How many bags do U.S. airlines lose per year?
Sunday, January 14, 2024
Make every day more interesting. Each day a surprising fact opens a world of fascinating information for you to explore. Did you know that….? 
| | Original photo by onurdongel/ iStock |
| U.S. airlines mishandle more than 2 million bags a year. | According to numbers released by the Department of Transportation, U.S. airlines posted a mishandled baggage rate (concerning items that were lost, damaged, delayed, or stolen) of 5.1 bags per 1,000 checked in 2021. With approximately 393 million bags submitted at airline counters, that translates to just over 2 million bags that failed to reach their owners as scheduled. Unfortunately, those numbers appear to be trending upward — the DOT reported a mishandled rate of 6.4 bags per 1,000 checked in 2022, and numbers were similar for the first three quarters of 2023.
However, the news from airports isn't all bad. According to data compiled by the Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques (SITA), 80% of mishandled bags in 2022 were merely delayed, meaning they were eventually reunited with their owners (7% were classified as lost or stolen). COVID-19 is at least partly to blame, as airlines that laid off workers during the height of the pandemic were left understaffed when travelers began returning in droves in 2021 and 2022. With carriers now hiring and training more help, and increasingly turning to high-tech solutions that include in-flight baggage tracking, the hope is that a more streamlined process will lead to fewer mishaps in this department.
Regardless, the possibility of delayed or lost possessions remains a small but not-insignificant threat to every air voyager who turns over their bags. To offset the likelihood, experts suggest using carry-on options when possible, and to select direct flights to diminish the chance of human error during baggage transfers.
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 | | U.S. airlines are liable for more expenses for baggage lost on domestic than international flights. | | |
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| U.S. airlines are liable for more expenses for baggage lost on domestic than international flights. |  |  |
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| The first major U.S. airline to charge a fee for all checked bags was __. |  |
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 | Numbers Don't Lie |
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 | | Days an item left at a TSA security checkpoint will be retained (minimum) | | 30 |
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| | | Free checked bags allowed by Southwest Airlines | | 2 |
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| | Baggage fees collected by U.S. airlines in 2022 | | $6.7 billion |
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| | | Formal complaints filed against U.S. airlines in 2022 | | 47,591 |
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 | Some airports use AI to match missing items to travelers. |
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| Of course, bags aren't the only thing that can vanish over the course of flying from point A to point B, as travelers often drop personal items in planes, shuttles, and restaurants. Such items typically end up at an airport's lost and found, where technological advancements at least make the process of pairing a missing keepsake to its owner a little easier. Both Savannah/Hilton Head (Georgia) and Syracuse Hancock (New York) airports use AI-powered Boomerang software, which enables a quick match between descriptions noted by a discovering party and those entered via online claims. Many other airports use software that incorporates data and image recognition technology, or at least provides a platform for claimants to search through inventory photos. One digital holdout is Wisconsin's Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, which continues to log missing items in an old-fashioned three-ring binder. | | |
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posted by June Lesley at 5:12 AM
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