Checked baggage loss, damage and delay compensation
When a suitcase does not arrive or reaches the baggage belt with a broken wheel or shell, review the supported loss, the carrier liability limit and the written complaint requirements together.
This calculator covers 2026 carriage incidents under Korean domestic carriage rules or confirmed Montreal Convention international carriage, using KRW amounts and a user-entered KRW per SDR exchange rate.
It compares a potential loss with the applicable limit and shows calendar reference dates for preparing a written complaint.
A liability ceiling is not a fixed payment, and the purchase price of a new replacement is not automatically the value of a used suitcase.
Support the value immediately before the incident, repair estimate and reasonable purchases made necessary by delay with evidence.
Airline responsibility, exclusions and the carriage contract still require review.
Flight cancellation or passenger delay compensation, excess baggage charges and customs allowances are separate subjects.
The domestic branch uses Korean law; it is not a calculator for every country’s domestic flights.
Amounts are claim-preparation references.
A late complaint does not automatically turn the displayed amount into zero or establish that every right has been lost.
The governing treaty, inherent defects, claimant contribution, delay defenses, valid declarations and actual payments require separate assessment.
Calculate one passenger’s baggage at a time
Korean domestic carriage
The Commercial Act baseline is 1,131 units of account per passenger.
A unit of account refers to the IMF Special Drawing Right, or SDR; it is not a fixed KRW amount.
Check separately whether the airline contract provides a higher limit.
Montreal Convention carriage
The baggage limit under Article 22(2) is 1,519 SDR per passenger from 2024-12-28.
Confirm the contractual origin, destination, agreed stopping places and whether the itinerary is a single carriage contract.
A domestic connection within an international contract is not automatically independent domestic carriage.
Combine the passenger’s suitcases and contents before applying one ceiling.
Adding two bags or more item rows does not multiply that ceiling.
Assess another passenger separately after checking ownership and the relevant rights.
Warsaw Convention weight-based limits, foreign domestic carriage, cabin baggage and cargo carriage are outside this tool.
Match each input to supporting evidence
Current value and repair cost
Current value means the supported value immediately before the incident, considering condition and use.
It may differ from the original purchase price or the cost of buying a new replacement.
Keep the receipt, purchase date, condition photographs and relevant comparable prices.
No universal statutory depreciation percentage has been verified, so the calculator does not depreciate the purchase price by a guessed annual rate.
An unknown repair cost or an item that cannot be repaired is reviewed using current value; a confirmed repair cost of zero means free repair and is not an unknown value.
Reasonable essential purchases during delay
Enter receipt-supported essentials such as clothing or toiletries that became necessary while the checked baggage was delayed.
Do not also claim the whole value of the suitcase and contents solely because delivery was delayed.
The airline can assess necessity and reasonableness against the duration, purchase purpose and circumstances, including whether the passenger was already home.
KRW per SDR and its reference date
The required unit is Korean won for one SDR.
A KRW/USD rate or SDR per won is a different input.
Enter a verified rate and its reference date; the calculator does not automatically supply a live rate.
Without both inputs, the ordinary KRW ceiling and theoretical airline claim remain pending.
The user-entered conversion supports preparation and negotiation; the judgment-date conversion relevant to litigation may differ.
Liability limits and special declarations
Baseline liability limits for all checked baggage belonging to one passenger| Regime | Baseline ceiling | Authority and conditions |
|---|
| Korean domestic carriage | 1,131 SDR | Commercial Act Article 910(1), per passenger |
| Montreal Convention carriage | 1,519 SDR | Article 22(2), revised limit effective 2024-12-28 |
| Confirmed valid declaration | Verified declared amount | Check advance declaration, required supplementary payment and actual interest |
For a confirmed valid special declaration, the comparison uses the declared amount entered in KRW.
Having a declaration document alone does not establish its legal effect, and the carrier can contest an amount exceeding the actual interest.
An unverified declaration leaves the claim calculation pending.
The law also provides a limit exception for proved intentional conduct or reckless conduct with knowledge that damage would probably result.
The calculator does not decide that issue from a passenger allegation; it preserves a separate-review state instead of producing an unlimited award.
Potential loss and airline claim formulas
- Total-loss item amount = current value immediately before the incident
- Partial-loss or damage item amount = min(current value, confirmed repair cost); no repair figure uses current value
- Delay potential loss = reasonable essential purchases; exclude the whole value of the bags and contents
- Ordinary KRW ceiling C = domestic 1,131 or international 1,519 × KRW per SDR
- Theoretical airline claim A = min(total potential loss D, applicable KRW ceiling C)
- Additional airline request reference = max(A − airline amount already paid or confirmed P, 0)
Do not add both repair cost and full value for the same damage.
Determine the potential loss first and then apply the ceiling.
Keep money already paid separate from money still requested.
An airline payment exceeding the loss for its item signals a scope or input issue requiring review.
Loss above the airline ceiling is not an automatic promise that travel insurance will cover the balance.
