Airlines and Airports That Lose Holiday Luggage Most Often

Santa isn’t the only one transporting packages and presents this holiday season. Travelers all across the country are planning on bringing gifts to and from their Christmas destinations along with their luggage. While those presents are meant to bring joy, nothing can turn an already weary traveler into a full-blown Grinch faster than having their luggage lost or damaged.

There is always a risk that a passenger’s luggage will be mishandled, though that risk can rise depending on the airline and airport they are using. For travelers curious about how much they should worry about the possibility of having their luggage lost or damaged this holiday season, the FinanceBuzz team combed through official reports from last December to find the airlines and airports that lose the most luggage during the Christmas season.

Key Findings

• John F. Kennedy International (JFK) is the airport where bags are most likely to be mishandled, as 2.6 bags are lost or damaged for every 100,000 passengers.
• American Airlines mishandled more bags than any other airline last December, with 6.5 bags lost or damaged out of every 1,000 bags they handled.
• Airlines reported that more than 214,000 bags were lost or damaged last December.

The airlines that lose and damage the most bags during the holidays

Unfortunately, there are no airlines with a perfect record when it comes to safely and securely handling passenger luggage. While mistakes are inevitable no matter which company you choose to fly with, there are (sometimes significant) differences between airlines when it comes to luggage handling.

Last holiday season, American Airlines lost or damaged the highest proportion of passenger parcels, as 6.5 out of every 1,000 bags were mishandled by the airline. That means that one out of every 155 bags carried by American were lost or damaged. Given that the two most common planes in American’s fleet — the Boeing 737-800 and the Airbus A321-200 — have the capacity for between 162 and 220 passengers, that means that, on average, at least one passenger’s bag was lost or damaged on many American flights last December.

On the other hand, Delta was significantly better at handling passenger baggage during the holidays. Despite handling just 8% fewer bags than American (8.6 million vs. 9.3 million), the number of bags mishandled by Delta was nearly 50% lower (30,746 vs 60,032). That amounts to just 3.6 mishandled bags per 1,000, or 1 out of every 278.

Across all major airlines, over 43 million bags were flown around the country last December, and over 214,000 were lost or damaged in that time. That is a rate of five mishandled bags per thousand or a 1 in 200 chance that a piece of luggage would be mishandled.

Airports where you’re most likely to lose your bag during the holidays

Just like some airlines are better at securing luggage, bags are more likely to go missing or get damaged at some airports more than others. We looked at TSA data on the 50 busiest airports in the country to find where bags are the most likely to be mishandled.

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) had the most complaints about lost or damaged luggage relative to the number of passengers serviced last December. More than 1.1 million people got on a flight at JFK during the holiday season last year, and, on average, one complaint per day relating to mishandled luggage was filed with the TSA in that time (31 total). That amounts to 2.6 mishandled bags for every 100,000 passengers, the highest rate of any airport. Nearby Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) was second, at 2.3 complaints per 100,000 passengers. Those are the only two airports in the country with more than 2 reports of mishandled luggage per 100,000 passengers.

Full Airport Breakdown

Tips for saving on airfare this holiday season

Between presents, food, decorations, and more, the holidays can be expensive. Here are some tips for savvy travelers looking to save a little money on their festive travel this year:

• One way to save on airfare is to use credit card points to book your travel. The welcome offer alone on some of the best travel credit cards is enough to earn you a free flight (or two).
• Timing isn't everything, but it's still important. Airfares fluctuate week to week — and even day to day. By monitoring airfares for your upcoming trip, you can buy when prices drop. You can track prices using an app such as Hopper or set up a price alert on Google Flights.
• If your travel plans are flexible, sign up for cheap flight alerts from a site like Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights). You'll get emails whenever the website finds a cheap fare, and if the deal looks enticing, you can book the bargain flight using the instructions in the email.

Methodology

Data on mishandled baggage by airline comes from the February 2024 Air Travel Consumer Report published by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which includes data for the time frame including the entire month of December of 2023.

Data on mishandled luggage by airport was generated by counting the number of TSA complaints for lost or damaged baggage filed for each airport during December of 2023 and then calculating the rate of complaints for every 100,000 departing passengers at each airport. Passenger totals were found via the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, while organized TSA complaint data was found via The Data Liberation Project.

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