New Report Estimates Over 40 Million Bags Lost By Airlines Worldwide Every Year

Everyone knows that airlines sometimes lose or misdirect passenger luggage.

But even the most jaded traveler might be surprised to hear the results of a study done by a British consumer group, which says that 42 million bags were mislaid worldwide in 2007.

The Air Transport Users Council (AUC) report also warns that the number of lost bags is growing every year along with the rise in air travel.

More than 30 million bags were lost in 2005 and 34 million in 2006—and the AUC estimates that by 2019 the number could soar as high as 70 million.

Of the 42 million items lost in 2007, the majority were eventually reunited with their owners, but at least 1.2 million were reportedly never found. That equates to one permanently lost bag for every 2,000 passengers.

The watchdog organization also criticizes airlines for the way they handle lost luggage claims, with low-budget airlines being the worst offenders.

Passengers are entitled to a maximum of $1,500 compensation when their bags are lost, and can claim back expenses for small purchases made while bags are delayed. The payout amount is set by the Montreal Convention, an international treaty signed by 87 countries which governs airlines’ liability for passengers, baggage and cargo.

However, airlines rarely pay out the statutory amount. The AUC has received more than 2,000 complaints from travelers, some of whom say that they were offered only a fraction of the allowable compensation. Others were asked to provide receipts for items contained in their luggage, a practice widely criticized for being unfair.

European low-cost carriers Ryanair and Jet2 were singled out for their low daily compensation rates. Ryanair only offers $21 per day for delayed bags, while Jet2 has a somewhat arbitrary policy of not reimbursing claims under $42.

The Association of European Airlines responded to the report by saying that its member airlines return 85 percent of delayed bags to their owners within 48 hours.

However, that means that 15 percent of passengers are still left in the lurch for more than two days. This can severely disrupt a traveler’s vacation, particularly if the person cannot stay at their arrival point indefinitely to await delivery of their bag.

European Union Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani was so outraged by the report that he has launched an investigation to determine why airlines are not complying with EU and international guidelines regarding lost luggage compensation.

He said that depending on the outcome of his probe, the EU may be forced to tighten its rules on lost bags, or resort to “political intervention.”

To reduce the possibility that your luggage will get lost, there are several things you can do: Sign up with a luggage tracking service such as BoomerangIt or TrackItBack, which will make it easy for someone to notify you (and even collect a reward) if they find your bag; take a non-stop flight and/or make sure that the gate agent has tagged your bag  correctly while you are at the airport; or just bypass the airlines altogether and ship your luggage in advance with a service such as Luggage Forward or Federal Express.

By Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com.

Related links: CNN, BBC, The Times (UK), USA Today, The Guardian

Related links on PeterGreenberg.com:

• Luggage Shipping Services: Solving the Lost Luggage Blues
• Luggage Shipping Via Amtrak and Greyhound
• Travel Gadget Spotlight: Packing More In Your Carry-On
• News Analysis: Changes to Checked Bags
• Avoiding Lost Luggage Woes