Here is an illustration, not a real case. A parent hands a pushchair over at the aircraft door, and at baggage reclaim the frame is bent. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Citizens Advice and easyJet each publish guidance on damaged bags, and each sets a seven-day window for making a claim. The pages were read on 28 October 2026. Citizens Advice’s page is written for England, and it links to separate versions for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Does a pushchair count as a bag?
None of the three damaged-bag pages names pushchairs. They speak of bags and luggage. The CAA says that when hold luggage is lost, delayed or damaged, airlines are liable for the losses, and Citizens Advice says there is a legal right to claim compensation from the airline if checked-in luggage is damaged.
What easyJet’s children’s page says is where a pushchair fits. The airline carries up to two items per child in the hold for free, a pushchair among them. A pushchair needed to reach the boarding gate is collected before boarding, placed in the aircraft hold, and available at baggage reclaim on arrival. Ask the airline how to register damage to a pushchair accepted into the hold. Its reporting process does not replace any rights that apply under baggage law.
At the airport: report it before leaving
The CAA says damage should be reported on arrival at the airport, and that most airlines have a dedicated baggage desk in the baggage claims area. A passenger may receive a Property Irregularity Report (PIR), and the CAA adds that having a PIR is no guarantee that the airline will accept the claim. Citizens Advice says there is no legal duty to report straight away, but doing so makes any compensation more likely, and that the PIR is the form from customer services in the baggage claims hall.
easyJet asks for more. Its page says to take a photo of the damage before leaving the airport, and that photos taken later may not be accepted.
The clock: seven days, and three ways of counting it
The same deadline appears in all of the guidance, but the starting point is worded differently:
- The CAA says a written claim to the airline is needed within seven days for damaged baggage.
- Citizens Advice gives 7 days after getting the luggage back.
- easyJet says the report and the claim registration must both be complete within 7 days of the flight.
The treaty text behind most of this is Article 31 of the Montreal Convention, set out in the UK’s 2002 implementing Order (as originally made). It says that in the case of damage the person entitled to delivery must complain to the carrier forthwith after discovering it and, at the latest, within seven days from the date of receipt in the case of checked baggage. Every complaint must be in writing, and if none is made in time, no action lies against the carrier, save in the case of fraud. For checked baggage covered by the Convention, complain in writing as soon as damage is discovered and no later than seven days after receipt. Follow the airline’s reporting process promptly as well.
What can be claimed, and what is usually refused
Compensation depends on the loss proved. For baggage claims covered by the Montreal Convention, the usual liability limit is 1,519 Special Drawing Rights per passenger, effective from 28 December 2024 according to ICAO. This is a limit, not an automatic payout, and its sterling value changes with exchange rates. If a claim is accepted, the airline may pay for repair or provide a replacement. Airlines do not allow “new for old” and value an item by its age when it was lost.
Citizens Advice says airlines will not usually provide new-for-old replacement or pay for stress, inconvenience or other consequences of a luggage problem. It also lists what to gather: the boarding card, the luggage labels, the PIR or the airline’s written confirmation of the report, proof of purchase, photographs of the damage and cost estimates for any repair.
easyJet publishes its own exclusions. Its page says it cannot be responsible for damage that is superficial or external, such as scuffs and scratches. The page does not mention pushchairs, so how that exclusion applies to one is a matter for the airline.
Writing the claim and what follows a refusal
Citizens Advice says to ask how the airline wants the claim sent and, if there is no claim form, to write to customer services. It suggests stating that the letter is a claim for compensation under the Montreal Convention, giving the flight details, what happened, the amount asked for and a description of everything damaged, and keeping copies.
If the airline does not resolve it, Citizens Advice says to complain to the CAA, which will only consider a luggage complaint if the airline or airport is not a member of an approved alternative dispute resolution scheme. As a last resort it mentions the small claims court, within 2 years of the flight, which it warns can be expensive and time-consuming.
Is travel insurance the better route?
Both the CAA and Citizens Advice raise it. The CAA says it might be better to claim on travel insurance because airlines may not pay out the true cost, though policies typically carry an excess of around £40 and often a time limit. Citizens Advice says that anyone with travel or home contents insurance that covers luggage is likely to be better off claiming through insurance. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
The bottom line
The three pages describe the same sequence: report the damage at the airport, photograph it, put a written claim to the airline within seven days, and expect a payment based on the item’s value, because airlines do not allow new for old. None names pushchairs, so check the airline’s reporting process, while keeping the applicable legal deadlines and rights in view. Check the airline’s current wording before travelling.
Sources
- Lost, delayed or damaged baggage, UK Civil Aviation Authority, read 28 October 2026 (caa.co.uk)
- Get airline compensation for lost or delayed luggage, Citizens Advice (England), read 28 October 2026 (citizensadvice.org.uk)
- Damaged or delayed bags and lost property, easyJet, read 28 October 2026 (easyjet.com)
- Flying with children, easyJet, read 28 October 2026 (easyjet.com)
- The Carriage by Air Acts (Implementation of the Montreal Convention 1999) Order 2002, Schedule 1 (as made), read 28 October 2026 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Press release: International air travel liability limits set to increase, International Civil Aviation Organization, 18 October 2024, read 28 October 2026 (icao.int)