Mishandled baggage report reveals the worst airline offenders

For many traveling by air, luggage mishaps are almost expected, as plenty of bags are damaged, delayed or mishandled.

A report by the U.S. Department of Transportation analyzed baggage handling on domestic airlines and flights between January and December of 2023. It ranked the airlines based on how many mishandled bags there were per 100 loaded onto the flight.

The number of mishandled bags represents the number of check bags that are lost, damaged, delayed, and pilfered, as reported by or on behalf of the passenger, that were on domestic nonstop scheduled flights.  

When the total amount of bags being handled is considered, even the worst offenders seem to keep the mishandled rate pretty low. 

Airlines with the most mishandled baggage:

• United Airlines -- 0.73% mishandling rate. Out of 75 million bags, 551,000 were mishandled.
• American Airlines – 0.76% mishandling rate. Out of 105 million bags, 800,000 were mishandled.

Airlines with the least mishandled baggage:

• Allegiant Air – 0.19% mishandling rate. Out of 5.6 million bags, 10,500 were mishandled.
• Southwest Airlines – 0.45% mishandling rate. Out of  129.7 million bags, 587,000 were mishandled.
• Delta Air – 0.47% mishandling rate. Out of  99 million bags,  467,000 were mishandled.

Airline responsibility for mishandled bags:

Under DOT regulations airlines are required to compensate passengers if their bags are 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 bag is under the airline's control during transportation (subject to maximum limits on liabilities).
• Airlines are not responsible for pre-existing damage to the bag or if the damage was caused by improper packing.
• When the damage to the bag cannot be repaired, airlines will negotiate a compensation amount based on the value of the bag and its depreciation.

Airline responsibility for delayed bags: 

• When a checked bag does not arrive at its destination, airlines are responsible for locating the bag.  Airlines have tracking systems in place to try to identify the bag's location.  

Related: How Apple AirTags can help find your lost or stolen luggage from your phone or computer