This page goes deeper on one part of the policy. The full record is at Lufthansa Baggage Rules.
Lufthansa gives you seven days to report a delayed bag. It issues a PIR case number the moment you file, whether at the airport desk or online. That case number is also your key to Lufthansa baggage tracking, so keep it somewhere you will not lose along with the suitcase.
Lufthansa baggage tracking: how it works
Lufthansa runs its baggage tracing through a Property Irregularity Report, or PIR. It is generated the moment you report a bag missing at the arrivals desk or through the online delayed baggage form.
The reference looks like an airport code followed by the airline code and a string of digits, for example FRALH12345. Enter that PIR on Lufthansa’s own baggage delay FAQ page. Its chat assistant can also look it up for you.
Lufthansa baggage tracking updates as the bag is scanned through each hub. A case with no movement for a day usually means the bag is still at the original airport, not already lost.
Save the PIR by screenshot as well as by email. Airport WiFi at 2am is not the moment to search your inbox.
This site’s guide to how to track a lost bag covers what those updates mean and when to escalate.
Reporting a bag that did not arrive
Report at the baggage tracing desk in the arrivals hall before you leave the airport. Staff open the PIR on the spot.
They can often tell within minutes whether the bag missed the connection or never left the origin.
Lufthansa’s own guidance allows online reporting within three days of arrival if you discover the problem after leaving the airport. Seven days is the outer window for reporting a delay at all.
Reporting late shifts the burden of proof onto you. The sooner you file, the cleaner the claim.
There is no single global hotline number posted on Lufthansa’s baggage page. The airport tracing desk and the online form are the two channels Lufthansa points passengers to. Check the number posted at your specific airport’s counter if you need to call.
This site’s how to report a lost bag guide covers the general steps that apply across carriers.
Interim expenses while you wait
Lufthansa reimburses reasonable purchases made while a bag is delayed. The rate depends on what you buy.
Toiletries and other items used once are reimbursed in full. Clothing is reimbursed at half its cost.
Lufthansa notes that US and Canadian passengers may fall under different local rates. Keep every receipt and buy modestly.
Lufthansa’s page states plainly that you are expected to keep replacement costs as low as possible. Claims must reach the airline within two years of the flight.
When a delay becomes a loss
Lufthansa treats a bag as lost after 21 days without recovery. At that point you become eligible to file a full compensation claim rather than an interim expense claim.
The contents list on the online baggage status page must be complete before that claim can move forward.
Traveler accounts describe claims that dragged well past that 21 day mark before any payout arrived. This shows up most on itineraries that connected through a Lufthansa Group partner rather than a pure Lufthansa routing.
Clear, itemized receipts and a contents list filed early appear to move a claim faster. Vague descriptions and missing receipts are the recurring reason a claim gets reduced or denied.
Compensation limits
Two different ceilings apply depending on the ticket. On a purely domestic US itinerary, the Department of Transportation caps an airline’s baggage liability at 4,700 USD per passenger.
That figure was read today on transportation.gov.
On an international itinerary, the Montreal Convention governs instead. The same page states the current limit as 1,519 Special Drawing Rights. That is worth roughly 2,175 USD at today’s exchange rate.
Lufthansa’s own baggage pages describe the same 1,519 SDR figure. They convert it to about 1,900 EUR and note the amount moves with the exchange rate.
Both figures are ceilings, not guaranteed payouts. Lufthansa still expects an itemized list of contents and receipts before it pays anything close to the limit.
Damaged bags
A cracked shell or torn handle follows a separate process from a delayed bag. Lufthansa asks that damage be reported at the airport immediately.
Report online within three days if you notice damage after leaving the airport, or within seven days at the latest. This site’s damaged luggage claims guide covers the documentation that tends to win a claim.
Preventing the problem in the first place
A short connection at Frankfurt or Munich is the single biggest reason a Lufthansa bag misses its flight. That pattern shows up repeatedly in traveler accounts of delayed bags.
A longer layover on a tight itinerary does more for your bag than anything you can do after the fact.
A tracker inside the bag turns a vague still being traced answer at the desk into a location you can show the agent. An Apple AirTag 4 pack is the common choice for iPhone owners.
A Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 or a Tile Bluetooth tracker does the same job for an Android phone.
A visible external tag matters just as much as an electronic one. Travelambo leather luggage tags keep a name and phone number on the outside of the case.
That is often what actually gets a bag reunited with its owner, long before anyone checks a tracker signal.
How Lufthansa compares to reporting on other carriers
The 21 day window before Lufthansa calls a bag lost sits in the middle of the pack among major international carriers.
Before you fly, check your specific fare’s Lufthansa carry-on allowance and the airline’s checked baggage fee structure. A bag that never gets checked in the first place cannot get lost in the hold.
General background on how carriers handle a missing bag, independent of the specific airline, is covered in this site’s lost luggage overview and its page on lost luggage compensation.
The bottom line
File the PIR before you leave the airport. Keep every receipt, and treat day 21 as the point where a delay turns into a formal loss claim.
Lufthansa baggage tracking through the PIR number is the tool that keeps you informed in between. A small tracker inside the bag gives you something concrete to show the desk if the online status stalls.
Common questions
What is a Lufthansa PIR number?
It is the Property Irregularity Report reference issued when you report a delayed bag, and the same number is used for Lufthansa baggage tracking on the airline’s site.
How many days do I have to report a delayed Lufthansa bag?
Lufthansa allows online reporting within three days of arrival, and treats seven days as the outer window before the burden of proof shifts to you.
When does Lufthansa consider a bag officially lost?
After 21 days without recovery, at which point you can file a full compensation claim instead of an interim expense claim.
What is the Montreal Convention limit for a lost bag on Lufthansa?
The current limit is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights, roughly 2,175 USD, as confirmed on transportation.gov and on Lufthansa’s own baggage pages.
Does Lufthansa reimburse toiletries bought during a delay?
Yes, toiletries and other items used once are reimbursed in full, while clothing is reimbursed at half its cost.
What should I put inside checked luggage to help find it if it goes missing?
A Bluetooth or satellite tracker and a visible name tag both help, since they give the desk agent a location or a way to reach you directly.
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