Baggage on board

Baggage problems

See the procedures to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

Have you not received your baggage?

If you have not received your baggage you must report the situation to us immediately, so we can resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Report delayed baggage

Let us know immediately if your baggage doesn’t arrive at your destination by filling out the Lost & Found online form within 24 hours of landing and avoid queues at the airport. Please note that it is not possible to complete this form online if your destination is in Brazil (except Sao Paulo - Guarulhos), Italy, or the United Kingdom due to legal restrictions.You can report up to 5 pieces of baggage per form. This service is only available for flights operated by TAP Portugal, TAP Express and White Airlines.

You can also report missing baggage at the Lost & Found desks located in the baggage claim area.
The details of your luggage are entered in the computer search system used by most airlines. 

The success rate is 95% and most baggage is delivered within 48 hours of registration of the loss.

If we are unable to find your baggage after 72 hours, we will request a more accurate description of the appearance and content, and also ask you to complete the baggage inventory form (PDF, 0.3MB, PT, EN). There is a deadline of 5 days after the loss to deliver the document. 

Track your baggage

Stay up-to-date on the process to find your baggage. 

You can check our baggage tracer at any time and make changes to the process data, using the registration number provided when reporting the loss.

Since all bags are very similar, any identifying details are very important.

 

Damaged or tampered baggage

Check your bag before leaving the airport. If it is damaged or you notice articles are missing, let us know immediately. 

You can do it at the airport, at the Lost & Found desks near the carousels where the bags arrive, so your complaint is registered and the respective document issued. 

You must keep this document until the matter is settled.
 
Before reporting baggage damage

Please note that baggage registered at check-in suffers, during handling and transit through airport facilities, normal and unavoidable wear.
As such, TAP cannot assume responsibility for minor damage, such as:

  • Scratches;
  • Small signs of dirt;
  • Small cuts or dents;
  • Zipper puller;
  • Loss of removable/detachable accessories;
  • Damage due to excess baggage content;
  • Items not accepted for transportation*.

* (See general transport conditions)

Compensation and liability

If we cannot find your baggage in a reasonable time, we are willing to compensate you as stated in the terms and conditions of our liability. 

Please contact us in order to start the compensation process.

As specified in the Transportation Conditions, the liability of TAP for the loss and delay of baggage is limited and a loss process is only set in motion after analysis of the information.

 

FAQs

You can report lost baggage using the Self Service PIR app.
You should do this within 24 hours of landing.  You can report to 5 pieces of baggage per form. 
Please note that it is not possible to complete this form online if your destination is in Brazil (except Sao Paulo - Guarulhos), Italy, or the United Kingdom due to legal restrictions. 

If you arrived at one of the above destinations or more than 24 hours have passed and you cannot submit a report online, you should do so through our Talk to Us service, including as much information as possible (baggage label, boarding pass, etc.)

 

You should report it as soon as you discover the problem, either at the airport’s Lost & Found area or through our Self Service PIR app, available up to 24 hours after you arrive at your destination.
This app is not available your destination is Brazil (except of São Paulo - Guarulhos), Italy or the United Kingdom due to legal restrictions.  
In addition to this initial report, you should submit a claim in writing through the website, within a maximum period of:

  • 21 days - in the case of lost baggage;
  • 7 days - in the case of damaged baggage, from the time you received your baggage.
 

This is the irregularity record number, whether it relates to a delayed arrival or damaged baggage.
It is a unique code that helps us locate delayed or damaged baggage and should be used in any action related to the irregularity.
It’s a combination of 5 letters and 5 numbers (e.g. FRATP12345) and can be found above your name on the receipt you were given at the airport. 

If you receive a reference code by email or text that’s different to the one given to you at the airport, please use the last (most recent) one you received.

 

We search for your baggage with the help of a tracking system called Worldtracer©, to which hundreds of airlines around the world are connected. 
Our teams will do all they can to locate it as quickly as possible. 
We will perform a search at every airport on your itinerary, using your description of the baggage. In addition to this, our teams on the ground will physically check the baggage transport, storage and loading areas.  The success rate is 95% and most baggage is delivered within 48 hours of registration of the loss.
If your baggage is not located within 5 days, since we were unable to identify your baggage on its external appearance we will begin a search on the basis of baggage contents. During this phase, TAP will contact you and ask for a detailed list of the items inside your baggage. If you prefer, you can do this immediately by using the baggage inventory form.

Using this list, TAP will cross-check the items against the database of all available baggage contents in an attempt to identify your baggage. 

If you are not in your country of residence and you have incurred essential expenses (e.g. purchase of personal care products or underwear) due to your missing baggage, you should submit a claim including receipts for the purchase of essential items, which are required in order to assess your claim. 
Any baggage claim must be submitted in writing as soon as possible within a maximum of 21 days after confirmation that the baggage is missing on arrival. 

As soon as your baggage has been located, you will receive an e-mail notification of the delivery details.

Using our baggage locator you can also monitor updates related to the search and update your contact details. It is important you use the link to verify your correct e-mail address to ensure we can contact you about your baggage.

You can also call our Contact Center or call the number printed on the document given to you when you reported your missing baggage.

As soon as we find your baggage we will send it to the address you provided in the report. If there are any issues, we will contact you at the telephone number your provide in the report.

If you have given us your e-mail address, we will send a notification of the delivery details to that address.

Please note that in some countries local laws prohibit baggage from being sent to your address. In such cases, you should collect the baggage from the airport. Please see the following: Accra/Dakar/Banjul/Conakry/Bissau/São Tomé and Príncipe/Abidjan/ Maputo/ Luanda /Morocco

TAP is cross-checking the items on the list you provided against a database of all available baggage contents, both at TAP and other airlines, in order to find which might be yours. This is a complex process that normally takes a few days.
Provide precise and detailed descriptions on the contents form. If possible, gather the information describing the item(s) before filling out the form, and don’t forget to include any and all recognisable details that can help with the search. If possible, include a photo of your baggage.

We will carry out a detailed search for your baggage for 21 days from the date of your flight.

If we are unable to find your baggage within this period, you will receive a notification including a link to the form to be submitted for the compensation claim. This form is required for your claim to be initiated. Please note that unless you complete this form we will not initiate the lost baggage compensation process.

Customer satisfaction is our priority here at TAP. We will always seek to return all baggage to its rightful owner. Any baggage found that can be returned to its owner will be returned, no matter how much time has passed.
We know your baggage is extremely important to you. It is also extremely important to us. If we haven’t found your baggage, it is because it has not been possible to find it, despite all the efforts made by our staff involved in the search, who have been absolutely focused on finding and returning it to you. At this point, you should fill out the form to start the compensation process. 

You should contact TAP Lost & Found to organise the return of the baggage that is not yours. You should also complete a missing baggage report form with details of your baggage.

To speed up the return process, please find our contact details here.