The worst airlines for losing luggage

I bet you or someone you know has a luggage horror story. Here’s mine: On one trip to Paris, everyone got their luggage when we landed … except for Barry. I called British Airways at least a dozen times, asking when he’d get his bag. They couldn’t find it. 

Three days later, on the front page of The Daily Mail was a story and photo about a major luggage snafu at Heathrow Airport, where we’d had a layover. Barry’s suitcase was in the first row of the photo, alongside hundreds of other misplaced bags. I emailed the photo to British Airways and said, “I found it!”

U.S. airlines mishandled 2.8 million bags in 2023 alone. These are the worst airlines when it comes to lost luggage — plus my tips for how to keep your stuff safe on a flight.

Spirit’s not even in the top 3

Bag and tag? Meet name and shame. Here’s a list of airlines ranked by bags mishandled per 100, or BMPH. FYI: All five airlines lose at least one bag per every 200 bags handled.

5. JetBlue (0.52 BMPH) — It’s been on my no-fly list since it moved my flight to an earlier time without warning.

4. Spirit Airlines (0.53 BMPH) — Anyone else think they’d be higher up on this list?

3. Alaska (0.57 BMPH) — No excuse for a smaller airline, IMO.

2. United Airlines (0.73 BMPH) — Who remembers the viral “United Breaks Guitars” video? So good.

And at No. 1: American Airlines (0.76 BMPH) — American sits at the top … of a massive pile of lost luggage. It misplaced 800,198 bags in 2023, or nearly one in every 100 bags it handled. Talk about emotional baggage.

Keep your stuff safe

Flights are expensive, and you can’t always pick your airline. But if you’re traveling this summer, you can be smart about protecting your stuff.

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Apple's new gear: An $800 watch and $1,200 phone

Set a reminder for Monday, Sept. 18. That’s when iOS 17 is dropping — and it’s the one thing Apple just announced at its big Wonderlust fall release event that won’t cost you anything.

I’ve been on the beta version for months and wrote up my favorite new features for the Daily Mail. Today, let’s take a closer look at the latest hardware dropping this fall. 

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It’s-a me in the Daily Mail! I’m super excited about my new weekly column in the Daily Mail! This week, I helped someone avoid a crypto scam and a woman being tracked. Check it out, leave a comment (I read them all. Let’s get some USA folks on that page!), and share it with a pal. Your support means a ton.

What does ChatGPT think of you?

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The Daily Mail asked ChatGPT to generate a cliché about residents in each of the fifty states. Here’s what it wrote back, in 60 seconds. 

Check out these headlines reacting to Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter

After weeks of speculation and corporate wrangling, Twitter’s board approved Elon Musk’s $44 billion purchase. It’s big news for the tech industry and social media platforms, but not everybody is thrilled.

Many media outlets are concerned about what it could mean for Twitter in the future.

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