Written complaints: distinguish 7 days from 21 days
Report damage promptly when discovered; a reference end date is not a reason to wait.
Receipt of baggage or the date it became available to the passenger can differ from flight arrival or the date a PIR was created.
The reference periods use calendar days, with no automatic weekend or public-holiday extension.
Written notice requirements and calendar reference periods for checked baggage incidents| Incident and regime | Notice basis | Important distinction |
|---|
| Domestic partial loss or damage discoverable immediately | Without delay after receipt | No general 7-day grace period |
| Domestic damage not immediately discoverable | 7 days from receipt | Record how and when it was discovered |
| International damage | Immediately on discovery, no later than 7 days from receipt | Check Article 31 written complaint requirements |
| Domestic or Convention baggage delay | 21 days from availability to the passenger | If not returned, that start date remains pending |
| Total loss | No automatic application of the above 7/21-day short deadline | Review loss recognition, rights and court-action timing separately |
For international damaged baggage received on 2026-11-01, the 7-day calendar reference is 2026-11-08.
For delayed baggage made available on 2026-11-01, the 21-day reference is 2026-11-22.
When a sending date is entered, the calculator compares that date rather than treating a later assessment date as the complaint date.
Unknown sending status does not become an assumed timely notice.
A written claim actually sent before delayed baggage is returned can be recorded; do not wait for its return to report the incident.
After return, supplement receipts as needed and confirm the substance and receipt of the formal written complaint.
A PIR number alone does not establish that the substance and submission requirements of a written complaint have been met; keep the actual claim and sending or receipt evidence.
Under Montreal Convention Article 17(3), 21 days after the expected arrival of still-missing baggage concerns the exercise of contractual rights; it is not the deadline for reporting total loss.
The 2-year court-action provisions in Commercial Act Article 902 and Convention Article 35 are separate from a written complaint to the airline.
Starting events and the forum’s period-calculation rules need separate review, so this calculator does not establish an exact 2-year litigation deadline.
Travel insurance is a policy-specific scenario
Policies differ in their treatment of loss, theft, accidental damage, excluded belongings, deductible order and per-item or aggregate limits.
Having travel insurance does not establish that simply losing a suitcase is covered.
The scenario uses the actual amount paid or confirmed by the airline for each item, after coverage and the calculation method are verified.
An unknown coverage or payment state leaves the total insurance scenario pending; an item confirmed to be excluded contributes zero.
Assumption: per-item deductible before the item cap
Remaining item loss r = max(item loss − airline amount paid or confirmed for that item, 0)
Item insurance scenario b = min(max(r − per-item deductible, 0), per-item limit)
Additional insurance scenario B = min(sum of item b amounts, aggregate policy limit)
A policy applying the item limit before deducting an excess uses a different calculation.
Do not use this scenario until the policy method and required figures are confirmed.
Baggage delay insurance is left for separate endorsement review.
The tool does not allocate theoretical airline claim A among items and does not add A + B as a total payout.
Actual settlement still depends on insurer assessment, subrogation, other insurance and adjustment for overlapping recovery.
From airport report to a saved claim note
- Preserve airport evidence: Notify the baggage desk and retain the PIR, baggage tag, booking and boarding details, and photographs.
If discovered after leaving, record the discovery circumstances and time.
- Confirm carriage and incident type: Check Korean domestic versus Montreal Convention carriage and distinguish total loss, partial loss/damage and delay.
Keep an uncertain regime marked unknown.
- Enter supported amounts: Separate current value, repair cost and confirmed airline payment for every item.
Use receipt amounts for delay essentials and verify the exchange-rate unit and date.
- Submit the written complaint promptly: Check receipt or availability and how damage was discovered.
Keep the submission reference, email content and sending time; do not postpone notice merely because a repair quote is still being prepared.
- Follow up with insurance or dispute resolution: Use airline settlement records to request assessment of the remaining insured loss and obtain written reasons for refusal.
If unresolved, check suitable procedures such as Korea Consumer Agency assistance and organize the saved claim-preparation note with its evidence.
Worked examples using hypothetical numbers
The rate of KRW 2,000 per SDR below is a test assumption, not an official or live exchange rate.
Enter a verified rate and reference date for an actual claim.
International total loss of KRW 4 million
For one passenger with KRW 4,000,000 potential loss, the ordinary ceiling is 1,519 × 2,000 = KRW 3,038,000.
The theoretical airline reference is KRW 3,038,000, leaving KRW 962,000 above that ceiling.
The Korean domestic baseline for the same loss and rate is 1,131 × 2,000 = KRW 2,262,000.
Damage differs from delay
A suitcase worth KRW 500,000 with a KRW 180,000 repair estimate contributes KRW 180,000 potential damage.
If the estimate is KRW 700,000, current value caps that amount at KRW 500,000.
For delay with KRW 200,000 reasonable essential purchases, the delay amount is KRW 200,000; do not add the whole suitcase value.
