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Air travel has been rocky this summer — and baggage issues are a factor among many other issues for travelers like flight cancellations and delays.
Nearly 220,000 bags were “mishandled” by US airlines in April 2022, meaning they were lost, damaged, delayed or stolen, according to the latest data published by the US Department of Transportation.
The number of mishandled bags in April more than doubled from the roughly 94,000 cases of mishandled baggage in April 2021, although it was slightly lower than the tally in March 2022 and in April 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to departmental data.
What do the numbers look like to travelers? Consider this: Last week, Delta Air Lines flew a plane containing 1,000 pieces of stranded baggage — and zero passengers — from London’s Heathrow Airport to Detroit to speed up the movement of delayed bags.
The advent of technology in tracking lost bags
Apple’s ‘Find my iPhone app’ was launched more than a decade ago, and has helped countless people reunite with their lost or stolen phone. In September 2019, the tech giant upgraded its service to a more generic ‘Find My’ app for all its devices. This proves to be very useful for travelers.
A British Airways passenger who left his Airpods on a flight from Texas to London in June spent weeks watching them move with the suspected thief via the Find My app.
Another man flew more than 4,000 miles and spent £2,300 (€2,656) to retrieve earphones that were lost on a flight, after chasing them around the world for five months.
“I didn’t really expect to get it back and I joked that flying to Doha to get it was the smallest thing I’ve ever done,” he told news website JOE. “But it’s great that we found them – and now I don’t have to buy a new pair!”
Of course most people are unlikely to keep their Airpods on board during a flight. It’s a new device that really takes off when it comes to finding stranded suitcases: the Airtag.
Apple launched its tracking device last April: a tiny gadget the size of a 1 euro coin, designed to help people track keys, wallets and other valuables.
Bluetooth-connected devices work by sending a secure signal that can be detected by devices on the ‘Find Me’ network, which then sends the tag’s location to iCloud which can be viewed in the Find My app on your phone – provided you first registered it there.
In August, Airtag was assisting justice enforcement in Florida when it led to the arrest of an airline employee accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of luggage.
An investigation was launched after a passenger reported that his bag never made it to its final destination. The airtag in his suitcase led the police to the airline worker’s home.
Should we be wary of using Airtags?
Given the surge in lost baggage, it’s understandable that people are getting more tech-savvy and are praising the vigilante enhancements these devices have inspired.
But knowing where your bag is doesn’t always bring it back any faster, and there’s a dark side to Airtags too. Domestic violence charities have noted an alarming increase in stalkers using them to keep tabs on their ex-partners, hiding them in cars and coats for example.
“I saw Airtags being sold at my local supermarket,” Emma Pickering of the charity Refuge told the Guardian. “People are looking at it, thinking about tracking more, and the concept of tracking is becoming more established. We’re normalizing it.”
As always, it’s important to think about the flip side of inviting new too powerful technology into our lives, when safety regulations and standards are often lagging behind.
As frustrating and dangerous as lost baggage can be – for those carrying medical equipment – it’s also worth remembering that beleaguered airline staff are far more likely to be on the other side of the equation than rogue thieves.
The human touch is also very influential. Berlin-based writer Erin Porter can help return her father-in-law’s misplaced bag by following advice she found on a Facebook suggestion group called BER Airport Check-in and Security.
“People report having success by going to lost baggage counters and begging or rushing into the luggage room to find their own bag,” he wrote.
“After waiting more than an hour in line, my husband was ready with the info he had in his bag, flight and even Vollmacht (permit) from his father.” They were allowed into the luggage store, and found it within 30 minutes, proving that old-fashioned baggage tags certainly don’t exceed their usefulness.
Why are so many bags missing?
London’s Heathrow Airport made headlines in June, when piles of lost luggage started causing a foul odor in Terminal 2.
A technical glitch in the airport’s baggage scanning system is to blame in this case, but the airline is responsible for most of your bag’s journey.
Airport security scans outgoing baggage, but the subsequent process is handled by airlines and their ground handlers who check the baggage, load and unload it from the plane, and return it to the baggage room for people to collect.
Most lost bags are transfer bags that lost their connection, either because the first flight was delayed or the airline didn’t have the required number of ground handlers.
Ground staff have struggled with extremely precarious working conditions over the past few years and, like others in the aviation sector, were forced to go on strike this summer – further adding to the travel and baggage mess.
