Is it safe to check a bag on an international flight?

The two biggest risk factors are whether you are flying internationally and whether your route involves connected flights. The risk of mishandled luggage drops dramatically when you book a direct flight. That's because about a third of mishandling happens when transferring bags for a connecting flight.



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If you must check your suitcase, try to book a non-stop flight whenever possible — especially if you're flying international. According to SITA, the mishandling rate on international routes is 8.7 bags per thousand passengers; on domestic routes, it's 1.85 bags per thousand. Go carry-on only.

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When layover flights are booked with the same airline, your baggage will be automatically transferred through to your final destination. However, if the two flights are with different airlines, you may have to claim and re-check your baggage during your layover.

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When entering the United States from overseas, you must obtain your luggage and bring them through Customs and Border Protection (CBP). You will need to check them back into the airlines to make your next flight. Baggage not obtained after your international flight will not get to your final destination.

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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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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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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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Should I avoid putting a lock on my checked baggage at the airport? It really isn't necessary. TSA and baggage handlers can get past just about anything.

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JFK leads the list of worst airports for lost luggage and damaged bags with the most property loss claims (1.93 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) and property damage claims (1.48 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) between 2013 and 2022.

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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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The leading cause of lost luggage is the mishandling of the bags between flights or from the sorting office to your airplane. Depending on the airport you fly out of, the actual sorting of luggage is done by a robot or workers.

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Even after you arrive at your destination, you may face an unexpected, and unfortunate, obstacle: damaged or lost luggage. While frustrating, data shows it is a relatively rare event — of the roughly 115 million pieces of luggage put on a plane between November 2022 and January 2023, less than 1% was lost or damaged.

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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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Falling luggage is an accident that can happen on any flight, given that almost every passenger travels with luggage of some kind. In the event that falling luggage hits you and injures you, you could take initiative and file a lawsuit against the airline to seek compensation for your expenses.

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Travelers who lose their luggage during a domestic flight can claim up to $3,000 per person. In the case that a luggage piece contains the belongings of two air passengers, then the maximum compensation amount will be $6,000.

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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.

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Yes, a security check is mandatory when you take a connecting flight. This is because there is a time lag between getting off one aeroplane and getting on-board another to reach your destination.

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To get your baggage: After clearing immigration, proceed to the baggage reclaim area to collect your bags. If you are on an international flight connecting to a U.S. destination, make sure you claim your baggage before going through U.S. Customs.

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