Checking a bag while flying? These airlines are most likely to lose your luggage, according to data

New York’s Staten Island — People will soon be swarming to the airport, luggage in hand, to escape and relax as spring break approaches.

The loss of luggage may ruin a perfectly excellent holiday, and every experienced traveler knows that there is no guarantee that a checked bag will reach its destination.

A new research from the data journalism website Stacker examined whether major airlines are experiencing an increase in baggage mishandling.

The federal Department of Transportation (DOT) gathered information for the study regarding bags that airlines had misplaced, delayed, or damaged.

According to the DOT, most airlines will report a luggage misplaced five to fourteen days following the journey.

The research team discovered that in 2024, the quality of luggage service declined with airline size.

Although there were generally fewer lost bags in 2024 compared to 2023, the researchers discovered that several of the largest airlines in the nation experienced an increase in luggage loss.

The worst offender, according to the researchers, was American Airlines. The airline lost 296,570 bags in 2024, which is little more than 10 bags for every 1,000 that were handled incorrectly.

Although this quantity is alarming in and of itself, it also signified a rise of more than 36,000 bags in comparison to the 2023 loss.

The Alaska Airlines Network lost 62,515 pieces of luggage in 2024, which was more than American Airlines. Compared to the previous year, this represented an increase of more than 8,900 lost bags.

According to the research, Delta Air Lines lost 159,524 bags in 2024—more than 5,000 more than in 2023—to round out the worst offenders.