Insurance after actual airline settlement
Item loss of KRW 500,000 less confirmed airline payment of KRW 200,000 leaves KRW 300,000.
A verified policy with a KRW 10,000 per-item deductible deducted first and a KRW 200,000 item cap produces a KRW 200,000 item scenario.
An aggregate limit of KRW 150,000 reduces additional insurance scenario B to KRW 150,000.
Declared value and year-end dates
A confirmed valid KRW 5,000,000 declaration with KRW 4,000,000 potential loss gives a KRW 4,000,000 reference under the declared ceiling.
International damaged baggage received on 2026-12-25 has a 7-day calendar reference of 2027-01-01.
The tool does not extend that date automatically because it is a holiday; prioritize prompt notice and evidence of submission.
Interpret results without filling evidence gaps
- Visible damage at collection: Korean domestic immediately discoverable damage does not carry a general 7-day grace period.
Report it promptly and verify written receipt, even when staff have given verbal advice.
- Hidden damage found at home: Preserve unpacking photographs and the discovery history, and check whether the not-immediately-discoverable condition applies.
Do not borrow a cargo-specific 14-day rule for checked baggage.
- Baggage still missing: Do not substitute expected flight arrival for the date delayed baggage actually became available.
Distinguish recognition of loss or the Convention’s 21-day rights provision from a complaint deadline.
- A pending result: Unknown is different from zero.
Confirm the rate, regime, declaration, actual airline payment and insurance conditions instead of entering invented zeros merely to obtain a number.
- A late notice or intentional-conduct allegation: The ordinary ceiling is not a legal conclusion.
Exceptions, defenses, jurisdiction and court-action periods need case-specific review.
Frequently asked questions
Do two suitcases receive two limits of 1,519 SDR?
No.
The Montreal Convention baggage baseline applies to the combined baggage of one passenger.
Adding bags or item rows does not increase that ceiling.
Can I use the price of a new replacement suitcase?
Purchase price and supported current value can differ.
Keep evidence of condition and use, and compare the repair estimate.
No universal statutory depreciation rate is assumed.
Can I always wait seven days for domestic damage?
No.
Immediately discoverable partial loss or damage requires notice without delay after receipt under Korean domestic rules.
The 7-day provision concerns damage that could not be discovered immediately.
Does a missing bag become too late to claim after 21 days?
No.
Article 17(3) concerns exercising rights for baggage still missing 21 days after expected arrival.
The separate 21-day written complaint period for delay starts when the baggage becomes available to the passenger.
Does a PIR replace a written claim?
A PIR number alone does not establish that the substance and submission requirements of a written complaint are satisfied.
Send the specific damage and claim details and keep submission evidence.
Can I add the airline ceiling to the insurance ceiling?
No.
The insurance scenario uses item-level remaining loss after actual airline payment or a confirmed settlement.
Do not add the theoretical airline claim and the insurance scenario as a total payout.
Are weekends and holidays automatically extended?
No.
The calculator adds 7 or 21 calendar days without an automatic holiday extension.
Notify promptly and obtain separate advice if the relevant period calculation is disputed.
Does emailing the airline meet the two-year court deadline?
Written notice and a court action are different steps.
Check starting events and period rules under Commercial Act Article 902 or Convention Article 35 separately.
This tool does not fix an exact 2-year litigation deadline.
Official sources and the 2026 verification scope
Primary texts were checked on 2026-11-07.
The Korean Commercial Act record is law ID 001702, MST 273629, Act No. 21044, current text effective 2026-09-10.
That effective date is not the date of the latest amendment to the baggage ceiling; Article 910(1) carries a 2014-05-20 amendment note.
The international 1,519 SDR ceiling comes from the ICAO revision effective 2024-12-28.
- Korean National Law Information Center, Commercial Act Article 910: per-passenger limit, declarations and intentional or reckless conduct exception
- Commercial Act Article 911 and incorporated Article 916 provisions: written notice; Article 902: separate court-action requirement
- ICAO 2024 Revised Limits of Liability: Article 22(2) baggage revision from 1,288 to 1,519 SDR
- Montreal Convention full-text copy: Articles 1, 17, 19, 20, 22, 23, 31, 35 and 52, read with the revised ICAO limits
- IMF currency units per SDR example: verify units and dates; this historical source is not a default or live rate
Recheck later ICAO revisions, Korean law, more favorable carrier terms, the governing treaty, exchange-rate dates and judgment conversion, and each policy’s coverage, deductible order and overlap adjustments.
The calculator does not provide automatic non-economic damages, a universal airline depreciation table or insurance terms common to every travel policy.
After checking the amount, preserve written submission evidence
Compare the inputs with the PIR, baggage tag, photographs, value evidence, repair estimate and essential-purchase receipts.
Save the claim-preparation note, send the incident history and request to the airline in writing, then use the settlement record to check the remaining insured loss.
Keep notice timely even if the amount remains under discussion.