The Seven-Day Clock on an International RIMOWA Claim

Inspect the case before leaving customs or the baggage hall. Extend the telescopic handle, roll every wheel, operate the locks or zip, examine the frame and compare new marks with pre-flight photographs. Aluminium develops cosmetic dents and scratches through use; a claim is strongest when it identifies fresh functional or substantial damage rather than calling every contact mark catastrophic. Photograph the case on the belt or beside the baggage desk, including the routing tag and wide views that establish identity.

Take the suitcase to the operating carrier's baggage service desk and request a Property Irregularity Report or equivalent record. Describe symptoms precisely: rear-left wheel no longer turns, frame will not close, lock body detached, shell punctured. Ask staff to note all affected components and obtain the reference number, contact channel and any instruction about repair inspection. An airport report records notice; it may not satisfy the carrier's complete written claim process.

Keep the boarding pass, e-ticket receipt and baggage-tag stub. If several airlines appear on the itinerary, record which carrier operated the sector and which desk accepted the report. The Montreal Convention can allow a baggage claim against relevant carriers in successive carriage, but the passenger should not try to solve treaty allocation at the carousel. Notify the available responsible carrier, meet every portal deadline and keep copies of each submission.

• Test wheels, handle, closure and shell before crossing the final arrivals exit.
• Describe each failure mechanically and obtain a numbered airport report.
• Save the bag tag, ticket and identity of every carrier receiving notice.

Article 31 of the Montreal Convention requires a written complaint for checked-baggage damage immediately after discovery and no later than seven days from receipt. For delayed baggage, the period is 21 days from the date the bag is placed at the passenger's disposal. These are short, different clocks. Submit through the airline's named web form or written channel as soon as possible and retain the confirmation email, uploaded files and exact text.

The written complaint should identify the passenger, flight, date, baggage tag, airport report, case and damage; request the remedy; and attach evidence. Include the purchase invoice if available, but recognise that an older suitcase's claim may be assessed by repair cost or depreciated value rather than original retail price. Ask RIMOWA or an authorised repair location for a written assessment that separates functional repair from cosmetic work and notes parts availability.

Do not wait for a slow repair appointment to send notice. Tell the airline the assessment is pending and supplement the file. Likewise, do not let an airport employee's verbal assurance replace the written submission. If the carrier offers collection or a contracted repair, photograph the case and obtain a custody receipt before handover. Preserve broken pieces and avoid cleaning or bending the damage in a way that obscures cause.

• Send written damage notice immediately and always within seven days of receiving the case.
• For delay, submit the written complaint within 21 days after the bag becomes available.
• Open the file before waiting for a repair quote, then add the assessment later.

ICAO's revised limit for baggage destruction, loss, damage or delay is 1,519 SDR per passenger from December 28, 2024. SDR is an International Monetary Fund accounting unit whose currency value moves; use the current conversion when evaluating an offer. The limit aggregates the passenger's covered baggage claim rather than applying separately to each checked piece. Payment still depends on proving the loss, and carriers can rely on treaty defences or the suitcase's inherent defect where supported.

A traveller checking a suitcase worth more than the ordinary limit can ask the airline at check-in about a special declaration of interest and any supplementary charge under Article 22. That must happen before baggage handover and follows carrier procedures; insurance may be the more practical protection. After damage, do not inflate the demand to the ceiling. Claim the documented repair, established value of irreparable loss and covered consequential amounts with receipts.

Our verdict: the winning international claim is procedural, not emotional. Report at the airport, write within seven days, document value and obtain a credible repair assessment. A RIMOWA's high retail price makes evidence more important, not less. If the airline rejects or stalls, escalate through its complaint channel, the relevant enforcement or alternative-dispute body and travel insurer while preserving the Convention timeline. The treaty is a framework; the file proves the case.

• Convert 1,519 SDR at a current rate and treat it as an aggregate passenger ceiling.
• Support the claimed amount with repair cost, age, condition and purchase evidence.
• Consider a pre-flight special declaration or insurance for value above ordinary liability.