Frequently asked questions: damaged baggage

Please report to us immediately any baggage damaged during carriage so that we can deal with your concern as quickly as possible. At most airports the best option is to do online or at the SWISS baggage tracing office (“Lost and Found” at the airport). You will receive written confirmation with a reference number (PIR no., e.g. ZRHLX12345). Make sure to keep this safe.

If you do not notice the damage until after you arrive home or at your hotel, you must report it within seven days after your flight.

​​Report damaged baggage online up to three days after your flight.

​​Report damaged baggage if the online service is not available.

If you discover damage to your baggage, you must report it immediately. Report your damage no later than seven days after receipt of your checked baggage.

In this case you should report the damage to the airline operating the flight once you have noticed the damage. If you travelled with more than one airline without reclaiming your baggage between connecting flights and checking it in again, please report your damaged baggage to the airline that operated your last flight.

If you only discover that your delayed baggage is damaged when you collect it, please report this immediately to the local SWISS baggage tracing office (“Lost and Found” at the airport). If your delayed baggage has been delivered to you, please report the damage within seven days of receiving your baggage. You have the following options:

​​Report damaged baggage online up to three days after your flight.

​​Report damaged baggage if the online service is not available.

Please note that the law excludes any claims if the damage is not notified immediately after it is discovered or is notified later than seven days after acceptance of the baggage. SWISS is also not liable for damage caused by items in your baggage (including fragile, unsuitably packed and perishable items), unless we caused such damage through gross negligence or wilful misconduct.

If you do not notice damage until after you arrive home or at your hotel, you can report your damaged baggage online within seven days after your flight. An online service is available within the first three days after your flight. Please report damage from longer than three days ago using a special baggage form on swiss.com. Please also use this if the online service is not available.

​​Report damaged baggage online up to three days after your flight.

​​Report damaged baggage if the online service is not available.

As soon as we have received your damage report via one of these two options, you will receive confirmation by e-mail with a reference number.

Please keep the following documents ready to hand to report your damaged baggage:

• Ticket number and flight details
• Baggage ID
• Photo of the damaged bag

Please take clear photos that clearly show the extent of the damage.

If the online service is not available or is not working, you can still report your damaged baggage within seven days after your flight or after your delayed baggage has been returned to you using a special baggage form on swiss.com. You can provide all the necessary information about the damage and your travel details in this way.

​​Report damaged baggage if the online service is not available.

If you use the online service to report damage within three days after your flight, you can summarise all damaged bags in a single report by entering the baggage ID and a description of the damage directly in the online service. You can generally report up to ten items online.

You will receive confirmation by e-mail with a reference number (PIR no., e.g. ZRHLX12345) once you have reported your damaged baggage. All the further steps required will be listed in this confirmation.

Dolfi1920 GmbH processes all baggage repairs and compensation payments for damaged baggage on behalf of SWISS. Once your damage report has been checked, Dolfi1920 GmbH will contact you about possible compensation.

Please note that Dolfi1920 GmbH does not handle cases concerning mobility aids such as wheelchairs or walking aids. Please report any damage to mobility aids, wheelchairs or walking frames using the baggage form.

​​​Report damage to mobility aids online.

No specific status updates about your damage report will be provided because every report is handled individually. Please be assured that we will be working actively on a solution once you have reported your damaged baggage. If you have not yet received any feedback, SWISS Feedback Management and the service provider need more time to process your report and will contact you as soon as possible. This will generally be within a few working days.

You will find contact details on the confirmation of receipt of your report that you received from the baggage tracing desk or in the attachment to your confirmation e-mail if you reported the damaged baggage via the online service. Please note that our social media team cannot assist in answering questions about the status of your report. If you have not yet received any feedback, SWISS Feedback Management and the service provider need more time to process your report and will contact you as soon as possible. This will generally be within a few working days.

Airlines are liable for damage that occurred while your baggage was in their custody,
i.e. generally in the time between accepting and handing over your baggage. You are entitled to compensation if you reported your damaged baggage within the specified deadline of seven days after your flight or within seven days of receipt of your delayed baggage.

