It might be worth starting a stopwatch on your phone the moment you begin disembarking the plane. Because if the final leg of your flight is on Alaska Airlines or Delta Air Lines, doing so could net you miles or money toward future travel.
Both Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines offer what they call a 20-minute baggage guarantee. If your checked luggage isn’t on the baggage carousel within 20 minutes of your aircraft’s door opening, you’re entitled to 2,500 miles on Delta flights and the option to choose either 2,500 miles or a $25 travel voucher on Alaska flights. The two airlines typically don’t automatically give travelers the miles or money when luggage is delayed—you have to ask for them. Here is how to claim those miles or flight credit when your bags show up late on Delta and Alaska.
Alaska Airlines: how to get miles or money for delayed bags
Generally, Alaska Airlines does a good job of getting luggage to the baggage claim area within 20 minutes. It has had its 20-minute baggage guarantee in place since 2010. But in larger airports such as Denver International Airport or Seattle–Tacoma International Airport or when multiple flights land simultaneously, suitcases can experience a slowdown while getting to their owners.
If, after 20 minutes, your bag hasn’t hit the conveyor belt, find an Alaska customer service agent. Travelers are required to find then speak to an airline representative within two hours of landing in order to submit a claim. The agents will input the information in an online form on the traveler’s behalf, ask whether the traveler would prefer the miles or a discount code, and then submit the request to the company. The reward should be posted within three days. Typos happen, so it is a good idea to verify the information before the agent hits send. After three days, if the miles or discount code hasn’t appeared, reach out to Alaska’s customer service department.
Regardless of how many bags are checked, customers are only allotted one claim per passenger, and the offer isn’t valid for items delivered to the oversize baggage claim area (like checked pets or sporting gear such as golf clubs or surfboards).
The exception is international flights, including those to Japan or Costa Rica, where bags need to go through customs clearance, and on flights between Anchorage and Dutch Harbor, Alaska. All of those flights require more than 20 minutes to off-load baggage. The airline also reserves the right to pull the program temporarily—for example, in the instance of a system malfunction or during severe weather.
Delta Air Lines: how to get miles for delayed bags
Delta’s policy, which launched in 2015, differs from Alaska’s in a few ways, the largest being that the claim can be submitted by the traveler online. Travelers whose bags lagged in getting to them should visit delta.com/bagsontime within three days of the completion of the flight to file a mileage request. The form asks for the traveler’s name, SkyMiles number, departure and arrival cities, departure date, and trip confirmation number. If approved, the miles will hit the traveler’s account within two weeks.
To be eligible for the miles, you need to have a SkyMiles membership (also worth having as the airline now offers free in-flight Wi-Fi to members), and the membership number needs to be attached to the reservation prior to flying. The guarantee is only valid on domestic flights within the United States (including Puerto Rico) and is only good for one bag per person. The offer does not apply to awards flights. Oversize items, overweight bags, and special items (such as strollers and sports equipment) aren’t included in the guarantee. Like Alaska, Delta maintains the right to reject mileage requests in the case of severe weather or other conditions outside the airline’s control.
While 2,500 miles or $25 off a future flight won’t get you far, every bit helps. These offers may even be an incentive to join Team Checked Bag—especially if you have the branded Alaska or Delta credit cards, which come with waived luggage fees.
This article was originally published on January 10, 2023. It was updated on February 5, 2025, with new information.
