A new report reveals troubling statistics about mishandled luggage over the past three years. MyBaggage.com analysed extensive data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, covering luggage checked in by airlines from January 2021 through January 2024. And the findings are concerning.
American Airlines ranked first with the highest number of lost luggage reports, totalling 1,750,009. This translates to an average of 8.71 lost bags per 1,000 checked-in. Crazy, right?
Envoy Airlines, formerly known as American Eagle and the largest regional carrier for American Airlines, came in second with 224,236 lost luggage reports. This is an average of 8.25 lost bags per 1,000.
Republic Airways, another regional airline for American, Delta, and United, was third. It mishandled nearly 500 wheelchairs and other mobility devices among its 194,189 lost items, averaging 7.01 lost bags per 1,000.
Alaska Airlines was fourth, with 402,781 mishandled bags out of 60 million, averaging 6.69 per 1,000. United Airlines took fifth place with an average of 6.43 lost bags per 1,000, including nearly 3,350 missing wheelchairs out of its 932,000 total lost items.
PSA Airlines ranked sixth, with 207,060 lost bag reports from 34 million, averaging 6.06 per 1,000. JetBlue, recently criticised as the nation’s worst airline, was seventh with 251,388 lost bags out of 44 million, averaging 5.67 per 1,000. Notably, JetBlue had the highest rate of lost mobility devices, with 33 out of every 1,000.
Delta affiliate SkyWest came in eighth with 439,290 lost bags from its 38.6 million passengers, averaging 5.28 per 1,000. Delta itself was ninth with 1,107,525 missing bags out of 217 million, an average of 5.10 per 1,000, including 3,317 lost mobility devices.
Finally, Spirit Airlines ranked tenth, with 185,610 mishandled bags out of 37 million, averaging approximately 4.93 lost bags per 1,000.
Travellers are advised to be extra cautious with their belongings when flying with these carriers, given the high rates of lost and mishandled luggage.