At some airports replacement baggage can be obtained from the local SWISS baggage tracing office (“Lost and Found”). Your report will be examined once you have reported your claim in person and an immediate replacement will be offered if possible. If no replacement was possible and/or you reported your damaged baggage online, our service provider Dolfi1920 GmbH will check your damage report and contact you to handle this. Your bag may be repaired or replaced. A payment of compensation for the current value of your bag may also be made. Fifteen per cent will be deducted from the original price for each year and partial year of use, up to a maximum deduction of 70 per cent.

Airlines are liable for damage that occurred while your baggage was in their custody, i.e. generally in the time between accepting and handing over your baggage.

Important:

• We recommend that you carry valuables such as jewellery, money or medicines in your hand baggage.
• Baggage includes everything that you checked in, e.g. suitcases, sports baggage (but not the equipment inside them), prams, bicycle containers, etc.
• You are responsible for your hand baggage.
• SWISS is not liable for minor damage such as scratches, small dents and damage caused by overpacking, as well as other minor damage that does not impair the function of the baggage.

Please also note that the following items are excluded from liability:

• Perishable items (such as flowers or meat)
• Fragile items (such as china)
• Improperly packed items (such as a bottle of red wine)
• Dangerous goods and prohibited items

If non-permitted contents are discovered in a bag, airport security will open the bag and confiscate the prohibited item. This is not the airline’s responsibility. Please contact the relevant airport security or customs in this case for immediate clarification.

The liability of airlines for travel baggage is regulated by law. Entitlement to compensation is granted according to the Montreal Convention. The compensation itself is specified in so-called Special Drawing Rights (SDR). Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) are an artificial accounting unit created by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The maximum liability is 1,288 SDRs at present, which is currently equivalent to approx. EUR 1,500. This amount is subject to exchange rate fluctuations and therefore may change.

The Montreal Convention applies both to domestic and international carriage between contracting states.

There are various types of compensation depending on the nature of the damage to your baggage.

There are the following options when you report your damaged baggage to the SWISS baggage tracing office at the airport (“Lost and Found”):

Immediate replacement at the airport

At some airports replacement baggage can be obtained from the local SWISS baggage tracing office (“Lost and Found”). Your report will be examined once you have reported your claim in person and an immediate replacement will be offered if possible. You can select a bag equivalent to the price range of your original bag. The brands available will differ from one airport to another.

Replacement outside the airport

If you reported your damaged bag at the airport, but decided against accepting an immediate replacement, e.g. because you did not want to repack or carry the additional baggage, you will receive a receipt with a link that will enable you to choose your replacement baggage online. The new bag will then be delivered to you.

Some bags cannot be considered for replacement, e.g. because the brand concerned is not available. If this is the case, you will receive a form to enable you to submit your damage report online and upload photos of the damage.

Processing of online damage reports

If you reported your damaged baggage online, our service provider Dolfi1920 GmbH will check your report and assess the damage. Dolfi1920 GmbH will then notify you whether you should send your baggage for repair or receive a voucher. You can use this voucher to select a new bag via the Dolfi1920 GmbH website. You will have to pay the difference if you choose a bag that is more expensive than the value of the voucher.

If your baggage cannot be repaired or replaced, or if you refuse this, you will be compensated for the current value of your baggage. Fifteen per cent will be deducted from the original price for each year and partial year of use, up to a maximum deduction of 70 per cent.

That will depend on the compensation option offered to you. While you may possibly receive a replacement suitcase or bag immediately when you report your damaged baggage at the airport, the processing of online reports may take several days before you are informed about the next steps. The time required for the repair or replacement of your baggage may vary depending on the total quantity of the damaged baggage processed by Dolfi1920 GmbH.

If your baggage cannot be repaired or replaced, or if you refuse this, you can demand compensation for the current value of your baggage. For each year and part thereof of use,
fifteen per cent of the value will be deducted from the original price, up to a maximum deduction of 70 per cent.