The best, worst airports and airlines for lost or mishandled luggage
Having your luggage lost or mishandled can derail an exciting trip before it even begins.
When it comes to keeping track of travelers’ baggage, some airports and airlines fare better than others.
The team of experts at Upgraded Points recently analyzed property complaint data from the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) FOIA Electronic Reading Room for the 60 busiest U.S. airports between 2015 and 2023, normalizing the data against annual passenger volumes to reveal which hubs are the best and worst when it comes to mishandling passengers’ baggage. This includes lost, delayed, diverted or damaged luggage.
“Losing your luggage is a classic nightmare, turning a great trip into a frustrating ordeal,” Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points, said in a statement. “We focused on airports and airlines with the highest rates of baggage mishaps to help inform future travelers while encouraging improvements in baggage handling processes.”
Florida’s major airports might have some explaining to do, based on the latest research, with six airports from the Sunshine State ranking inside of the top 10 for the most complaints per 100,000 passengers.
Highest baggage complaints
Orlando International Airport (MCO) – 1.81 complaints per 100K passengers
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – 1.72 complaints per 100K passengers
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) – 1.71 complaints per 100K passengers
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) – 1.69 complaints per 100K passengers
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) – 1.68 complaints per 100K passengers
Miami International Airport (MIA) – 1.59 complaints per 100K passengers
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) – 1.54 complaints per 100K passengers
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) – 1.51 complaints per 100K passengers
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) – 1.49 complaints per 100K passengers
Sacramento International Airport (SMF) – 1.41 complaints per 100K passengers
Best performers
On the other end of the spectrum, the Midwest has done a decent job of taking care of travelers’ items, with major airports in Kansas City, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver ranked among the top six for the least complaints per 100,000 passengers.
Top-performing San Francisco International Airport’s complaint rate of 0.31 per 100,000 passengers is notably 72% lower than the study’s national average.
Lowest baggage complaints
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – 0.31 complaints per 100K passengers
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) – 0.42 complaints per 100K passengers
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) – 0.58 complaints per 100K passengers
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) – 0.59 complaints per 100K passengers
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) – 0.59 complaints per 100K passengers
Denver International Airport (DEN) – 0.64 complaints per 100K passengers
Upgraded Points also looked at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report, zeroing in on the number of mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags from January to September 2024 for the 10 largest U.S. airlines and comparing those figures to 2023 to calculate year-to-year percentage changes.
Comparing the airlines
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Big Four carriers are all featured among the worst airlines for baggage handling, with Alaska Airlines – which is merging with Hawaiian Airlines – also performing poorly.
Worst airlines for
mishandled baggage
American Airlines – 0.90 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags
United Airlines – 0.68 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags
Alaska Airlines – 0.64 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags
Delta Air Lines – 0.49 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags
Southwest Airlines – 0.44 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags
Allegiant and JetBlue were among the best airlines for baggage handling with mishandled rates of just 0.24 and 0.36 per 100 enplaned bags, respectively.