We spent 15 days in Portugal without our suitcase, which held almost everything we needed for the trip. By the time the bag showed up, three days after we returned home, the trip was over and the damage had been done. Our checked bag, filled with clothes and toiletries, was stuck at Lisbon Airport for the duration of our stay.
It never made it onto the flight from Dulles to Lisbon. Despite daily calls to the airline, it was still stuck in Lisbon while we worked. Since we keep camera gear in our carry-on, everything else for the trip was packed in the missing suitcase. We were forced to buy a new wardrobe just to keep up with our busy work schedule.
When the airline initially offered just $800, it barely covered what we had spent to stay presentable and continue our work.
Many travelers stop there, accepting the airline’s final offer. But international rules give you more leverage than they might admit. If you stay organized, understand the regulations under the Montreal Convention, and challenge an inadequate offer, you can get a better result.
We kept everything organized, followed the rules, and pushed for more. Eventually, the airline raised our reimbursement to $2,200, nearly three times their initial offer. Here’s how we handled the claim, and how you can do the same if you find yourself in this situation.
Two Weeks Working In Portugal With No Bag
The trouble began as soon as we landed in Lisbon. We walked into the baggage hall, waited at the carousel, and watched other suitcases circle around without ours. When it was clear our bag was not coming, we headed to the counter and filled out a missing baggage report. We clearly asked for the suitcase to be delivered to our hotel since we had more travel planned.
Somewhere in that process, the staff member clicked the wrong option in the system. Our file was marked as if we would return to the airport to pick up the bag ourselves. That did not match reality at all, because we were taking a train to Porto the next morning and the suitcase was not expected to arrive for at least another day. That one small mistake in the computer created days of confusion and was the first step toward not seeing the bag again until long after we were home.
Every single day of that trip we called the airline to ask for news. Every single day someone told us that the suitcase would arrive later that day. It never showed up. We updated our hotel details again and again so they would know where to send it. Different agents gave us different versions of the story. One person said with complete confidence that the suitcase had already been delivered back to the United States five days earlier. For that to be true, the bag would have needed a time machine.
Dealing with the Missing Luggage While Working Abroad
While this chaos dragged on, we still had to do our jobs. We were in Portugal to interview people, attend meetings, and shoot photos. Our cameras and lenses stayed with us in our carry on bags, which is non negotiable because they are our work tools. That meant everything else lived in the missing suitcase. Business dresses for meetings, undergarments, pajamas, simple toiletries, comfortable walking shoes all of it was gone.
To stay presentable and professional, we had to replace enough items to keep the trip going. We tried very hard to spend carefully. We bought fewer toiletries than we would normally pack and chose cheaper clothing when we could. Before buying anything, we asked one basic question. Will this item help us get through the next few days without wasting money. We skipped comfort shopping and focused only on what was needed.
Right before it was time to fly home, we hit one more problem. We needed a suitcase to bring everything we had bought back with us. The shops near our hotel and on our schedule had limited options. We ended up buying a bag that cost several hundred dollars and was not our style. We still had to buy it because it was sturdy, big enough, and available when we needed it.
By the time we boarded the return flight, the stress of chasing our suitcase and rebuilding a wardrobe had overshadowed almost everything else about the trip.
When The Airline’s First Offer Is Far Too Low
Once we landed back in the United States and moved straight into another work trip, we finally found a small window of time to file a claim.
We sat down and made a list of every single item we had bought while the suitcase was missing. For each purchase, we wrote down what it was, why we needed it, and how much it cost. We attached receipts and proof of purchase to every line. After we added up the numbers and included taxes, the total came out to a little over 2,300 dollars.
The airline replied by email. The message said that the receipts we had submitted were too high and that the company would only pay 800 dollars for everything.
Because we had kept records of every purchase and because we understood the basics of our rights under the Montreal Convention, we knew that this first number was not the whole story.
We could have sent back an angry reply filled with emotion. Instead, we wrote one careful email and focused on the facts.
We explained that the suitcase never reached us at any point during a 15-day international business trip. Due to this, we had to purchase basic clothes, shoes, and toiletries to continue working and stay presentable. Our request was simple: we only sought reimbursement for reasonable and necessary expenses, not luxury items.
Reminding the Airline of Passenger Rights and Following Up
We also reminded the airline that international passenger rules set limits on how much a carrier may have to pay for delayed or lost baggage and that these limits apply to many international flights under the Montreal Convention. We pointed out that our total reimbursement request was still under that maximum and that the 800 dollar offer did not match the standard set by those rules. If you want to do something similar, you should always check the current rules and confirm that your trip is actually covered before you rely on them.
The email did not include insults or threats. It read more like a short, clear memo than a complaint written in the heat of the moment. We showed that we knew the rules, that we had proof for every purchase, and that the airline had responsibilities it could not just ignore.
Then we waited for a reply.
When we did not hear back, we followed up. Not once, but twice. Each time, we stayed calm and used the same steady tone. No one fixed it right away. Almost two full months passed between the first low offer and the final answer.
When the airline finally wrote back again, the number changed. The reimbursement went from 800 dollars to 2,193 dollars. That new amount almost matched our full out of pocket costs.
The higher payment did not give us back the more than 40 hours we had spent on hold and on calls. It did not remove the stress of shopping for clothes and toiletries between interviews. It also did not change the fact that our suitcase sat at Lisbon Airport for most of the trip while different agents told us different stories.
How to Stay Confident When Your Luggage Goes Missing
This experience taught us a lot about how airlines deal with delayed and lost baggage.
Airlines know passengers are often exhausted after long trips and many don’t fully understand their rights. As a result, many travelers accept the first offer, even if it only covers a small part of their expenses.
We didn’t get a better payout by yelling, but by staying organized, calm, and refusing to accept an unfair offer.
Here’s how to handle the situation if your luggage is missing for days:
- Keep all receipts and document your costs as you go. Take clear photos of each receipt and make notes explaining why each item was necessary.
- Spend within the limits set by delayed baggage rules. Stick to the basics: clean shirts, underwear, shoes, and toiletries.
- Track all communication with the airline. Note case numbers, the names of agents, and any promises they make.
- When filing your claim, explain the timeline of the missing bag, what you needed to buy, and the cost. Attach receipts and mention the Montreal Convention if your trip is covered.
- If the first offer is too low, politely decline it and ask the airline to reassess your case. You deserve reimbursement that matches your actual expenses.
If your luggage is lost during an important trip, you have the right to ask for compensation for essential items. Stay calm, gather your evidence, and use the rules to your advantage for a fair reimbursement.
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