PIR report · claims · deadlines
Lost Luggage at Bodrum Airport
Your bag did not come off the belt. Here is exactly what to do, in order, and what you are entitled to.
Do not leave the airport first. The PIR report must be filed before you exit the baggage hall. Claims made after you have left are significantly harder to pursue.
Step by Step
- 1
Wait for the belt to finish
Make sure the last bag from your flight has come out. Similar suitcases get taken by mistake — check the tag number on anything that looks like yours before you report a loss.
- 2
Go to the airline baggage desk
It is in the reclaim hall. Have your boarding pass, booking reference and the baggage tag receipt ready. Say which terminal you arrived at — Bodrum has two separate buildings.
- 3
File a PIR report
The Property Irregularity Report is the official record. Keep the reference number: every subsequent enquiry and claim runs through it.
- 4
Give a delivery address
Found bags are delivered to your accommodation. Provide the hotel name, room number and a phone number that actually works in Turkey.
- 5
Keep receipts for essentials
Reasonable spending on clothing and toiletries while you wait is usually reimbursed. You cannot reconstruct receipts afterwards — keep them from day one.
- 6
Follow up
Most bags are located within 24 to 72 hours. After 21 days a bag is formally considered lost and the compensation process begins.
Compensation and Deadlines
International flights are covered by the Montreal Convention, which caps airline liability for loss, damage and delay at roughly 1,288 SDR per passenger. SDR is a fluctuating IMF unit, so the figure in pounds or euros moves.
The deadlines are strict: 7 days from receipt to give written notice of damage, and 21 days for delayed baggage. Miss them and the claim can be refused outright, however clear the facts are.
Do not put valuables — electronics, jewellery, medication, documents — in hold luggage. Airline liability for these is limited or excluded entirely, and travel insurance applies its own single-item limits on top.
Items Left in the Terminal or on the Aircraft
For personal items left in the terminal, contact airport information: +90 252 523 01 01. Describe the item, say roughly where you were and at what time, and state which terminal — domestic or international.
Items left on the aircraft are not handled by airport lost property; they go to the airline or its ground handler. Contact your airline with your flight number and seat number.
Items left at security are usually held by the security unit. Airport information will direct you to the right desk.
What Makes a Bag Easier to Find
Five minutes before you travel saves days afterwards.
- 1
Photograph the packed case
One shot of the closed case and one of the contents. It settles arguments about what was inside and speeds up any insurance claim.
- 2
Put a name tag inside as well as outside
External tags get torn off on the belt. A card inside with your name, phone number and hotel is what actually reunites a bag with its owner.
- 3
Make it visually distinctive
A bright strap or a printed ribbon stops another passenger walking off with your identical black case in the first place.
- 4
Split the essentials
A change of clothes, all medication, chargers and documents go in the cabin. If the case is delayed you then lose convenience, not the holiday.
Lost Luggage — Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PIR report?
A Property Irregularity Report — the official record of a missing or damaged bag. File it at your airline’s baggage desk before leaving the airport and keep the reference number, because every later claim runs through it.
How long does it take to find a lost bag?
Most bags are located within 24 to 72 hours and delivered to your accommodation. After 21 days a bag is formally treated as lost and the compensation process begins.
Can I claim for clothes I had to buy?
Reasonable essential purchases during a baggage delay are usually reimbursed. Keep every receipt and quote your PIR reference when you claim — receipts cannot be reconstructed later.
How much compensation can I get for a lost bag?
Under the Montreal Convention, up to approximately 1,288 SDR per passenger. SDR is a fluctuating IMF unit, so the equivalent in your own currency varies with exchange rates.
I left something on the plane — who do I contact?
Your airline or its ground handler, not airport lost property. Quote your flight number and seat number. For items left in the terminal itself, call airport information on +90 252 523 01 01.
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