Lost luggage
Encyclopedia
Lost luggage is the phenomenon in which a public carrier
such as an airline, shipping company, or railway does not send a passenger's luggage
to the correct destination to arrive with the passenger. In the United States
, an average of 1 in 150 people have their checked baggage misdirected or left behind each year.
Lost or misdirected luggage becomes more common the more elaborate a flight plan is. International flights or flights with connections are far more likely to see luggage get lost. There are many causes of lost luggage. If a passenger arrives late for a flight, their luggage will sometimes not have enough time to be loaded onto the plane. If tags
are accidentally torn off by airport workers, they may not know where to send the luggage. Human error is also common as tags are misread or luggage is placed in the wrong location. Sometimes there is no room in the plane or weight problems. Security delays can also cause bags to arrive on a later flight than their owner. Customs processing is normally handled after luggage is picked up.
Most lost luggage is quickly sent by the airline to the correct destination. To reduce the inconvenience, airlines will often reimburse passengers for toiletries, clothing, and other essentials if the arrival airport is away from the passenger's home area. In most cases, upon the arrival of delayed luggage, a courier service will deliver it from the arrival airport to the passenger at his or her home or hotel. Delivery charges are paid by the airline except in rare cases.
To deal with lost luggage, travelers are advised to carry all essentials in a carry-on bag, including a change of clothes and anything they would be greatly troubled to lose because of monetary or emotional value.On some occasions luggage is completely lost and cannot be recovered. The airline will then normally compensate the owner. The passengers must then list the contents of their baggage and file a claim.
Bags can also be damaged during travel, but most damage (such as broken wheels and handles) is not covered under the airlines' contract of carriage. Some airlines, however, will still repair such damage as a good-faith gesture to the customer, or offer a discount voucher for a future flight. In general airlines regard the purpose of luggage to be the protection of its contents during transit. If the luggage is damaged, even severely, but the contents remain unharmed then airlines regard the luggage as having fulfilled its purpose and will not compensate owners.
The majority of unclaimed baggage in the United States, whether by being lost or misdirected, or simply forgotten by travelers, is handled by the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama
, which has contracts with most major airlines. The luggage sent to UBC is eventually resold for a profit.
was the top ranked for reports of mishandled baggage with 9.17 reports per 1000 passengers.
Common carrier
A common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...
such as an airline, shipping company, or railway does not send a passenger's luggage
Luggage
Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers which hold a traveller's articles during transit.Luggage is more or less the same concept as "baggage", but is normally used in relation to the personal luggage of a specific person or persons Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers...
to the correct destination to arrive with the passenger. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, an average of 1 in 150 people have their checked baggage misdirected or left behind each year.
Lost or misdirected luggage becomes more common the more elaborate a flight plan is. International flights or flights with connections are far more likely to see luggage get lost. There are many causes of lost luggage. If a passenger arrives late for a flight, their luggage will sometimes not have enough time to be loaded onto the plane. If tags
Bag tag
Bag tags, also known as baggage tags, baggage checks or luggage tickets, have traditionally been used by bus, train and airline companies to route passenger luggage that is checked on to the final destination...
are accidentally torn off by airport workers, they may not know where to send the luggage. Human error is also common as tags are misread or luggage is placed in the wrong location. Sometimes there is no room in the plane or weight problems. Security delays can also cause bags to arrive on a later flight than their owner. Customs processing is normally handled after luggage is picked up.
Most lost luggage is quickly sent by the airline to the correct destination. To reduce the inconvenience, airlines will often reimburse passengers for toiletries, clothing, and other essentials if the arrival airport is away from the passenger's home area. In most cases, upon the arrival of delayed luggage, a courier service will deliver it from the arrival airport to the passenger at his or her home or hotel. Delivery charges are paid by the airline except in rare cases.
To deal with lost luggage, travelers are advised to carry all essentials in a carry-on bag, including a change of clothes and anything they would be greatly troubled to lose because of monetary or emotional value.On some occasions luggage is completely lost and cannot be recovered. The airline will then normally compensate the owner. The passengers must then list the contents of their baggage and file a claim.
Bags can also be damaged during travel, but most damage (such as broken wheels and handles) is not covered under the airlines' contract of carriage. Some airlines, however, will still repair such damage as a good-faith gesture to the customer, or offer a discount voucher for a future flight. In general airlines regard the purpose of luggage to be the protection of its contents during transit. If the luggage is damaged, even severely, but the contents remain unharmed then airlines regard the luggage as having fulfilled its purpose and will not compensate owners.
Unclaimed Baggage Center
Most airlines maintain stores where they sell the contents of lost or abandoned luggage. If a bag is never recovered it is usually because it has been stolen or mistaken by another passenger or stolen by an airport employee.The majority of unclaimed baggage in the United States, whether by being lost or misdirected, or simply forgotten by travelers, is handled by the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama
Scottsboro, Alabama
Scottsboro is a city in Jackson County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 14,770. Named for its founder Robert Scott, the city is the county seat of Jackson County....
, which has contracts with most major airlines. The luggage sent to UBC is eventually resold for a profit.
Statistics
The U.S. Department of Transportation maintains air travel consumer reports, which include statistics on mishandled baggage. For April 2009 Atlantic Southeast AirlinesAtlantic Southeast Airlines
Atlantic Southeast Airlines is an American airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier and, as of February 2010, commenced service as a United Express carrier. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. ASA operates...
was the top ranked for reports of mishandled baggage with 9.17 reports per 1000 passengers.
| Airline | Total Baggage Reports |
Enplaned Passengers |
Reports per 1,000 passengers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlantic Southeast Airlines is an American airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier and, as of February 2010, commenced service as a United Express carrier. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SkyWest, Inc. ASA operates... |
9,642 | 1,051,861 | 9.17 |
| American Eagle Airlines American Eagle Airlines American Eagle Airlines is a brand name used by American Eagle Airlines, Inc. , based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Executive Airlines based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the operation of passenger air service as regional affiliates of American Airlines. All three airlines are wholly owned subsidiaries... |
10,547 | 1,236,837 | 8.53 |
| Skywest Airlines Skywest Airlines Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline company based in Perth, Western Australia, Australia; servicing key towns in the state of Western Australia, Darwin, Northern Territory and Melbourne, Victoria; as well as charter flights to Bali, Indonesia.... |
9,056 | 1,713,538 | 5.28 |
| Comair Comair Comair is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines headquartered on the grounds of Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in unincorporated Boone County, Kentucky, United States, west of Erlanger, and south of Cincinnati, Ohio... |
2,861 | 564,174 | 5.07 |
| Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day... |
24,649 | 4,880,051 | 5.05 |