How often does luggage get lost on connecting flights?

Luckily, airline luggage is almost never lost, in most cases, it's just delayed. In fact, more than 85% of all airline baggage is just delayed due to late check-in, short times between connecting flights, or unexpected weather conditions. Only 3% of luggage is actually lost or stolen.



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“Bags are most likely to get lost in that transfer between planes at connection, especially if there's a tight connection.” And he said that's doubly so for international flights with tight connections.

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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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“Of all national airlines, American Airlines lost the most bags in 2022, losing 850 bags per 100,000. That was followed by JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines,” Travel and Leisure magazine reported in a recent article published before the holiday meltdown.

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That's 480 lost, delayed or damaged pieces of luggage for every 100,000 bags checked. It may not seem like a lot but, in 2021 alone, more than 1.9 million bags were mishandled by US-based airlines, according to data from the bureau.

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Allegiant Air Allegiant is also the U.S. airline least likely to mishandle your luggage, according to the 2021 Air Travel Consumer Report. Over the 12-month period studied, Allegiant handled 446,862 bags and just 877 were mishandled. The airline only mishandled 1.96 bags out of 1,000.

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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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Looking at airlines, American Airlines (AAL) - Get Free Report topped the list of those most likely to lose or damage one's baggage. For every 1,000 suitcases, the airline mishandles 5.34 — the 5% rate is the highest out of all the airlines looked at in the study.

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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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Allegiant Air topped the list for the second year in a row for the best luggage handling, with only 0.15% being mishandled. It was followed by Southwest and Hawaiian at about equal rates.

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Usually, they appear somewhere within a day or two and go on to be reunited with their owners. With most airlines, passengers qualify for compensation after their bags are lost for more than 24 hours to cover necessary expenses. However, in around 5% of cases, the bags never come back.

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Once an airline determines that your bag is lost, the airline is responsible for compensating you for your bags' contents - subject to depreciation and maximum liability limits.

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If you checked a bag, you'll have to collect it from baggage claim from the international flight. You'll need to clear customs and immigration. Next, you'll recheck your luggage for the domestic flight. Finally, you'll need to go through Transportation Security Administration screening.

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Travel advisers say there's a lot to take into account when booking connecting flights, but a general rule of thumb is 60-90 minutes between domestic flights and at least two to three hours for international itineraries.

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For international layover flights booked on one airline, two hours is often recommended to make your connection. For international flights on different airlines, the connection time will need to be even greater as you may have to change terminals between the two flights.

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Usually, they appear somewhere within a day or two and go on to be reunited with their owners. With most airlines, passengers qualify for compensation after their bags are lost for more than 24 hours to cover necessary expenses. However, in around 5% of cases, the bags never come back.

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The most common luggage mishaps Mishandling during transfer is one of the primary reasons why luggage may be delayed or lost. This can occur when handlers do not have adequate time to transfer bags between flights.

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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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At a high level, luggage has to go (1) from the baggage handler to the plane and then (2) from the plane to the baggage claim shoot. If you gate check your bag, you are ensuring the luggage at least makes it to the plane -- so you should (somewhat) decrease the odds of a lost bag.

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If you're not packing any valuable items in your checked bag, you don't necessarily need a lock. All bags will go through security screening, and you'll know if your bag has been physically opened if you find a notice inside your bag or if your non-TSA-approved lock is missing.

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What airlines lose the most luggage Europe? And if you've flown in Europe, we probably don't even need to tell you who it was. That's right: Ryanair. It led the pack of damaged luggage claims by a considerable margin, nearly tripling those made against second-place Emirates.

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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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