Airlines still have baggage problems, but tracking and communication are improving.
There’s good news for travelers. Even if the numbers of delayed or lost bags aren’t declining, the way airlines help you recover from the mishap has improved significantly.
Baggage Carousel Disappointment
If you travel by air, you likely recognize the scenario… After your flight lands, you walk to the baggage carousel and join a scrum of fellow passengers waiting to collect their bags. Finally, the carousel grinds to life and the first bags begin sliding onto it.
Soon, people are leaping forward to yank their bag off the carousel. You watch for your bag as the crowd begins to thin. Soon, just a few glum flyers remain, watching the same inexplicably unclaimed bags circle the carousel again and again. Finally, resigned to your fate, you and the other stragglers shuffle to the baggage service desk for the onerous task of filling out a claim form.
For most of commercial aviation history, what happened next was a mystery. Your bag might unexpectedly show up at your home, or you might get a call that it can be picked up at the airport. Or, you might hear nothing. Calling the airline’s baggage service number would likely result in a “no news” reply.
Fortunately, lost bag status is far more transparent today.
Lost Bags, by the Numbers
The “mishandled” bag situation used to be much worse. The Department of Transportation statistics begin in 1990, when the rate for mishandled bags was 6.73 per 1000 passengers. That dropped to 2.84 per 1000 by 2018, despite the passenger count more than doubling.
In 2019, the DOT began reporting different metrics, counting mishandled bags per 1000 “enplaned” bags. The numbers for US air carriers have remained roughly constant, with the 2023 value, 5.80 per 1000 being nearly identical to the pre-pandemic 2019 value of 5.85.
2023 mishandled bags match those in pre-pandemic 2019
The most recent data, from August 2024, shows U.S. carriers, are doing a little worse. They mishandled 6.4 bags per 1000, or 0.64%. This includes bags that are lost, damaged, delayed or stolen.
AirTags and SmartTags Locate Lost Bags
One recent development that helps flyers monitor their luggage is the ability to put a tracker like an Apple AirTag or Samsung Galaxy SmartTag in checked bags. These small devices connect with phones or other devices nearby and, with the appropriate mobile or desktop app, show their location.
Apple AirTags provide constantly updated location information.
These tags let the traveler check to be sure their bag is where it should be. If it’s not with them at their destination, they can determine exactly where it is. Recently, Apple introduced a feature, “Share Item Location,” that will enable flyers to let 15 airlines access the exact location of the missing bag. Previously, tag-equipped flyers were frustrated when they told a baggage rep exactly where the lost bag was but the rep was unable to use the location data.
Experience with a Delayed/Lost Bag
I never check a bag. As a speaker that flies globally, I can’t risk either my stage clothing or tech gear not arriving when I do. (On my last cruise, a comedian/magician entertainer apparently checked everything. His bag was delayed, and he showed up for his first performance with just the clothes he wore on the airplane. He made an admirable effort, but the results were surely less than he hoped.)
Flying from Dubai to Austin on United a few days ago with my spouse, though, we did check a bag. And, for the first time in many years, I got to experience the joy of a mishandled bag. We were supposed to claim the bag in Newark, clear customs, and re-check it. Simple enough, but that was not to be.
We had both an AirTag and SmartTag in the suitcase, and both showed that the last location was Dubai’s DXB airport. While we initially hoped that somehow the bag made the flight but neither tag had updated on arrival, it became clear the bag missed the plane.
In this case, there was some kind of larger issue on the flight than a random no-show bag. When the carousel ground to a halt, dozens of flyers were still waiting.
Prompt Lost Bag Status Update
While waiting in Newark, I received an electronic notification from United that the bag was delayed. The message provided the specific flight number and timing for its new journey to Newark. That communication immediately gave us confidence that the airline knew where the suitcase was and that it wasn’t lost or stolen.
That message alone was a significant stress-reducer, and a welcome improvement over the old days.
Old-School Lost Bag Claim Filing
The next part of the process hasn’t changed much in decades. We were advised to initiate a claim at the baggage counter. This involves completing a form that describes the bag, collects your contact and delivery info, etc. The form is electronic now, but the questions are little changed from the paper form.
The line of unhappy flyers waiting to file claims was huge, so we decided to proceed to our departure terminal and try there. The line at that baggage counter was even worse. We estimated there was no way we could wait in line and make our flight.
United does offer an electronic alternative to file a claim, but for some reason we couldn’t access it. Ultimately, a helpful representative in United’s Polaris Lounge helped complete the claim.
Integrating AirTags to Track Lost Bags
Just days earlier, United became the first airline to let passengers use the AirTag Share Item Location feature to help track missing bags. Since their own tracking systems seemed to know exactly where the bag was, we didn’t bother to share the link.
United’s willingness to use customer-provided tracking info, though, is a welcome addition to flyer experience. They seem to be continuing the push to better CX that I’ve described previously.
Where’sMySuitcase offers detailed ETA and location for the final bag delivery phase
Much Better Lost Bag Location Transparency
After the claim filing, the rest of the missing bag experience improved dramatically. We received electronic updates as the bag made its way from Dubai to Newark and ultimately arrived in Austin.
The bag’s checkpoints were also updated in the United mobile app.
Locally, the bag was handed off to Where’sMySuitcase, a delivery service that provides truly excellent tracking info. You can see where their driver is on a map, and the estimated time of arrival is constantly updated. This tracking display is better than the major delivery services and most other service apps I’ve seen.
The bag arrived at the predicted time. A day and a half late, perhaps, but all was good.
Overall: The Delayed/Lost Bag Experience Is Much Better
Comparing this delayed bag experience to those I’ve had in the past shows a remarkable improvement in customer experience. The stats show that the incidence of mishandled bags hasn’t changed much in recent years, but, at least for United, the tracking and communication is much better.
The frequent status updates, the ability to integrate AirTag location data into the baggage claim process, and the excellent local delivery process all contributed to a far less stressful experience than those in past years. There’s even an effort to use AI for better baggage tracking and rerouting.
Will I start checking a bag? Nope… the better than 1 in 100 odds of a bag delay aren’t bad, but they are still too risky for me. As a bonus, I enjoy getting into an Uber while my fellow passengers are still waiting for the luggage carousel to start.
But, if I ever do check a bag, I’ll be a lot more confident that it will arrive – even if it misses the original flight and qualifies as a “lost bag.”