However, it is also important to keep the airport up to speed. Heathrow is working to replace Terminal 2’s baggage system, which is more than 50 years old.
An airport spokesman added that more than 99 percent of bags had traveled with their owners over the past five years.
Why airlines have trouble managing baggage
Airlines have been struggling with shortages of baggage handlers, pilots and other staff as travel demand increased, after easing at the start of the pandemic. More than 2.4 million Americans passed through airport security on Sunday, a 10% increase from last year and more than triple that on the same day in 2020, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
While a lost bag or a delay in accessing your belongings can ruin a great trip, there’s a silver lining: Travelers can, in many circumstances, get financial compensation from airlines when their bags are lost. There are also steps to take before flying to make the process easier.
“Passengers have other recourse,” says Sara Rathner, travel expert at NerdWallet.
Here’s what to know if your checked baggage goes to MIA or comes back with a few dents.
The airline must compensate passengers for lost baggage
Under U.S. regulations, airlines must compensate when passengers for lost, delayed, or damaged baggage, to a certain extent.
If your bag is declared lost: The airline must compensate you for the contents of the bag, which may depreciate, up to a predetermined maximum. The maximum liability is $3,800 for domestic flights and about $1,800 for international flights, according to the Department of Transportation. (Airlines may pay more but are not required to.) The carrier must also refund all fees paid for baggage checks. Airlines are also prepared to pay up to another $20,000 for lost or damaged “assistive devices” for travelers with disabilities, including crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, hearing aids or prosthetics, for example.
If your baggage is delayed: This maximum liability limit also applies to baggage that is delayed. Payments to travelers may include their own expenses for additional clothing or other purchases they make out of necessity due to delays. These are called “reasonable, verifiable and actual contingencies” incurred when bags are delayed.
“Financial compensation really helps, because it’s not money you usually spend,” says Rathner.
Policies may vary from carrier to carrier. For example, airlines have different standards for when a bag is considered “lost”; most stated the bags were lost after five to 14 days, according to the Department of Transportation. Airlines may ask for receipts or other evidence for items in your bag.
Airlines may also exempt certain items from refunds, including cash, electronics, and fragile items.
Make the lost luggage table your ‘first port of call’
If the baggage carousel is empty and you haven’t returned with your bags, talk to an airline employee before leaving the airport to make a baggage claim, according to travel experts.
The airline is responsible for finding checked baggage that does not arrive at the appropriate place and time.
Airlines vary in terms of accepting responsibility and the timing of claims settlement, he added.
The same advice applies to overdue bags, damaged bags, or bag contents — file a report before leaving the airport. With respect to damaged bags, airlines may be able to argue that the damage occurred after leaving the premises, experts say.
After leaving the airport, travelers should also file a complaint with the Department of Transportation, according to Charlie Leocha, chairman of Travelers United, an advocacy group. The agency will forward your complaint to the airline, helping to put your complaint at the top of the list, he said.
How to pack to reduce your chances of getting into a baggage accident
There are a number of things travelers can do before flying to reduce their chances of losing or losing their bag — or lessening the headaches they might have if they do, according to experts.
Perhaps the most obvious — yet impactful — tip is to avoid checking bags whenever possible.
“Nowadays, if you can always travel with luggage; it’s rule no. My 1 for you,” said Leocha.
Of course, that’s not always possible. If you need to carry baggage, consider booking a non-stop flight instead of a multi-leg journey (again, if possible) to eliminate baggage errors that may accompany an airplane transfer. If transit is required, choose a longer one to ensure there is enough time for your bag to be moved.
Do not put anything of value, such as jewelry or camera equipment, into the checked bag: They are unlikely to be covered if lost. It is also better to keep travel essentials such as clothes or certain medical prescriptions in your bag, in case they are delayed or lost will affect your health or make you unable to enjoy your trip.
Experts also recommend taking photos of what you’re packing (an easy task with a phone camera) and writing down any value you paid in cash during the trip. These steps will help if you need to file a baggage claim and list your personal items and costs with the airline, says Leocha.
In addition, some travel insurance policies can cover costs associated with lost, stolen, damaged, or delayed baggage, experts say. Buying an insurance policy may not be necessary; Travel-oriented credit cards used to fund travel may already carry certain protections with respect to baggage.
Travelers can also consider shipping certain must-have items to their previous destination – although it will almost certainly cost more money and airlines won’t pay for it, Leocha said.
