Who Will Lose Your Luggage
Last August I had my luggage lost. I was grateful. Because I was flying back from a 3-day vacation and only packed a few changes of clothing. Had this happened when I flew in June, I would have lost all my worldly possesions including my birth certificate, passport, college photos, a few Cashiers Checks, and every article clothing I owned.
So, if you’re about to travel with some very important things, it may not be a bad idea to know what your airline’s track record is when it comes to luggage. The US average for bags lost or stolen was 6.5 out of 1000. However, there were some airlines who were well below this, and some way above it.
The worst happens to be British Airways, with an average of 23 bags out of 1000. Other airlines that score poorly are Lufthansa and Air France. The average for European airlines is estimated to be around 15.7 bags out of 1000, and that’s not including budget airlines such as RyanAir, whose statistics were not released to the Association of European Airlines.
The best in terms of baggage handling is Hawaiin. Southwest was also near the top. Southwest also holds the honor of receiving the fewest complaints, with only 0.18 per 100,000 passengers, compared to 1.36 for United and US Airways (the worst domestically).
The next time you fly, I recommend only bringing valuable luggage if you’re flying on Southwest or Hawaiian. Unless you’re a risktaker.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Sorry about the lost luggage! It’s not a fun experience. One question - in June, why did you pack your passport, cashiers checks, etc in your checked luggage?!?
It doesn’t seem very wise to check one’s passport, birth certificate, and cashier’s checks. I would also never check jewelry, medicine or any travel docs.
Have you ever thought of carrying the most important things on the plane with you? It doesn’t matter what the airline’s success rate for lost luggage is, when one ends up in the 0.65%. And it will always be someone.
Lufthansa, really? I have heard nothing but wonderful things about the airline. Thanks for the tips.
Yes, you generally shouldn’t put your important identity related documents in your luggage when flying. But when you have three days to pack everything you own, clean out your apartment, sell your car, give and then grade 80 final exams, check out of work, say good-bye to your friends, and move 3000 miles, you get a little sloppy.
British Airways has lost my luggage 3 out of the last 5 trips, but what was worse was the extremely poor, disinterested customer service afterwards. I am finished with them for good.
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