For many people who travel by air, luggage accidents are almost expected as many bags are damaged, delayed or mishandled.
A report from the U.S. Department of Transportation analyzed domestic airline baggage handling and flights between January and December 2023. It ranked the airlines based on the number of mishandled bags per 100 loaded onto the flight.
The number of mishandled bags represents the number of lost, damaged, delayed and stolen check bags, as reported by or on behalf of the passenger, that were on domestic direct scheduled flights.
When looking at the total number of bags handled, even the worst offenders seem to keep the percentage of mishandled bags quite low.
Airlines with the most mishandled baggage:
- United Airlines — 0.73% assault rate. Of the 75 million bags, 551,000 were mishandled.
- American Airlines – 0.76% abuse rate. Of the 105 million bags, 800,000 were mishandled.
Airlines with the least mishandled baggage:
- Allegiant Air – 0.19% abuse rate. Of the 5.6 million bags, 10,500 were mishandled.
- Southwest Airlines – 0.45% abuse rate. Of the 129.7 million bags, 587,000 were mishandled.
- Delta Air – 0.47% assault rate. Of the 99 million bags, 467,000 were mishandled.
Responsibility of airlines for mishandled bags:
Under DOT regulations, airlines are required to compensate passengers if their luggage is damaged, delayed or lost.
- Airlines are responsible for repairing or reimbursing a passenger for damaged baggage and/or its contents when the damage occurs while the baggage is under the airline’s control in transit (subject to maximum liability limits).
- Airlines are not responsible for pre-existing damage to the bag or if the damage is caused by improper packaging.
- If the damage to the bag cannot be repaired, airlines negotiate compensation based on the value of the bag and its depreciation.
Airline responsibility for delayed baggage:
Related: How Apple AirTags can help you find your lost or stolen luggage from your phone or computer
