Delayed, lost or damaged baggage on a flight to or from Canada
Your bag is worth what you can prove, up to the Montreal Convention limit, plus the fees you paid to check it.
Maximum refunded (Montreal Convention)
$1,800
Liability limit 1,519 SDR = $2,892 · IMF rate of 20 October 2026
Write to the airline within as soon as possible; a bag counts as lost after 21 days. Court time limit: 2 years.
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · law as of October 22, 2026 · 4,008 airports (OurAirports)
For baggage, Canada’s Air Passenger Protection Regulations do not set their own scale. Section 23 requires the airline to pay at least the baggage fees you paid plus the compensation due under the Carriage by Air Act, which gives effect to the Montreal Convention, or the same amount on a domestic flight. Since 28 December 2024 the Convention limit is 1,519 special drawing rights per passenger, close to 2,900 Canadian dollars at the IMF rates of October 2026 (the calculator shows the exact figure and its date); it is a ceiling, not a flat amount, and you are paid the documented value of the loss or the reasonable cost of essentials bought while waiting. A bag counts as lost after 21 days, or earlier if the airline admits the loss. Write to the airline within 7 days of receiving a damaged bag, within 21 days of getting back a delayed one, and as soon as possible for a lost one; a court action must be brought within two years.
The limit, converted
The Convention limit is 1,519 special drawing rights per passenger, revised by ICAO (table certified in UK SI 2025/123) with effect from 28 December 2024. At the IMF rate of 20 October 2026, that is $2,892, or €1,834 and £1,538 for the same bag in Europe or the UK. The Canadian Transportation Agency notified carriers of the new limits.
Baggage: the most the airline pays
Maximum
$2,892
| Limit 1,519 SDR | $2,892 |
IMF rate of 20 October 2026
Deadlines that cannot be missed
| Situation | Write to the airline within | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged bag | 7 days of receipt | photos, repair quote |
| Delayed bag | 21 days of getting it back | receipts for essentials |
| Lost bag | as soon as possible | lost after 21 days, or when admitted |
| Court action | 2 years | from arrival or scheduled arrival |
The Agency’s deadline page gives the same periods. Missing the 7 or 21-day window can end the claim entirely, whatever the value of the bag, so send a short written notice first and complete it later with receipts.
A bag delayed and a flight delayed
A late bag and a late flight are separate claims. The flight compensation of $400 to $1,000 depends on the cause and the hours lost (calculator for delays in Canada); the bag claim depends on what you spent or lost. Send them as two requests so that a refusal of one does not hold up the other, and quote the same booking reference in both.