall baggage desk before you leave. Air India staff open a Property Irregularity Report and hand you a copy. That report number is what feeds the WorldTracer baggage tracking system.
Enter that reference number on the WorldTracer portal, or through Air India’s own site, to see the bag’s last scanned location. This is the Air India baggage tracer number you will quote on every call after the first.
The same file number carries over if you later escalate to a Mishandled Baggage Statement online. Keep a photo of the PIR itself. The desk copy is sometimes the only proof the file exists once you leave the terminal.
Interim expenses while your bag is delayed
Air India says it may reimburse essential expenses while a bag is delayed. The airline sets no printed daily cap and points travelers to customer support to work out specifics.
Keep every receipt for the basics. A change of clothes and toiletries count, plus anything you had to buy because the bag stayed behind.
Submit those receipts with your claim file rather than after the fact. A claim with no itemized costs attached moves slower.
When a delayed bag becomes a lost bag
Air India’s own guidance sets the line at 21 days from the PIR filing date. If the Air India baggage tracer still shows no match by then, the claim moves from delayed to lost.
A lost bag claim needs an itemized list of contents. Add a description of each item, its age, and proof of purchase or ownership where you have it. Build that list while the trip is fresh rather than waiting for a form to prompt you.
Compensation limits: domestic and international
On a US domestic segment, the Department of Transportation caps airline liability for checked baggage. The figure is 4,700 USD per passenger, set by DOT itself and posted at transportation.gov.
On an international itinerary the Montreal Convention applies instead. The current limit is 1,519 SDR per passenger, the figure in force since the treaty’s late 2024 inflation adjustment.
Convert SDR to dollars at the day’s exchange rate. It moves daily and is not a fixed dollar number.
Air India’s own conditions of carriage describe liability as limited by law and international convention, without printing the SDR figure itself. Cite the treaty text and DOT’s page for the number, not the airline’s summary.
Damaged bags
Air India excludes normal wear and tear from any damage claim. It also excludes overpacked bags, fragile items and manufacturing defects, and says valuables should never travel in a checked bag.
Report damage at the same arrival hall desk before you leave. See the site’s damaged luggage claims guide for the documentation a claim needs.
What actually happens to a claim
The Property Irregularity Report opens the file. The paperwork that follows, the itemized contents list with proof of ownership, decides whether a claim gets paid in full or gets talked down.
Air India publishes no review timeline. Build your file as if it will be checked closely.
Bags flagged as delayed rather than lost usually turn up within days once WorldTracer matches a scan. A claim only turns adversarial once the 21 day window closes with no match.
The general mechanics of tracing a bag across any carrier are covered in the site’s guide to tracking a lost bag and its guide to reporting one. Read those before you ever reach the Air India counter.
Preventing the problem in the first place
A tracker inside the bag turns a WorldTracer file into a location you can show the desk agent. An Apple AirTag 4 pack puts one tracker per checked bag.
A Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 does the same job for Android owners. A Tile Bluetooth tracker works across either platform.
Pair the tracker with an outside luggage tag. Leather luggage tags with a privacy flap put a name and phone number on the case without exposing them to a stranger walking past the carousel.
None of this changes Air India’s tracing process. A location on your phone is still a stronger opening line at the baggage desk than a PIR number alone.
The bottom line
File the PIR before you leave the arrival hall. Hold onto that reference number for the Air India baggage tracer and start the itemized contents list the day the bag goes missing, not three weeks later.
Domestic liability is capped at 4,700 USD. International claims are capped at 1,519 SDR under the Montreal Convention.
Common questions
How do I track my Air India baggage tracer number?
Use the Property Irregularity Report number from the arrival hall desk on the WorldTracer portal or Air India’s own site to see the bag’s last scanned location.
How long before Air India declares a bag lost?
A bag not traced within 21 days of the PIR filing date is classified as lost.
What is the Montreal Convention limit for Air India international flights?
The current limit is 1,519 SDR per passenger, in force since the treaty’s late 2024 inflation adjustment.
What is the DOT limit for Air India domestic segments?
The Department of Transportation caps airline liability for checked baggage at 4,700 USD per passenger.
Does Air India pay for expenses while my bag is delayed?
Air India says it may reimburse essential expenses, subject to its terms, and directs travelers to customer support for specifics.
What does an Air India lost bag claim require?
An itemized list of contents with a description, age and proof of purchase or ownership for each item.
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