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Flight cancelled, refund refused or bag delayed: how to claim from an airline

What to do when your flight is cancelled or badly delayed, your bag does not arrive or comes back damaged: the reports to make at the airport, the deadlines that matter and how to escalate if the airline says no.

Last reviewed: 13 October 2026

Report a bag problem: Before you leave the arrival airport if you can
Written claim deadlines: 7 days (damaged bag), 21 days (delayed bag)
Refund time: Qatar Airways says up to 28 working days to the original payment method
Court deadline: 2 years from the flight's arrival

Flights get cancelled, connections get missed and bags go astray, and residents of Qatar fly a lot. Most problems can be fixed if you act at the right moment: some things must be done before you leave the airport, and some claims have strict deadlines counted in days. This guide covers refunds and rebooking after a cancellation or long delay, reporting a delayed, damaged or lost bag, claiming your expenses, and what to do if the airline or travel agent refuses. It uses Qatar Airways as the main example because most residents fly with it, but the international rules on baggage and delay (the Montreal Convention) apply to many airlines. Lost items you left inside Hamad International Airport are a different process, covered in our lost items guide.

Before you start

Your booking reference (6 characters) and e-ticket number
Boarding passes for every leg, including the one you missed or that was cancelled
Baggage tag stickers the check-in desk gave you (usually stuck on your boarding pass or passport)
Photos of your bag before you travel and of any damage on arrival
Receipts for anything you had to buy or pay for: toiletries, clothes, meals, hotel, taxi
Proof of value for expensive items (purchase receipts or bank statements)
The card you paid with, and the booking confirmation email if you booked through an agent or website
Your travel insurance policy details, if you have one

Step by step

Act before you leave the airport
If your flight is cancelled, you miss a connection or your bag does not come out on the belt, deal with it at the airport. Go to the airline's transfer or ticketing desk for flight problems, and to the airline's baggage services counter in the arrivals hall for bag problems. It is much harder to prove what happened once you have left. Keep every boarding pass and baggage tag sticker, and take photos of departure boards or messages that show the delay or cancellation.
Read guide: Transit and layovers at Hamad International Airport: can you leave the airport? →
Decide: refund or new date
When the airline cancels your flight, it normally offers a choice between a new flight and a refund of the unused part of your ticket. Think about which you actually need before you accept, because changing your mind later can be harder. For Qatar Airways bookings made directly, you can usually manage this online through your booking on the website or app. During the 2026 disruptions, Qatar Airways said refunds go back to the original form of payment, may take up to 28 working days, and that paid extras such as seat selection are refunded separately after the main ticket.
Track your refund
After you submit a refund request, keep the confirmation email and any request number. Qatar Airways has a 'Track a refund' option on its website so you can check the status instead of calling. If the time the airline promised has passed, write to it again with your request number rather than starting a new request, which can slow things down. Check your card statement too: refunds sometimes arrive without a separate message.
Booked through an agent? Go back to them
If you bought the ticket from a travel agent, an online booking site or through your employer, the refund must usually go through that seller, not the airline. Qatar Airways said so directly in its 2026 refund notices. Ask the agent in writing for the refund, how much they will deduct (agents may keep their own service fee) and when it will be paid. If a travel agency in Qatar refuses or delays a refund it owes you, you can complain to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Read guide: Consumer rights in Qatar: refunds, exchanges, warranties and complaining to MOCI →
Claim costs caused by a delay
If a delay or missed connection cost you money, such as a hotel night, meals or a missed prepaid booking, keep every receipt and ask the airline for reimbursement in writing. Under the Montreal Convention the airline is responsible for damage caused by delay unless it shows it took all reasonable measures to avoid it, and its liability is capped at 6,303 SDR per passenger (SDR is the IMF's 'Special Drawing Right', a basket currency; Qatar Airways quotes about USD 8,400). Bad weather or airspace closures may mean the airline is not liable, but it is still worth asking. If your flight departed from the EU or UK, extra local passenger-rights rules may also apply.
Report a missing bag at the counter
If your bag does not arrive, go to the Qatar Airways baggage services counter at your arrival airport (or the counter of the airline you flew) before leaving the baggage hall. Give your baggage tag number, a description of the bag and a delivery address and phone number. You will get a file reference number; this report is often called a PIR (Property Irregularity Report). If you have already left the airport, Qatar Airways lets you file the report online through its Haqiba baggage system.
Track the bag with your reference
Use the file reference number in Qatar Airways' online baggage tracking to see updates. The airline says most delayed bags are found within 24 hours and are delivered to your final destination, subject to local customs rules. Qatar Airways was the first airline to meet IATA Resolution 753, which requires bags to be tracked at each stage of the journey, and its app shows bag status where available. Keep your phone on and answer unknown local numbers, as the delivery company may call.
Read guide: Qatar customs allowances: what you can bring in duty-free →
Buy only essentials, then claim in writing
While you wait, you can buy what you genuinely need, such as toiletries, a change of clothes or medicine, and claim it back. Keep receipts and avoid expensive or designer items, which are rarely refunded in full. Qatar Airways says it compensates expenses caused by late delivery, subject to conditions. Send your written claim with receipts no later than 21 days from the day the bag was handed back to you; earlier is better.
Damaged bag: complain within 7 days
Check your bag at the belt. If it is broken, torn or wet, take photos and report it at the baggage services counter before you leave. Qatar Airways treats accepting a bag without complaint as evidence that it arrived in good condition. The written complaint for damage must reach the airline within 7 days of receiving the bag. Keep the damaged bag until the claim is settled, as the airline may ask to see it.
If the bag never turns up
If the bag is not found, you claim for its contents. List every item with its value and attach whatever proof you have. Under the Montreal Convention, the airline's liability for lost, damaged or delayed baggage is capped at 1,519 SDR per passenger (Qatar Airways quotes about USD 2,030), checked and cabin bags together. You only get more if you made a special declaration of higher value at check-in and paid the extra fee. This is why cash, jewellery, electronics and important documents should travel in your hand luggage.
Escalate if the answer is no
If the airline rejects your claim or stops replying, send a final written complaint quoting your file or refund reference, the dates and what you want. If you paid by card for a flight that did not happen and the refund never came, ask your bank about a chargeback; if your bank in Qatar does not help, you can complain to Qatar Central Bank. Travel insurance often pays for delayed bags and missed connections, so claim there too, using the airline's reports as proof. As a last step, a court claim against the airline must be filed within 2 years of the flight's arrival date.
Read guide: Problem with your bank in Qatar: disputing charges and complaining to the QCB →
Left something at the airport?
This guide is about bags the airline carried. If you left a phone, wallet or bag inside Hamad International Airport, on the plane or at security, that goes through the airport's lost property process instead. Report it as soon as possible with your flight details and a description of the item.
Read guide: Lost something in Qatar? Reporting it and getting it back →

