Baggage liability

Reimbursement

Reimbursement for expenses will be based upon acceptable proof of claim. Contact the Baggage Resolution Center for more information.

For travel within or between the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, United's liability for any form of damage as a result of loss, damage or delay in delivery of a customer's personal property shall be limited to the fair market value at the time of loss, damage or delay and will not exceed $3,800.00 USD/CAD per customer, except for wheelchairs and other assistive devices.

For international travel to which the Warsaw Convention applies (including domestic* portions of international travel), United's liability is limited to approximately $9.07 USD/CAD per pound up to $640.00 USD/CAD per bag for checked baggage and $400.00 USD/CAD per customer for unchecked baggage.

For international travel to which the Montreal Convention applies (including domestic* portions of international travel), United's liability is limited to 1,288 SDR (Special Drawing Rights) per customer for checked and unchecked baggage. Exchange rates are available online at imf.org.

High-value, fragile or perishable items

If you’re traveling with high-value, fragile or perishable items, we recommend keeping them in carry-on bags or personal items instead of checked bags. If you choose to pack high-value, fragile or perishable items in your checked bags or as checked bags for domestic* travel, we’re not liable for the loss of, damage to or delay in delivery of such items.

Visit our page about high-value, fragile and perishable items for a detailed list of excluded items. For international travel, our liability is limited as per above.

Damaged bags

We know you count on us to handle your bags with care, and it’s possible your checked bags may show signs of wear because of normal handling. However, if you believe we damaged your checked bags, please review our page about damaged bags to see how to submit a claim. You won’t be able to report damaged bags by email or through our website.

We're not liable if you have a damaged bag because of:

  • An existing defect with the bag
  • The bag’s poor quality
  • Overpacking the bag
  • Ordinary wear and tear

Footnotes

*Domestic travel includes travel within or between the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.