Lost luggage in the US has become a significant travel concern, especially with the increase in air travel and the challenges faced by airlines and airports in managing high volumes.

Every year, LuggageHero creates a report showcasing mishandled luggage by US airlines. Since the world slowly started opening up, there has of course been a lot more travel in 2021 than in 2020, and we can see that reflected in the higher number of lost luggage.

Quick overview:

• 692,884 mishandled bags in the first half of 2021
• Mishandled luggage has improved by 1,1% compared to the first six months of 2020
• Allegiant Air takes the best care of luggage for the third year in a row
• Envoy Air overtakes American Airlines as the worst airline to be in charge of handling luggage for the first half of 2021
• April was the safest month for handling luggage, while June was the worst month

From January 2021 to June 2021, a total of 692,884 bags were mishandled by US airlines, which is almost 200,000 more than the first half of 2020.  Overall, more than 160 million bags were enplaned for the first half of 2021, which is 45 million more than in the same time period in 2020.

For the research this year, we have collected data from 17 US airlines whereas, in 2020, the data for the research was collected from 16 airlines. The previous research showed that a little more than 111 million bags were boarded, and 520,000 were lost or mishandled the first six months.

The research this year concluded that of the 158 million bags that were boarded, around 690,000 were mishandled or lost. Therefore, the chance of your bag being mishandled in 2021 is around 0.4%. lost luggage

Allegiant Air scores a hat-trick of being the best at taking care of luggage

Allegiant Air has been the best airline for the safety of your luggage for the past three years, with only 0.15% of the bags being mishandled. Allegiant Air is followed by Hawaiian Airlines and Frontier Airlines, making them the top three airlines for safe luggage handling.

Envoy Air ranked as the worst lost luggage

American Airlines and Envoy Air ranked as the two worst airlines in handling luggage. Respectively, 0.76% and 0.88% of the baggage they were in charge of from January to June 2021 was mishandled.

June: The worst month for your bags

June 2021 ranked as the worst month for mishandled luggage. In June, a total of 236,956 bags were mishandled, with 65,472 of those bags being mishandled by American Airlines.  In other words, for every 1,000 pieces of luggage on board, 6.15% were mishandled in June.

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April: The safest month for your luggage

In the first half of 2021, April was the safest month for your luggage. For every 1,000 bags, only 3.26%  were handled incorrectly. April is followed very closely by March and May. In March, for every 1,000 pieces of luggage on board, 3.58% were handled incorrectly, and in May, 3.81%.

The bigger sample size 

It is important to note that the sample size used from the first half of 2020 is significantly smaller than the size from the first half of 2021. Nevertheless, bags in 2020 and 2021 were and are still mishandled, and there are airlines that we can safely say performed better than others.

Causes of Lost Luggage

1. Flight Delays and Cancellations – Tight connection windows increase the risk of bags not making it to the connecting flight, a common cause of lost luggage.
2. Baggage Handling Issues – Baggage mishandling occurs when bags are incorrectly tagged or sent to the wrong destination.
3. Security Delays – In cases of increased security checks, bags can sometimes be delayed or missed.
4. Weather Disruptions – Bad weather impacts flights, often causing delays that can lead to baggage mishandling.

What to do in case you have to deal with mishandled baggage

If you end up in a situation of being one of the “lucky” ones whose luggage is somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle, here is what you can do.

• Report Immediately – File a lost luggage report at the airline’s baggage claim or customer service desk before leaving the airport.
• Provide a Detailed Description – Include any identifying features and, if possible, provide a photo of the bag.
• Track Online – Many airlines offer tracking services to monitor the status of your missing luggage.
• Claim Compensation – Airlines in the US are required to compensate for lost bags; you may be entitled to reimbursements for essentials and eventual replacement if the bag isn’t found within a specified timeframe.
• If you fly within the United States, rules state that your luggage is covered up to $3,500 per passenger. To collect the compensation, you need to fill out the necessary forms and prove the loss.

About LuggageHero lost luggage

LuggageHero is a network of convenient, safe, and affordable luggage storage locations in local shops, cafés, and hotels. The company charges $1 per hour and is live in more than 40 cities. LuggageHero has topped 2.5 million hours of stored luggage through our website and app since starting in 2016.