Are airlines still losing luggage 2023?

During the first three months of 2023, over 721,000 bags checked on domestic flights were mishandled out of 113 million checked bags in total—an average of 0.64 bags per 100 checked bags, per the U.S. Department of Transportation. That's up from 2019, when 0.59 bags were mishandled per 100 checked bags.



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American Airlines is the number one worst airline for losing or damaging your luggage, with 5.34 incidents per 1,000 bags. Although it's a low percentage compared to the total number of bags checked, American Airlines still takes the dubious distinction of being the airline most likely to lose your luggage.

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How often is luggage mishandled? According to Luggage Hero, there were more than 684,000 lost and mishandled bags at major US airlines in the first quarter of 2022 alone. The Points Guy notes that this equated to approximately seven bags out of every 1,000, or 0.7%.

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8 ways to prevent your luggage getting lost
  1. While there's no definitive way to stop your luggage from getting lost, there are some steps you can take to give your bags a better chance. Make sure your bag is tagged properly. ...
  2. Make clear where it's going and who owns it. ...
  3. Avoid tight layovers. ...
  4. Make your bag stand out.


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How Often Do Airlines Lose Luggage? Luggage Hero recently found that more than 680,000 bags were either lost or mishandled in the first quarter of 2022 alone. This means that roughly seven out of every one thousand bags will experience issues during transportation.

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Overall, Allegiant Air had the fewest mishandled bags, as well as the second-fewest enplaned bags, of the 10 major carriers, followed by Hawaiian Airlines and Frontier Airlines.

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Lost luggage surprise: 97% of bags are found, returned within 2 days. Of all mishandled bags, 81% were simply delayed, 16% were damaged or pilfered and 3% were declared lost or stolen and never found, a new study found.

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The recommended layover time for international flights is generally longer, as you will have to go through customs and immigration before boarding your next flight. In most cases, a 30-minute layover for domestic flights and an hour for international flights is considered a minimum, or short, layover.

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The world's safest airlines to fly in 2023
  • Qantas (Australia).
  • Air New Zealand (New Zelan).
  • Etihad Airways (United Arab Emirates).
  • Qatar Airways (Qatar).
  • Singapore Airlines (Singapore).
  • TAP Air Portugal (Portugal).
  • Emirates (United Arab Emirates).
  • Alaska Airlines (United States).


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The industry is expected to finally reach a profit in 2023 – the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic – but unpredictable factors such as oil costs and ever-increasingly extreme weather patterns will continue to create more challenges for airlines.

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The rate of baggage mishandled across the world is also on the rise: up 24% last year, with 8.7 suitcases per 1,000 international passengers not arriving on time.

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While airline policies on delayed versus lost baggage can vary, in most cases, bags that don't arrive with you at your destination are considered delayed until the airline officially declares them lost, which typically occurs between five and 14 days after arrival.

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Here's the ranking of US airlines from MOST complaints in May 2022 to LEAST complaints in May 2022:
  • American Airlines (575 complaints)
  • United Airlines (400 complaints)
  • Frontier Airlines (301 complaints)
  • Delta Air Lines (281 complaints)
  • Spirit Airlines (269 complaints)
  • JetBlue Airways (244 complaints)


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Ideally, you want direct, non-stop flights if you want to avoid your luggage getting lost at the connections. The longer the time between flights, the less chance your luggage will get left off the next plane during the changeover.

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Although that is ultimately your call, there should be no added risk with checking your bag at the gate, since it's no more likely to get lost or misplaced than any other checked bag.

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5 Ways to Avoid Losing Your Luggage in 2023
  1. USE A LUGGAGE TRACKER LIKE GEGO GPS: ...
  2. PACK ESSENTIAL ITEMS IN YOUR CARRY-ON BAG: ...
  3. USE A LUGGAGE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM O STRAP: ...
  4. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR LUGGAGE AT ALL TIMES: ...
  5. GET TRAVEL INSURANCE:


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According to Luggage Hero, there were more than 684,000 lost and mishandled bags at major US airlines in the first quarter of 2022 alone. The Points Guy notes that this equated to approximately seven bags out of every 1,000, or 0.7%. American Airlines' average came in slightly higher, at nine per 1,000 or 0.9%.

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For the second year in a row, WestJet has been named among the top 10 safest low-cost airlines as rated by AirlineRatings.com. Drawing on factors such as the airline's safety initiatives, fleet age and COVID-19 protocols, WestJet's Safety Above All promise has been recognized as one of the best in the world.

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