How to Claim Compensation for Air Canada Baggage Delays

In April 2022, I landed at Incheon with my friends and four checked bags.

Only three of them came out on the carousel.

The fourth showed up at my hotel two days later, and Air Canada paid me $215 (CAD) for what I had to buy in the meantime. Below is how the claim went, with a screenshot of every step.

Step 0: Pack an AirTag (optional)

An AirTag in each checked bag has been one of my best travel buys since COVID. It won't summon a lost suitcase like a Harry Potter spell ("Accio Travelpro!"), but it tells you right away whether your bag made the flight.

That matters more than it sounds.

I've seen bags come out on the wrong carousel and strangers walk off with a suitcase that looked like theirs, and the AirTag shows you exactly where yours is.

If the bag never left the departure airport, you'll know before the carousel even stops. Skip the wait and go straight to the baggage desk. On Android, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 does the same job.

Step 1: Report it at the airport

Report the missing bag before you leave the airport. Air Canada now lets you do it online through "Create a file" on its delayed baggage page, or by scanning the QR code near its baggage service counter.

If you land outside Canada or the U.S., as I did in Seoul, see an Air Canada baggage agent before you leave. I filled in a paper report at the desk with my flight number, a description of the bag, and my address and phone number.

Either way, you leave with an incident report number. Mine started with ICN for Incheon, then AC and five digits, and you need it both to follow the bag and to claim your expenses.

In 2022 I followed my bag on a tracing website. Today, the Air Canada app tracks a delayed bag and sends updates until it's delivered, and you can update your file online too.

Packed an AirTag? When you create the file online, Air Canada lets you share its location with them (iOS 18.2 or later).

Air Canada says it does its best to deliver a delayed bag within 24 hours.

Mine took two days 🥲

When the bag turns up, Air Canada's delivery service contacts you by email, text or phone to set a time. Email is the one to watch abroad, since you probably don't have a local number.

If they still can't find the bag after 5 days, Air Canada asks you to fill in a Baggage Tracing form. After 21 days, Canada's rules treat it as lost, which is a different claim from this one.

Step 2: Buy only what you need

As soon as the bag is confirmed missing, you can start buying what you need. Air Canada reimburses "any reasonable expenses" for essentials like clothes and toiletries, and even sports equipment rentals.

The key word is reasonable.

Heading somewhere hot? A swimsuit, sunscreen and a beach towel are easy to justify, but a winter jacket isn't.

Keep every receipt, because the claim is only as good as your proof. Mine came to 10 purchases over two days.

Step 3: Claim your expenses online

When the bag is back, check it for damage before anything else. Damage is a separate claim, and Air Canada wants it within 7 days of getting the bag.

For your expenses, you have 21 days from the day the bag was delivered. Have these ready:

• your flight details
• the incident report number
• your receipts
• the bag tag or baggage claim stub
• your boarding pass

If you paid a fee to check that bag, Air Canada refunds it too.

My screenshots are from 2022. The path through Air Canada's form is the same today, but the pages may look a little different.

1. Open the Let Us Know form

Air Canada handles claims through its online Let Us Know form, linked from the delayed baggage page. Pick Baggage Issues.

2. Choose Submit Expenses

Under "Regarding", pick Baggage, then Submit Expenses. The page lists the documents Air Canada asks for.

3. Fill in your details

Next come your contact details and Aeroplan number. If someone on the same booking had a delayed bag too, you can add them as another passenger.

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4. Add the bag details

Enter the incident report number from the airport, how many bags you checked, how many were delayed, and the date the bag came back.

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5. List what you bought

Enter each purchase with its price, currency and date. The more specific you are, the faster the review goes.

You can enter prices in the local currency, and Air Canada pays out in Canadian dollars. My 10 purchases came to ₩201,200, and the exchange rate they used was fair.

6. Explain anything unusual

There's a box for comments, so use it for anything that needs context. A new dress is easier to justify if you mention the trip was for your best friend's wedding.

7. Upload your receipts

Attach a receipt for every item on your list. I attached four files, mostly photos of my receipts.

8. Submit the claim

Air Canada emails you a confirmation with a case number right away. Mine said a reply could take up to 8 business days, but it came in two.

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9. Get paid

On April 7, Air Canada approved $215 (CAD) and sent the security answer for the payment. The Interac e-Transfer arrived on April 12, 11 days after the bag went missing.

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Final Thoughts

Landing without your bag is a lousy way to start a trip.

The claim itself was the easy part: one online form, a list of what I bought, and the money back in 11 days.

Your credit card's travel insurance may also cover a delayed bag. I walk through a card insurance claim (for a flight delay) in How to ACTUALLY Claim Flight Delay Insurance from your Credit Card.

If your flight itself was delayed or cancelled, see how to claim compensation from Air Canada for a flight disruption.

Have you claimed for a delayed bag with Air Canada? Let me know in the comments how it went!