Summary
- Baggage mishandling incidents are rising and are often caught on video.
- Delta Air Lines quickly apologized for the incident involving the East Tennessee State Men’s Golf Team’s bags.
- Some believe the increase in mishandling incidents can be attributed to staff shortages due to the pandemic.
Baggage mishandling incidents are on the rise, and thanks to social media and videos, they are also being brought to our attention more often.
According to SITA, the number of mishandled bags almost doubled from 2021 to 2022, reaching 7.6 bags per thousand passengers. Many airlines have been caught mishandling baggage, either throwing it on to the ground or cargo vehicles with what seems like an intention to damage the bags.
On May 22nd, Delta Air Lines became the latest airline to join this undesirable list after baggage carriers were once again filmed grossly mishandling bags.
Baggage mishandling
Delta has found itself in hot water after ground staff were recorded tossing the golf bags of the East Tennessee State Men’s Golf Team. The team was heading to Carlsbad, California, for the NCAA championships on Tuesday. The incident occurred on their flight to San Francisco.
The video, captured by the team’s head coach, Jake Amos, was posted to X on the team’s official account. It quickly went viral and has since garnered 10.7 million views.
The airline quickly apologized in a statement obtained by Simple Flying.
“We apologize to the ETSU Golf team and ask for a mulligan on how their equipment was handled. We’re in direct contact with the Bucs to ensure they have what they need to successfully complete the NCAAs.”
Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying
The airline also quickly posted a reply on X the day after the post was made.
“We’re so sorry this is how your golf clubs were handled. It’s not who we are. And we’re working to make it right, so you’ll have everything you need to compete at the tournament this weekend.”
No statement has been made about the condition of the golf clubs or whether they sustained any damage in the incident. An X user replied directly to Delta’s apology about their own experience with the carrier handling their golf equipment.
“It is who you are. You broke my driver shaft in half, and when I submitted my complaint, Delta refused to reimburse me for the damage.”
Several X replied to the video asking why the baggage handlers did not simply move the cart closer. They also shared their poor experiences with the airline mishandling their baggage.
Rising incidents of baggage mishandling
According to SITA, the number of events has increased severely after the pandemic caused airport staff shortages. The rapid increase in travel has made it difficult for staff to handle many pieces of luggage, leading to these events.
Photo: Austin Deppe | Shutterstock
Simple Flying previously reported that Delta has been ranked seventh among American carriers that mishandle baggage, with 3.08 mishandled bags per thousand passengers. American Airlines takes the top spot with 5.34 bags per thousand passengers.

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