Originally Posted by findark

Any incident of lost or delayed baggage on an international flight is governed by the Montreal Convention, in which case the carrier is liable for your actual incidental expenses as a result of the delay, but in no case shall that liability exceed 1,131 SDR per passenger (special drawing rights -- about $1.716 each today) which is $1,941.56 (or approximately $1,900). Unfortunately, this is a pretty hard limit and unless you specifically insured the contents of your baggage by an additional contract, you are out of luck beyond that amount.

Rule 28 of the Contract of Carriage specifies: