A PIR (Property Irregularity Report) is the baggage report you fill in at the baggage desk of your arrival airport, before you leave, when your bag is missing or damaged. You get a 10-character reference that lets you track the search and that you quote in your written claim to the airline, due within 7 days for damage and within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag. Here is how to fill it in properly.
What a PIR is and why it matters
The PIR is the official record that you reported the problem at the airport. It is handled by the baggage services or lost and found desk, often run by a ground handling company on behalf of the airline, and logged in the worldwide baggage tracing system used by almost every airline. It does three things:
- starts the search for a delayed or lost bag;
- proves that the damage or delay happened during the journey, not afterwards;
- links your claim to the right file through the reference.
Note that the PIR is not your claim. You still need to send a written claim to the airline within the Montreal Convention deadlines.
The 10-character PIR reference
The reference, also called the file reference, has 10 characters: the 3-letter airport code, the 2-character airline code and 5 digits. For example, DUBEI12345 would be a file opened at Dublin (DUB) for an Aer Lingus flight (EI). Keep it safe: you need it to track your bag online, to speak to the baggage desk and to make your claim.
How to fill in the PIR form
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Passenger details | Name as on the ticket, phone number, email |
| Flight | Flight number, date, route and any connections |
| Bag tag | The number on the sticker you got at check-in |
| Bag description | Type, colour, brand, material, distinctive marks |
| Contents | A few recognisable items that help identify it |
| Delivery address | Where you will be over the next few days, with dates |
| Damage | Wheels, handles, zips, tears: describe and photograph them |
Read it through before you sign and ask for a copy. If the desk is closed or unstaffed, photograph the bag, keep your evidence and contact the airline in writing straight away.
From PIR to claim: step by step
- Fill in the PIR at the airport before leaving the baggage hall, and keep the copy with the reference.
- Keep your evidence: boarding pass, bag tag, photos of the damage, receipts for essentials you had to buy.
- Send a written claim to the airline quoting the PIR reference: within 7 days of receiving a damaged bag, within 21 days of getting back a delayed one.
- If the bag has not turned up after 21 days, it is treated as lost: claim the value of the bag and its contents, with a list of items and any proof of purchase.
- Keep proof that you sent the claim and chase it if you get no reply.
The airline's liability is capped at 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger, about €1,800, unless you made a special declaration of value at check-in. See our guides to the Montreal Convention and lost luggage for the full rules.
Delayed bag and delayed flight: two separate claims
The PIR only covers your bag. If your flight also arrived 3 hours or more late, was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice or you were denied boarding, you may be owed €250, €400 or €600 per passenger under Regulation EC 261/2004 on top. With DelayFlight24 you can check for free in 2 minutes: you pay nothing upfront and our fee is 25% + VAT only if you get compensated. The rules are on our delayed flight page.
Frequently asked questions about the PIR form
Where do I fill in a PIR?
At the baggage services or lost and found desk of your arrival airport, in the baggage hall, before you leave.
Can I file a PIR after leaving the airport?
Some airlines let you do it online, but it is harder to prove the problem, so do it on the spot. If you could not, contact the airline in writing as soon as possible.
Is the PIR the same as a claim?
No. It is the airport report; you must also send a written claim to the airline within 7 days for damage and 21 days for a delay.
How do I track my bag?
With the 10-character PIR reference and your surname, on the baggage tracing website shown on your copy or on the airline's website.
How much can I get if my bag is lost?
The value of the bag and its contents, up to 1,519 SDR per passenger, about €1,800.
Work out your compensation now
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Find out more
- Air passenger rights
- Delayed flight: when you can claim compensation
- Cancelled flight: refund and compensation
- Overbooking: what you are owed
- What our service costs
Article updated on 22/10/2026 by the DelayFlight24 editorial team.