11 Airlines Less Likely to Lose (or Damage) Your Bags
Updated: Jul. 22, 2021On these domestic flights, you can check your bag and fly with confidence that your suitcase will arrive at the same destination as you.
Packing for a trip can be stressful. Are you going to buy travel size items of all your toiletry items so you can pack them in your carry-on bag? Or are you just going to pack the full-size bottles and check your baggage? What if the airline loses your bag and you’re stuck in a new place without your favorite products and clothes? Based on the most recent research by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, if you travel on a domestic flight with these airlines, there’s a good chance your baggage won’t be mishandled.
Delta Air Lines
Delta is one of the largest airlines in the world, and if you’re one of the 160 million passengers that travel with them, there’s an extremely small chance that your baggage will be mishandled. Only 1.54 per 1,000 passengers reported that something was wrong with their luggage. However, Delta dropped from this list of 20 safest airlines in the world—check out which airlines made the cut.
Jetblue Airways
While you’re jet-setting, you don’t want to worry about whether your bags are going to make it to the same destination as you in one piece. Luckily if you’re flying on Jetblue, you can relax on your flight knowing that there’s just about 1.62 reports per 1,000 passengers that have had their bags lost or damaged.
Spirit Airlines
Unfortunately, Spirit does have a reputation for being one of the worst airlines in America, but it’s for reasons other than mishandled luggage. In fact, you can get a cheap ticket from Spirit and be confident that you won’t have to report a lost or damaged bag. Most recently, there have been just fewer than 2 reports per 1,000 passengers that complained about mishandled baggage. Find out the best and worst airlines in the country.
United Airlines
Managing over seven million passengers might seem like a daunting tasks, but employees at United are still pretty reliable when it comes to keeping your baggage safe—there were only 2.33 reports of mishandled luggage per every 1,000 passengers. That’s not a bad rate considering United also ranks on the list of airlines with the worst reputations.
Hawaiian Airlines
Imagine packing your newest swimsuit or tropical T-shirt just for them to be lost and all you’re stuck with is your less-than-beach-ready plane outfit. If you fly on Hawaiian Airlines, though, your luggage probably won’t be mishandled with a 2.45 rate of reported lost luggage for every 1,000 passengers. So just make sure to apply extra sunscreen and rest up for your vacation!
Frontier Airlines
Thinking about flying on a domestic Frontier flight sometime soon? Then you should think about checking your bag, that way you can pack more and not worry about lifting bags to store in the plane’s overhead compartments. Out of 1.7 million passengers, only about 4.5 thousand passengers reported that their baggage was mishandled, or 2.65 reports for every thousand fliers. Find out the surprising things your airline knows about you.
Alaska Airlines
In the most recent reports, the data about mishandled baggage from Alaska Airlines and Virgin America have been combined. Collectively, they seem to mishandle a few bags, but not enough to make you worried just yet. Just fewer than three out of every 1,000 passengers reported a lost or damaged bag.
Southwest Airlines
There have been almost three reports per 1,000 passengers about mishandled baggage on Southwest domestic flights. With a rate like this, you might want to consider flying with just your carry-on bag. Be sure you to use these tricks to score the best possible seat on a Southwest Airlines flight, too.
American Airlines
American Airlines didn’t always lose its passengers’ luggage. In recent years, this U.S. airline went from a mishandled baggage rate of 2.65 reports per 1,000 passengers to its current rate of 3.36. Ladies and gentlemen, hold on tight to your baggage and avoid checking a bag if you can.
Skywest Airlines
You may want to think twice before you check your back with Skywest—there were 3.37 reports per 1,000 travelers of lost or damage luggage. Be a clever traveler and also know these 13 things airlines don’t want to tell you.
ExpressJet Airlines
After recently transporting just over one million passengers, over 140,000 passengers reported lost or damaged baggage. That’s a rate of 4.81 reports per 1,000 passengers! It’s definitely a smart idea to travel with a carry-on bag if you’re flying ExpressJet. Next, find out the 50 packing tips you’ll want to memorize before your next trip.