Embedded Dataset Excel:

Dataset Excel:

Notes:

Domestic flights only. 

Mishandled bags are defined as the number of check bags that are lost, damaged, delayed, and pilfered, as reported by or on behalf of the passenger, that were in the airline’s custody for its reportable domestic nonstop scheduled passenger flights.

Data for years 1990 to 2018 are based on passenger reports of mishandled-baggage, including those that did not subsequently result in claims for compensation. 

Starting in 2019, U.S. air carriers no longer submit number of mishandled-baggage reports. Total number of enplaned and mishandled bags are reported instead.

Enplaned bags represent the total number of checked bags enplaned, including wheelchairs and scooters that were placed into the aircraft cargo compartment for any reportable domestic nonstop scheduled passenger flight.

Since merging with Delta, data for Northwest Airlines are included under Delta as of January 2010.

United Airlines revised its mishandled baggage reports for January 2011 thru October 2011 after the submissions were published in the ATCR. This table reflects these revisions.

Southwest Airlines revised its mishandled baggage reports for January 2011 thru February 2011 after the submissions were published in the ATCR. This table reflects these revisions.

Effective January 2011, Comair and Pinnacle Airlines are no longer ranked in this table. Totals for January – December 2010 reflect the deletion of Comair and Pinnacle’s data.

Effective January 2012, data of the merged operations of United Air Lines and Continental Airlines are combined. Effective January 2012, data of the merged operations of ExpressJet Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines are combined.

Endeavor Air, formerly Pinnacle Airlines, was ranked for the first time in 1st Quarter of 2013. 

Effective January 2014, the American Airlines and US Airways data are combined as American Airlines; the Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways data are combined as Southwest Airlines.

Effective April 2018, data of the merged operations of Alaska Airlines and Virgin America are combined.

The data for 2020 are abnormal due to the COVID-19 pandemic and not indicative of the overall annual trend.

Description:

KEY: N = data do not exist; NA = not applicable; R = revised.

^a 1990-2018 Data include nonstop scheduled service between points within the United States (including territories) by U.S. air carriers with at least 1% of the total domestic scheduled service passenger revenues and those carriers that report voluntarily. Starting in 2019, data include all marketing U.S. air carriers.

^b Enplaned passenger data is limited only to include air carriers that reported mishandled baggage data and are not representative of total enplaned passengers on all air carriers.

Source:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, Aviation Consumer Protection Division, Air Travel Consumer Report (Washington, DC: Annual February Issues), available at http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/air-travel-consumer-reports as of May 2, 2024.