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
What is the Montreal Convention, and what does it cover?
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.
When does Montreal Convention baggage compensation apply?
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.
Which rules apply to your flight?
The convention makes airlines liable for a checked bag that is damaged, lost or late. The limit is roughly 1,519 SDR per passenger, and the figure is reviewed from time to time.
Report the problem within the deadlines: 7 days for a damaged bag, 21 days for a delayed one, counted from the day it reaches you.
Because it pays proven loss up to the cap, keep receipts for essential replacement items and for the value of lost belongings.
How much can you recover for delay and baggage?
Liability limits per passenger, in SDR
| Flight | Amount |
|---|---|
| Delayed flight: proven losses the delay caused | about 6,303 SDR |
| Checked bag damaged, lost or late | about 1,519 SDR |
| Late flight: fixed cash payment | None |
Limits are set in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) and reviewed periodically. The convention repays proven losses up to the limit; it pays no fixed sum.
What should you do now?
- 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.
Which documents should you keep?
How do you claim Article 19 delay damages, and what must you prove?
- 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 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 repays 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?
Tell the airline quickly: 7 days for a damaged bag, 21 days for a delayed one. Any court claim must follow within 2 years.
Can I claim under both EU261 and the Montreal Convention?
Often yes. They cover different things. One disruption can give you fixed EU261 compensation and a separate Montreal Convention claim for proven out-of-pocket losses, such as baggage costs.
Sources
- UK Civil Aviation Authority — passenger rights — the UK regulator's own guidance and complaint route
Does your flight qualify?
Free in about 15 seconds. You receive the airline's compensation and pay only our fixed €39 fee after success.
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