Did Spirit Airlines Lose Your Bag? Here’s What You’re Owed

The baggage carousel keeps rolling, but your suitcase is nowhere to be seen — Spirited away, if you will. As other passengers grab their bags and get on their way, you're left staring at an empty belt.

But don't let a misplaced bag ruin your trip! When Spirit delays your bags, you're entitled to compensation.

I've read through Spirit Airlines' fine print (so you don't have to), and I'm breaking down exactly what you can get and how to claim it.

Your Rights When Spirit Airlines Delays Your Checked Bag

When airlines delay your bag, they're liable for finding it and covering some of your costs in the meantime. 

This isn't just an airline policy — it's a federal rule under U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.

Domestic baggage rights

According to regulations set by the DOT, airlines that delay your bags are required to compensate you for reasonable costs you incur while you wait to get your bags back (capped at $4,700).

The airline isn't allowed to give arbitrary spending limits, either. For example, they can't say they'll only reimburse passengers $50 per day that their bag is missing.

International baggage rights

When you fly internationally, you're protected by the Montreal Convention, a universal treaty that protects passengers by holding airlines accountable for injuries and damages.

Under the treaty, passengers who've lost bags can file claims with the airline for damages. The treaty is more vague than any U.S. rules, and you can only file for damages up to $1,700.

Spirit Airlines' bag delay policy

Spirit Airlines’ baggage policy doesn't go beyond what's legally required when it comes to delayed bags. Unlike some other airlines, they don't offer additional compensation for the inconvenience of a delayed bag, like travel credit or bonus miles. 

There is no mention of delivering the bag to your location once it’s been located, either.

Spirit says they will attempt to return the bag within 12 hours (for domestic flights) and 15-30 hours (for international flights). 

The airline will give you a refund of the checked bag fee if the bag goes missing for longer than 5 days.

(Note: The DOT has since increased the maximum for lost/delayed bags to $4,700!)

What Expenses Will Spirit Actually Cover When They Delay Your Bag?

When your bag is delayed, Spirit Airlines will reimburse you for essential items you need while waiting. Think: a change of clothes, basic toiletries, and any necessary items that were in your checked bag.

But don't go on a shopping spree — they're looking for reasonable, justifiable expenses. A pair of designer heels definitely won't get reimbursed, but a few basic clothing items should.

Spirit Airlines is notoriously stingy with reimbursements, and there are many stories of passengers who submitted receipts for essentials and only had around 50% covered.

My rule of thumb is that if you can't defend why you needed the item, you can't count on getting reimbursed for it.

What to Do When Your Bag Doesn't Show Up

The moment you realize your bag isn't coming down the carousel, here are the steps you need to take:

1. Don't leave the airport

It's important that you report your missing bag to Spirit Airlines immediately. They suggest you report the bag in person at the Baggage Service Office before leaving the airport, but it is possible to file online if you’ve already left.

For domestic travel, you have just 4 hours from your arrival time to file an incident report. For international travel, you have longer — up to 21 days.

The airline cannot compensate you for any expenses until they have your report, and if you miss the deadline, your claim will be denied.

2. File the incident report

Spirit offers a self-serve virtual Baggage Service Office at some domestic airports that you can access from your mobile device. Otherwise, you'll need to speak with a Spirit representative at the airport.

After filing your report, you'll receive a Baggage Irregularity Receipt by email, which includes your file ID and details about the claims process.

This incident report is not a claim for reimbursement — it's just documentation that your bag was mishandled. You'll still need to file a formal claim later.

3. Keep all documentation

Hold onto your file ID and any other documentation you receive. You'll need this information to access Spirit Airlines’ Baggage Service web portal and submit your claim for reimbursement.

Keep track of your boarding pass, baggage claim ticket, and any other flight documentation as well. These may be required when you submit your claim later.

4. Start saving receipts

Save every receipt for essential items you purchase while waiting for your bag. This part is crucial because these receipts will be necessary when you submit for reimbursement.

Because you can’t get money back without them, I suggest you take photos of your receipts as backups in case the originals get lost!

Filing Your Compensation Claim

Here's how to submit a claim for all your delayed baggage expenses:

1. Visit Spirit's Baggage Service web portal at spirit.com/bagclaim
2. Enter your last name and file ID
3. Click on “Create Online Claim”
4. Complete the required fields in the form
5. Upload supporting documents, including:
   • Receipts for essential items
   • Photo ID (driver's license or passport)
   • Any other requested documentation
6. Submit your claim

You have to submit your claim within 30 days of your flight arrival. According to Spirit, most claims with complete documentation are processed within 30 days.

When “delayed” becomes “lost”

If your bag hasn't been found within 5 days, Spirit considers it potentially lost rather than just delayed.

For bags delayed within 5 days of travel, you should contact:

• Central Baggage (via the Baggage Service portal) for domestic travel
• The local Baggage Service Office for international and Caribbean travel

After 5 days, you'll need to complete and submit the online claim form using your last name and file ID.

What If Spirit Denies Your Claim?

Don't take no for an answer if your claim for reimbursement is denied!

You can contact Spirit's Central Baggage team through the Baggage Service web portal. Click the “Communicate With Us” option and enter your last name and file ID.

If you still can't reach a satisfactory resolution, you can escalate your complaint to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The most common reasons for denial are:

• Filing the initial report too late (after the 4-hour window for domestic flights)
• Not submitting your claim within the 30-day window
• Missing supporting documentation
• Claiming non-essential items

Tips for When Your Bags Get Delayed

Frankly, there isn't much you can do to stop your bags from getting delayed or to speed up the retrieval of a missing bag. But there are some steps you can take ahead of time to make your life easier if it does happen.

Pack essentials in your carry-on

To be a proactive traveler, always pack these in your carry-on:

• One change of clothes
• Essential toiletries
• Valuable items and documents
• Any medication you need
• Phone and laptop chargers

Having these items handy will ease the inconvenience when your bag is delayed. It doesn't fix the problem, but when a lot of your stuff is in limbo, it helps to have the basics with you.

Use tracking apps

Spirit Airlines doesn't offer bag tracking in their app, but you can drop an AirTag or similar tracking device into your checked bag to track it yourself. 

I do this every time I travel, so I know exactly where my bag is at all times!

Tap into travel insurance

Travel insurance policies and credit cards that include baggage delay coverage will offer more reliable and thorough compensation than airlines provide. More than likely, these policies come with higher spending limits.

For example, maybe you have pricey items in your bag that add up to more than what the airline is agreeing to cover. In this case, your travel insurance or credit card would cover what the airline didn’t.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, for example, both offer up to $3,000 per passenger for lost luggage and up to $100 per day for up to 5 days when your baggage is delayed at least 6 hours.

. . .

. . .

TL;DR: Your Rights When Spirit Delays Your Bags

Always report a missing bag immediately, since you only have a 4-hour window (for domestic flights). Keep every receipt for things you need to buy while your bag is missing. 

You have to submit a claim for reimbursement within 30 days of the flight and include all supporting documentation.

Remember, airlines count on most people not knowing their rights or not bothering to file claims. Don't leave money on the table — now you know exactly what you're entitled to and how to get it!

. . .

---

Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.