Baggage handlers are struggling to keep up with the sudden influx of tourists since COVID restrictions were scrapped. Airlines - which are responsible for your luggage - made thousands of employees redundant at the start of the pandemic, and are now struggling to rehire them in time.
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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.
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.
Things were so bad last year, The Guardian called it the “summer of lost luggage,” and the stats back that up. After years of improved baggage arrival rates, a report in May by the aviation data company SITA found the rate of mishandled bags almost doubled globally from 2021 to 2022, to 7.6 bags per 1,000 passengers.
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.
By Euronews TravelChecked baggage is being lost all over the world due to staff shortages. Here's what you can do to arrive at your destination with your luggage. Lost luggage is piling up at Frankfurt Airport as customers face “disgraceful” queues and last-minute cancellations.
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. ...
Europe has a geographical advantageHowever, Europe's much higher density of cities and smaller — previously underused — airports were a natural advantage for the low-budget carriers. They can offer tickets to smaller airports at much lower cost because landing fees there are usually less expensive.
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.
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%. Allegiant performed far better, with less than two bags per 1,000 going missing.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, you are entitled to compensation for reasonable incidental expenses you incur because of your delayed baggage, up to the maximum liability limits, set by statute. For U.S. domestic flights, this is $3,800 per passenger.
The region with the highest rate of mishandled bags in 2022 was Europe, with 15.7 per 1,000 passengers, a threefold increase from the previous year. This compared to 6.35 per 1,000 passengers in North America and three per 1,000 in Asia.
Some airports and airlines coped better than others, but for many passengers, travelling through Europe was not a positive experience. The main cause of the chaos was staff shortages. Aviation workers were made redundant during the pandemic and hadn't been replaced.
Under DOT regulations (for domestic travel) and international treaties (for international travel), airlines are required to compensate passengers if their bags are damaged, delayed, or lost.
After 3 months, airlines sell or donate unclaimed luggage.Once the mandatory 90-day period is up, airlines have the green light to pass the items along to a charity or reselling business. That's where the fun for bargain hunters begins!