In recent years, the popularity of checked baggage has decreased as passengers favor shorter trips and try to avoid the additional fees associated with bringing checked luggage. However, for some trips, checked baggage is necessary and passengers want to ensure that their luggage will arrive safely at their destination. While rare, mishandled baggage does occur and some airlines have a higher rate of mishandling than others.

American Airlines has been named as the worst offender for mishandled baggage multiple times. In July 2023, Travel Agent Central reported that American Airlines mishandled 5. 34 bags per 1,000. This was followed by a report in November 2024 by The Manual, stating that American Airlines still held the top spot with 8. 1 bags per 1,000 mishandled. Surprisingly, other studies have found that mishandled baggage is actually rarer at low-cost airlines.

A Forbes study analyzed data from the US Department of Transportation and found that American Airlines had the highest average of mishandled bags per 1,000 over a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022. This was followed by regional carrier SkyWest and United Airlines. The study also found that other major US airlines had an average of between three and four mishandled bags per 1,000, with Hawaiian Airlines having the lowest rate at 2. 9 per 1,000.

Another study by The Manual in November 2024 ranked airlines based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 items of checked luggage. American Airlines still held the top spot with 8. 1 mishandled bags, followed by Envoy Air and PSA Airlines. This study also found that low-cost airlines had a lower rate of mishandled baggage compared to full-service airlines.

Mishandled baggage can have a significant impact on passengers, both financially and emotionally. The average cost of replacing a lost bag and its contents is $457, and 44% of impacted passengers never receive compensation from the airline. In addition, 33% of passengers have experienced damage to their checked bags.

American Airlines charges for checked bags on domestic flights, with fees increasing for each additional bag. On longer routes, the fees are more expensive. Passengers can check up to 10 bags on domestic, transatlantic, and transpacific flights, but the cost per bag increases with each additional bag. However, some exceptions do apply, such as free checked bags for certain routes or for passengers with high loyalty status.

Another study by Forbes examined the number of Google searches related to lost, missing, or delayed luggage for various airlines. The study found that British Airways had the most monthly searches, followed by KLM and easyJet. While the public perception may be that low-cost airlines have a higher rate of mishandled baggage, this study found that full-service and legacy airlines were the worst offenders.

British Airways has different checked baggage policies based on the class of