The Montreal Convention: baggage and delay damages.
The Montreal Convention is an international treaty that sets airline liability for baggage, delay-related losses and injury on international flights. It complements, rather than replaces, EU261 and UK261.
Checked by the FlightCompensations editorial team
Last updated 1 July 2026 · Editorial & corrections policy
Direct answer
Key takeaways
- The Montreal Convention is an international treaty, not an EU regulation, and applies to international carriage between ratifying states.
- It covers proven damages for delay, and for damaged, lost or delayed baggage, plus death or injury of passengers.
- It does not provide the fixed €250 to €600 payments for late flights, that is EU261 or UK261.
- Liability limits are set in Special Drawing Rights (SDR): roughly 6,303 SDR for delay to passengers and about 1,519 SDR for baggage.
- It complements EU261 and UK261, so on many flights you may be able to rely on both.
- A claim under the convention generally must be brought within 2 years, and baggage complaints have short notice deadlines.
What qualifies — and what usually doesn't
May qualify for compensation
- Your journey was international carriage between two states that have ratified the Montreal Convention (or a single state with an agreed stopping place in another).
- You suffered a recoverable loss: delay-related expenses, or damage, loss or delay of checked baggage.
- For baggage, you reported the problem to the airline within the required time limits.
- You can evidence your actual loss, for example with receipts, as the convention compensates proven damages rather than a fixed sum.
Usually excluded
- Fixed cash compensation for a late flight, which is provided by EU261 or UK261, not the Montreal Convention.
- Losses above the applicable SDR liability limits, unless a higher limit applies for declared baggage value.
- Delay damages where the airline proves it took all reasonably required measures to avoid the loss.
- Purely domestic flights entirely within one country, which fall outside the convention's international scope.
- Baggage claims filed after the notice or 2-year limitation deadlines.
Rights by jurisdiction
The convention makes airlines liable for checked baggage that is damaged, lost or delayed, up to a limit of approximately 1,519 SDR per passenger (the figure is reviewed periodically).
You must report the problem within set deadlines: broadly 7 days for damaged baggage and 21 days for delayed baggage from the date it is placed at your disposal.
Because it pays proven loss up to the cap, keep receipts for essential replacement items and for the value of lost belongings.
What to do
- 1Report any baggage damage or delay to the airline immediately and within the deadlines (broadly 7 days for damage, 21 days for delay).
- 2Complete a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the airport if baggage is affected.
- 3Keep receipts for essential replacement items and any delay-related expenses.
- 4Note the value and details of any lost or damaged belongings.
- 5Check your eligibility and start a claim within the 2-year limit.
Documents to keep
How to claim
- 1Enter your flight and journey details to get a preliminary assessment.
- 2Add your baggage report, receipts and any documents you have.
- 3We prepare and submit the claim to the airline and follow up.
- 4If a payment is recovered, you receive the airline's award and pay our fixed €39 fee.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Montreal Convention cover?
Airline liability on international flights for damaged, lost or delayed baggage, for financial losses caused by delay, and for death or injury to passengers. It compensates proven damages up to set limits rather than paying a fixed sum.
Does the Montreal Convention pay €600 for a delayed flight?
No. Fixed compensation of €250 to €600 for delays comes from EU261 (or £220 to £520 under UK261). The Montreal Convention instead reimburses proven delay-related losses up to around 6,303 SDR per passenger.
What is an SDR?
A Special Drawing Right is an international unit of account used by the IMF. The convention sets liability limits in SDR, so the value in euros or pounds moves with exchange rates. Baggage liability is about 1,519 SDR per passenger.
How long do I have to claim baggage compensation?
You must notify the airline quickly, broadly within 7 days for damaged baggage and 21 days for delayed baggage, and any court claim generally must be brought within 2 years.
Can I claim under both EU261 and the Montreal Convention?
Often yes. They cover different things, so a single disruption might give you fixed EU261 compensation and a separate Montreal Convention claim for proven out-of-pocket losses such as baggage costs.
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