United Lost My Luggage and Refused to Pay. Here's How I Got $750.

United Airlines lost my luggage on a flight from Chicago to Miami. They found it three days later and delivered it to my hotel. I was already on my way back home by then. The bag had been through rain, so my clothes were ruined.

United offered me $500 under the Montreal Convention, which limits their liability to about $1,700 per passenger for lost or damaged baggage. But they said I needed to provide receipts for everything in the bag. Who keeps receipts for underwear and t-shirts?

I asked for the maximum compensation under the Montreal Convention. United said $500 is the standard offer for delayed bags. I argued that my bag was not delayed, it was lost. There is a difference under their own policy.

I escalated to United's customer relations team and cited the Montreal Convention Article 22. I itemized everything in the bag with estimated values: clothes, shoes, toiletries, electronics charger. Total: about $850. United came back with $750.

I accepted it. Could I have gotten more? Probably. But it took three months and I was exhausted.

What I learned: always keep travel insurance for checked bags. And if you fly United, keep a detailed list of what is in your bag with approximate values. Take a photo before you check it in. I do this every time now.