Delayed Baggage Compensation by Airline

Missing or delayed baggage can put a real dampener on a trip, and make your travel experience that much more stressful. Millions of pieces of luggage are mishandled by airlines every year, but there is help available if you’re one of the unlucky passengers impacted by these mistakes.

In this guide, we’ll look at statistics on baggage mishandling, and go into detail on delayed baggage compensation for each airline.

Key statistics

Of the U.S. airlines analyzed, Southwest Airlines mishandled the most bags in total in 2023 with 587,339, but American Airlines mishandled the most per 1,000 enplaned with 8.2.
From January to December 2023, U.S. airlines mishandled 2,697,057 pieces of luggage, a 5.5% decrease compared to 2022.
U.S. air carriers mishandled 5.8 bags per 1,000 enplaned in 2023, down from 6.4 in 2022.
Allegiant Airlines mishandled the fewest bags at 10,590, or 19 per 1,000 enplaned.
The most common reason that bags are lost or delayed is due to transfer mishandling, with 46% of mishandled bags going missing during transfer from one flight to another.
Baggage mishandling was reduced by nearly 60% between 2007 and 2022, partly due to advances in luggage tracking technology.
Under U.S. Department of Transport regulations, airlines are required to pay up to a maximum liability of $3,800 for bags lost, damaged, or delayed on domestic flights.

Number of mishandled bags by airline

The term “mishandled baggage” refers to any luggage that is lost, delayed, or damaged during transit. This might occur due to human error if airline staff make a mistake when sorting or tagging luggage. Technical issues such as faulty systems or technology failures could also cause luggage to be sent to the wrong place. The data below shows the number of bags mishandled by U.S. air carriers.

U.S. airlines mishandled 2.7 million pieces of luggage in 2023

Across all U.S. airlines, there were 2,697,057 pieces of luggage mishandled from January to December 2023.

Southwest Airlines mishandled the most bags in total in 2023 with 587,339 bags being lost, delayed, or damaged during transit. Southwest was also the most-used airline in the U.S. in 2023, carrying 171 million passengers.

American Airlines mishandled the most bags per 1,000 enplaned with 8.2 and a total of 582,499. American Airlines was the second most-used airline in the U.S. in 2023 with 164 million passengers. [1]

Allegiant Air mishandled the fewest bags with a total of 10,590 delayed, damaged, or lost pieces of luggage, and 1.9 mishandled bags per 1,000 enplaned.

Source [2]

U.S. air carriers mishandled 5.8 bags per 1,000 enplaned in 2023

Since 2019, the number of bags mishandled by U.S. airlines has fluctuated. A total of 5.9 bags per 1,000 enplaned were mishandled by air carriers in 2019, but this dropped to 4.1 in 2020, potentially due to airports and flights being less busy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The figure gradually climbed again to 6.4 in 2022 but decreased to 5.8 in 2023.

Data also shows that baggage mishandling was reduced by nearly 60% between 2007 and 2022, partly due to the increasing use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in airports. This technology is used in around 27% of airports, with a higher adoption in larger airports. [3]

Source [4]

Reasons for baggage mishandling

A number of things can cause bags to be mishandled by airline and airport staff. Malfunctioning equipment, staff shortages, and security issues can all lead to bags being lost or delayed.

The top reason for bags being mishandled in 2023 was transfer mishandling (46%) which occurs when passengers are transferring from one flight to another. Transfer bags have been the most commonly mishandled, accounting for 42% in 2022 and 41% in 2021.

Source [5]

Can I get compensation for delayed baggage?

According to the U.S. Department for Transportation, airlines are responsible for delivering passengers’ bags to their destination on time. If a bag is delayed, airlines are required to provide compensation for ‘reasonable, verifiable and actual incidental expenses’ that passengers might incur while waiting for their delayed bag to arrive. Airlines are not permitted to set an arbitrary limit on this compensation amount.

If a bag is permanently lost, airlines are responsible for compensating the passenger for the contents of the bag(s) and for refunding any fees paid to transport the lost bag(s).

Under the U.S. Department of Transport’s regulations, Airlines are permitted to set a maximum liability amount of $3,800 for lost, damaged, and delayed bags on domestic flights. Airlines are free to pay out more than this limit but are not required to do so.

