Intermediate· B1–B2Travel9 min

Reporting lost luggage

Report a missing suitcase, describe it clearly and find out what happens next.

The scene

You land after a connecting flight, but your suitcase never appears on the baggage carousel. You go to the airline's baggage service desk.

Speaker A
Baggage service agent
Speaker B
You (passenger)

Your goals

  • Explain that your bag is missing and give flight details
  • Describe an object by color, size and features
  • Ask about next steps and compensation

Key vocabulary

Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.

  • baggage claim

    the area where you collect your suitcases after a flight

    I waited at baggage claim for an hour.

  • carousel

    the moving belt that brings bags to passengers

    My bag never came out on the carousel.

  • connecting flight

    a second flight you take to reach your final destination

    I had a connecting flight in Chicago.

  • baggage tag

    the sticker with a number that the airline puts on your bag

    Here's my baggage tag receipt.

  • reference number

    a number used to identify your report

    Please keep this reference number.

  • to deliver

    to bring something to a person or place

    We'll deliver it to your hotel.

  • essentials

    basic things you need, like a toothbrush and clothes

    Can I buy some essentials?

  • to reimburse

    to pay back money someone has spent

    Will you reimburse my costs?

Useful phrases

  • My bag didn't arrive.

    Reporting a missing bag simply

  • I was on flight … from …

    Giving your flight details

  • It's a medium-sized, dark blue suitcase with …

    Describing your bag

  • How long does it usually take?

    Asking about timing

  • Can you deliver it to my hotel?

    Arranging delivery

  • What am I allowed to claim for?

    Asking about compensation for essentials

Practice studio: speak the dialogue

Pick your role and press Start. Your partner's lines are read aloud; then say your line into the microphone (or type it) and see which words you got right.

Your role

  1. Baggage service agent

    Hello. How can I help you?

  2. You (passenger)

    Hi. My suitcase didn't arrive. I was on flight 482 from Chicago.

  3. Baggage service agent

    I'm sorry to hear that. Was Chicago a connecting flight?

  4. You (passenger)

    Yes, I started in Madrid and changed planes in Chicago.

  5. Baggage service agent

    Do you have the baggage tag receipt? It's usually on your boarding pass.

  6. You (passenger)

    Yes, here it is. It's a medium-sized dark blue suitcase with a yellow ribbon on the handle.

  7. Baggage service agent

    Thank you. It looks like it stayed in Chicago. It should arrive on tomorrow's first flight.

  8. You (passenger)

    OK. Can you deliver it to my hotel? I don't have a car.

  9. Baggage service agent

    Yes, we can. Here's your reference number. You can track the bag online.

  10. You (passenger)

    Thanks. If I need to buy some essentials tonight, will the airline reimburse me?

You speak 5 lines as You (passenger); Baggage service agent is read aloud for you.

Speech recognition is done by your browser (in Chrome and Edge this uses the browser maker's online service). Nothing is stored by AltFTool.

Your turn: speak freely

Answer out loud in your own words. There is no score here: aim for full sentences and fewer filler words.

  1. 1. Describe your own suitcase or backpack: color, size, material and anything special about it.

  2. 2. Explain your journey, including where you changed planes.

  3. 3. Ask three questions about what happens next with your bag.

Quick quiz

Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.

  1. 1. What is a 'connecting flight'?
  2. 2. Which description of a bag is the most useful?
  3. 3. What should you keep after reporting the bag?
  4. 4. 'Will the airline reimburse me?' means…

0 of 4 answered

Common mistakes

  • Avoid: I lost my baggages.

    Say: My bag is missing. / The airline lost my luggage.

    'Baggage' and 'luggage' are uncountable; and usually the airline lost it, not you.

  • Avoid: It's a blue big suitcase.

    Say: It's a big blue suitcase.

    In English, size usually comes before color.

  • Avoid: When my bag will arrive?

    Say: When will my bag arrive?

    In questions, put 'will' before the subject.

Tips

  • Take a photo of your suitcase before every trip; it makes describing it much easier.
  • Describe the bag in this order: size, color, type, then one special feature.
  • Keep receipts for anything you buy while you wait, and ask what you can claim.

Questions about this lesson

How do you report lost luggage in English?

Go to the baggage service desk and say 'My bag didn't arrive. I was on flight… from…' Then show your baggage tag and describe the bag.

What is the order of adjectives in English?

A common order is opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material: 'a nice big old round blue Italian leather bag'. Most of the time you only need two or three.

Finish the lesson

Finish the practice studio and the quiz and this lesson is marked complete for you.

Next lesson: Fixing a hotel booking problem

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