What to do if your WestJet baggage is delayed
Report the missing bag and get a baggage report number before you leave the airport. WestJet asks you to create a baggage report within 12 hours of arriving at your destination.
Then keep receipts for what you need while you wait. WestJet reimburses reasonable interim expenses for a delayed bag. The general rules for every airline are in our delayed baggage compensation guide.
WestJet states these interim amounts:
| Where your delayed bag was due | WestJet's stated interim amount |
|---|---|
| Within the Americas | Up to $100 CAD/USD for the first 48 hours, then a further $150, for a total of $250 |
| Europe and Japan | Up to the equivalent of $100 CAD |
WestJet also says this interim amount "does not limit a passenger's rights to claim damages." That matters. The legal limit is much higher than $250. If you had reasonable, provable expenses above WestJet's interim amount, you can claim them.
Baggage claims are separate from flight delay claims. If your flight was also late, see WestJet flight delay compensation.
How do I file a baggage claim with WestJet?
You file online through WestJet's "Submit a request for reimbursement – delayed or damaged baggage" form. You need your 10-digit baggage report number.
WestJet states that delays must be reported within 21 days, and damage within 7 days. Those deadlines match Article 31 of the Montreal Convention for international flights. Treat them as firm.
Attach:
- Your 10-digit baggage report number.
- Your booking reference, boarding passes and bag tag.
- Itemized receipts for each purchase.
- The date and time the bag was returned to you.
- A short note for each purchase saying why you needed it before the bag arrived.
WestJet pays approved claims by electronic payment or as a Travel Bank credit. A credit is not cash. If you want money, say so in your request.
Take screenshots of the completed form before you submit, and save the confirmation.
How much WestJet must pay under the Montreal Convention and the APPR
WestJet must pay the proven value of your loss, up to 1,519 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger. That was roughly C$2,900 in late 2026. The dollar figure moves with exchange rates, but 1,519 SDR is the actual legal limit.
Which law applies depends on the flight:
- International flights. The Montreal Convention applies. The airline is liable for damage caused by delay unless it proves it took all reasonable measures to avoid it. It is liable for loss of checked baggage unless the loss resulted from a defect in the bag itself.
- Flights within Canada. For lost and damaged bags, section 23(1) of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations (APPR) requires compensation at least equal to the Montreal Convention amount plus any baggage fees. For delayed bags, WestJet's tariff applies. The APPR's separate rule for bags delayed 21 days or less, section 23(2), is still printed on Justice Laws, but the Federal Court of Appeal declared it invalid in 2022.
The limit is a ceiling, not a payment. You recover what you prove.
Does WestJet refund the baggage fee?
Yes, for lost and damaged bags. WestJet states that if your baggage is deemed lost, or lost for more than 21 days, or damaged, it will reimburse the applicable fees. That follows section 23(1) of the APPR.
WestJet has a separate form for this: "Submit a baggage fee refund request." Submit it in addition to your expense claim.
For a bag that was only delayed and then returned, the APPR does not require a fee refund, because section 23(2) is invalid. WestJet currently provides one under its own policy. Ask for it in your written claim as well.
How long to wait before a delayed bag is lost: 21 days
A bag becomes lost when it has not arrived 21 days after it was due, or earlier if WestJet deems it lost. At that point you claim for the bag and its contents, not only interim expenses.
Build the lost bag claim on evidence: a list of the contents, receipts or card statements, and photos. Current replacement prices are evidence of value, but not necessarily the amount you can recover. Age, condition and depreciation can matter. See how to prove the value of lost luggage.
Keep your interim receipts too. In Lai v. Air Canada, 2023 BCCRT 772, a passenger whose bag was missing for 24 days recovered the $715 he spent in that time. The tribunal refused to deduct the $100 his insurer had paid.
If WestJet refuses: CTA complaint, tribunal, or small claims
Ask WestJet in writing for its reasons. If it refuses or pays less than you can prove, send a formal demand. Our demand letter template sets out the claim, the law and a deadline to pay.
Then choose a route:
- A CTA complaint. It is free. You must first complain to WestJet in writing and wait 30 days. The CTA says it can take more than 24 months before a complaint is reviewed.
- The BC Civil Resolution Tribunal. It has heard baggage claims against Air Canada, including Lai and Hui v. Air Canada, 2026 BCCRT 45. In Hui, the airline paid the full $1,785.95 after the passengers filed.
- Small claims court in other provinces. See taking an airline to small claims court.
Our Case Library does not yet hold a WestJet baggage decision. The decisions below involve Air Canada, but they apply Montreal Convention and APPR rules that also bind WestJet.
Watch the two-year limit. Treat it as a hard outside deadline. Article 35 of the Montreal Convention says the right to damages is extinguished if an action is not brought within two years of arrival. Do not assume that a CTA complaint preserves a separate court claim while the CTA process is ongoing.