For most international flights, the Montreal Convention applies, and the maximum baggage liability for bags is 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (approximately $1,700 USD) per passenger. Again, this is the maximum airlines must pay a passenger for lost, damaged, or delayed bags, though they are free to pay more than this limit. [6]

Delayed baggage compensation policies for each airline

Delayed baggage compensation can vary by airline, flight destination, and other factors. Let’s take a look at the delayed baggage compensation you could be entitled to if your bag is mishandled by one of the airlines below.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines’ delayed baggage policy states they will provide reimbursement for the destruction, loss, damage, or delay of baggage. This is providing that you can show proof of ‘reasonable, documented damages’ that you have incurred as a direct result of the loss, damage, or delayed delivery of your baggage.

The compensation you can receive for domestic flights is limited to the proven amount of damage or loss but is limited to no more than $3,800 per fare-paying passenger. One exception is if you declare that your bag is worth more than $3,800 at the time of check-in, and you have paid an additional charge of $1 for every $100 of excess value your bag has.

For international flights, compensation is limited to 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (SDR). [7]

American Airlines

American Airlines will reimburse you for any items you need if your bag is delayed as long as you submit an itemized receipt within 30 days of the delay. If your bag ends up being permanently lost, any reimbursement will be deducted from your settlement amount. Bags are considered lost by United after 30 days.

Compensation for loss, delay, or damage to bags is limited to $3,800 for domestic travel and 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per ticketed passenger for international travel. [8]

United Airlines

With United Airlines, if your bag is delayed for over 12 hours, you’ll get an automatic bag fee refund in some cases. This includes:

If your bag is delayed over 12 hours on a domestic flight
If your bag is delayed over 15 hours on an international flight less than 12 hours
If your bag is delayed over 30 hours on an international flight longer than 12 hours

Once your bag has been reported to United Airlines as delayed, you can also request reimbursement for the cost of any clothes or toiletries you need to purchase during the delay. If your bag is permanently lost, the maximum reimbursement is $3,800 for domestic flights and $1,900 for international flights. [9]

Delta Air Lines

If you’re flying with Delta Air Lines, you are entitled to a maximum of $3,800 per ticketed passenger for domestic flights. For international rights, you can receive a maximum of $9.07 per lb. up to $640 per bag under the Warsaw Convention or a maximum of 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) under the Montreal Convention.

You can also receive a refund of your bag fee from Delta Air Lines in the following circumstances:

If your bag is not delivered within 12 hours of arriving at the gate for domestic flights
If your bag is not delivered within 15 hours of arriving at the gate for international flights under 12 hours
If your bag is not delivered within 30 hours of arriving at the gate for international flights over 12 hours. [10]

Alaska Airlines

For domestic flights with Alaska Airlines, the maximum liability for checked baggage is $3,800 per ticketed passenger. For international flights covered by the Warsaw Convention, the maximum liability for checked bags is $9.07 per lb. and $400 for unchecked bags. Under the Montreal Convention, the maximum liability for lost or delayed baggage is 1,288 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) per passenger.

If the value of your checked items is more than the standard liability, you can declare this at check-in and purchase additional valuation for $1 per every $100 of value, up to a maximum of $5,000.

Alaska Airlines will also offer reimbursement options for any clothing or toiletries you need to purchase while your bag is delayed. [11]

JetBlue

JetBlue’s delayed baggage policy states that they will reimburse any baggage fees if your bag is not delivered within 12 hours of arrival for domestic flights and within 15 hours of arrival for international flights.

The maximum reimbursement for domestic flights is $3,800, and the maximum for international flights is $1,900. Any interim expenses that have already been reimbursed by JetBlue will be deducted from the total amount. [12]

Spirit Airlines

With Spirit Airlines, you can receive compensation of up to $3,500 for lost or damaged checked luggage, which is in line with U.S. Department of Transport regulations. You should create a mishandled baggage report at the arrival airport within 4 hours for domestic travel, 7 days for international damage reports, and 21 days for international loss, delay, and pilferage reports. Bags are considered lost by Spirit Airlines if they do not turn up within 21 days. [13]

Frontier Airlines

Frontier Airlines does not state a specific amount of compensation you can receive if your bag is lost or delayed. Their policy states that they will make every reasonable effort to get your bag to you within 12 hours for domestic flights and within 15 or 30 hours for international flights, depending on the flight length. Frontier does commit to reimbursing you for any bag fees if your bag is ‘significantly delayed or lost’. [14]

Allegiant Air

Allegiant Air provides a maximum compensation of $3,800 for delayed, damaged, or lost bags on domestic flights, and a maximum of 1,131 Special Drawing Rights (SDR) for international flights. [15]

Breeze Airways

For delayed or lost luggage, Breeze Airways will reimburse passengers for ‘reasonable expenses’ during the course of the delay. They will also reimburse any bag fees if the bag is permanently lost. [16]

Sources

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