What it costs

Montreal Convention cap for delayed, lost or damaged baggage (from 28 December 2024)	1,519 SDR per passenger (about USD 2,030)
Montreal Convention cap for damage caused by passenger delay	6,303 SDR per passenger (about USD 8,400)
Higher baggage cover by special declaration at check-in	Supplementary fee set by the airline; ask at check-in

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

Leaving the airport without reporting a missing or damaged bag and getting a file reference.
Missing the deadlines: 7 days for a damaged bag and 21 days for a delayed bag, counted from when you got it back.
Asking the airline for a refund on a ticket bought through a travel agent or booking site, instead of the seller.
Throwing away boarding passes, baggage tag stickers or receipts before the claim is settled.
Packing cash, gold, laptops or passports in checked luggage, where compensation is capped.
Making a second refund request while the first is still processing, which can delay both.
Buying expensive replacement clothes while waiting for a bag and expecting the full cost back.

Questions people ask

My bag did not arrive in Doha. How long will it take?

Qatar Airways says most delayed bags are located within 24 hours and delivered to your final destination, subject to customs. Use the file reference from your report to track it online. If it has still not appeared after several days, keep chasing in writing and start listing the contents and their value in case it has to be treated as lost.

When does a delayed bag count as lost?

Under the Montreal Convention you can treat a checked bag as lost if the airline admits it is lost or it has not arrived 21 days after it should have. You then claim for the bag and its contents, up to the 1,519 SDR limit unless you made a higher-value declaration at check-in.

Qatar Airways cancelled my flight. How long does the refund take?

In its 2026 notices, Qatar Airways said refunds go to the original payment method and may take up to 28 working days, and that requests could take longer than usual during the disruptions. You can check progress with the 'Track a refund' option on its website. Bookings that could not be retrieved online were already being refunded automatically.

I booked through a travel agent and they will not refund me. What can I do?

Ask the agent in writing for the refund and a breakdown of any fees they are keeping. If the agency is in Qatar and still refuses, you can file a consumer complaint with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. If you paid by card, also ask your bank whether a chargeback is possible.

Can I get compensation for a missed connection in Doha?

The airline normally rebooks you on the next available flight, and the Montreal Convention lets you claim costs the delay caused you unless the airline proves it took all reasonable measures to avoid it. There is no fixed cash payment under Qatari rules that we could confirm. If your journey started in the EU or UK, those regions' passenger-rights rules may give a fixed amount, so check them.

My suitcase handle broke on the flight. Will the airline pay?

Report it at the baggage counter before leaving and send a written complaint within 7 days. Airlines often exclude normal wear and tear such as scuffs or small dents, but a broken handle or wheel is usually worth claiming. Keep photos and the damaged bag until the case is closed.

Can I complain to an aviation authority in Qatar?

We could not confirm a published passenger-complaint service at the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. Start with the airline, then use your bank (chargeback), travel insurance, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for travel agents in Qatar, or a court claim within 2 years.

Official sources

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

Flight cancelled, refund refused or bag delayed: how to claim from an airline

Before you start

Step by step

Act before you leave the airport

Decide: refund or new date

Track your refund

Booked through an agent? Go back to them

Claim costs caused by a delay

Report a missing bag at the counter

Track the bag with your reference

Buy only essentials, then claim in writing

Damaged bag: complain within 7 days

If the bag never turns up

Escalate if the answer is no

Left something at the airport?

What it costs

Common mistakes

Questions people ask

Official sources

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