The airlines most likely to mishandle your bags, ranked

Unclaimed bags at an airport - Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call (Getty Images)
Unclaimed bags at an airport - Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call (Getty Images)

When you take an airline flight, the most important thing is getting to your destination safe and sound. But perhaps the second-most important thing is making sure your stuff gets there safe and sound as well. The Department of Transportation Office of Aviation Consumer Protection’s Air Travel Consumer Reports track which U.S. airlines fail to properly handle checked bags, whether that means luggage is getting “lost, damaged, delayed,” or “pilfered.” This Quartz analysis of those reports shows how often that happened in the first half of this year.

Click through to see which carriers were the most likely to mishandle checked bags.

10. Allegiant Air

An Allegiant Air plane - Photo: Larry MacDougal (AP)
An Allegiant Air plane - Photo: Larry MacDougal (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 2.81 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, Allegiant handled 1.7 million bags and mishandled about 5,000 of them.

9. JetBlue Airways

A JetBlue Airways plane - Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)
A JetBlue Airways plane - Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 3.53 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, JetBlue handled 6.9 million bags and mishandled about 24,000 of them.

8. Spirit Airlines

A Spirit Airlines plane - Photo: Julia Nikhinson (AP)
A Spirit Airlines plane - Photo: Julia Nikhinson (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 3.98 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, Spirit handled 6.3 million bags and mishandled about 25,000 of them.

7. Delta Air Lines

A Delta Air Lines plane - Photo: David Davies/EMPPL PA Wire (AP)
A Delta Air Lines plane - Photo: David Davies/EMPPL PA Wire (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 4.05 bags per 1,000

January and June, Delta handled 50 million bags and mishandled about 202,000 of them.

6. Frontier Airlines

A Frontier Airlines plane - Photo: Larry MacDougal (AP)
A Frontier Airlines plane - Photo: Larry MacDougal (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 4.12 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, Frontier handled 4.4 million bags and mishandled about 18,000 of them.

5. Southwest Airlines

A Southwest Airlines plane - Photo: DeeCee Carter/MediaPunch /IPX (AP)
A Southwest Airlines plane - Photo: DeeCee Carter/MediaPunch /IPX (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 4.46 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, Southwest handled 66.6 million bags and mishandled about 297,000 of them.

4. Hawaiian Airlines

A Hawaiian Airlines plane - Photo: Larry MacDougal (AP)
A Hawaiian Airlines plane - Photo: Larry MacDougal (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 4.48 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, Hawaiian handled 3 million bags and mishandled about 14,000 of them.

3. Alaska Airlines

An Alaska Airlines plane - Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)
An Alaska Airlines plane - Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 5.52 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, Alaska handled 12.9 million bags and mishandled about 71,000 of them.

2. United Air Lines

A United Airlines plane - Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)
A United Airlines plane - Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 6.86 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, United handled 37.5 million bags and mishandled about 257,000 of them.

1. American Airlines

An American Airlines plane - Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)
An American Airlines plane - Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 8.25 bags per 1,000

Between January and June, United handled 55.3 million bags and mishandled about 456,000 of them.

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