Many travelers feel anxious waiting for their luggage on the carousel after a flight, fearing it might be delayed, lost, or damaged. However, statistical reality shows that the number of bags that are actually lost, stolen, or damaged is very small compared to the volume of global travel.
According to the 2025 “SITA Baggage IT Insights” report, the rate of mishandled bags in 2024 was approximately 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers worldwide, with annual improvements in baggage handling rates continuing compared to previous years.
In the United States, Department of Transportation data showed that U.S. airlines mishandled about 5.5 bags per 1,000 passengers during the same period.
Most Bags Are Recovered Quickly… But What About the Rest?
Approximately 99.5% of lost luggage is returned to its owners within a short period.
The airline industry standard requires that a bag be classified as “unclaimed” only if its owner cannot be found after 90 days from being reported as lost.
Only less than 0.03% of bags remain permanently unrecovered, equivalent to about 3 bags out of every 10,000 bags checked.
Reasons for Lost Luggage
There are several reasons why a bag might not reach its owner, some related to human and operational errors, and others linked to safety procedures:
- Transferring luggage between connecting flights represents one of the biggest sources of lost bags, especially on international journeys, where the chances of a bag being misplaced or delayed are much higher compared to direct flights.
- Errors in reading or damaged tags can cause a bag to be sent to the wrong destination.
- In some cases, bags are intentionally offloaded for reasons related to weight distribution in the aircraft hold to ensure safety.
- Bags are often intentionally removed due to weight and safety requirements, leading to them being recorded as lost luggage.
Technological Progress and Reducing Loss
Recent reports indicate that technology plays an important role in reducing baggage loss rates. The global rate of lost bags has decreased by about 63% compared to 2007 as a result of improvements in automation and baggage tracking systems.
Major airlines such as Aer Lingus, Delta, and United rely on tracking technologies that allow travelers to activate a system to track their bag’s location directly via an app, helping crews locate missing bags more quickly.
Traveler Rights and Compensation
Knowing your rights as a traveler ensures better protection for your belongings:
- Travel insurance does not always cover all cases of lost luggage, as many policies contain significant exclusions.
- The contract you agree to when checking a bag gives airlines broad rights to determine their liability, making legal challenges to their assessments complicated.
- Travelers are advised to keep receipts for high-value items and take photos of their suitcase contents before handing it over.
What Happens After 90 Days?
After a period of 90 days without its owner being found, a bag is classified as “Unclaimed Luggage.”
Airlines consider the bag a loss and complete compensation claims for the traveler according to regional laws.
Specialized companies purchase these unclaimed bags and transport them to their facilities, where the contents are sorted and categorized.
How Are Bags Processed at the Sorting Facility?
At lost luggage facilities, each handler opens
