Lost luggage: Best, worst U.S. airports

Having your luggage lost or mishandled can derail an exciting trip before it even begins.

When it comes to keeping track of travelers’ baggage, some airports and airlines fare better than others.

The team of experts at Upgraded Points recently analyzed property complaint data from the Transportation Security Administration’s FOIA Electronic Reading Room for the 60 busiest U.S. airports between 2015 and 2023, normalizing the data against annual passenger volumes to reveal which hubs are the best and worst when it comes to mishandling passengers’ baggage. This includes lost, delayed, diverted or damaged luggage.

“Losing your luggage is a classic nightmare, turning a great trip into a frustrating ordeal,” Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points, said in a statement. “We focused on airports and airlines with the highest rates of baggage mishaps to help inform future travelers while encouraging improvements in baggage handling processes.”

Florida’s major airports might have some explaining to do, based on the latest research, with six airports from the Sunshine State ranking inside of the top 10 for the most complaints per 100,000 passengers.

Highest baggage complaints:

Orlando International Airport (MCO): 1.81 complaints per 100,000 passengers

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): 1.72 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Palm Beach International Airport (PBI): 1.71 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC): 1.69 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL): 1.68 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Miami International Airport (MIA): 1.59 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW): 1.54 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Jacksonville International Airport (JAX): 1.51 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY): 1.49 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Sacramento International Airport (SMF): 1.41 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Best performers

On the other end of the spectrum, the Midwest has done a decent job of taking care of travelers’ items, with major airports in Kansas City, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver ranked among the top six for the least complaints per 100,000 passengers.

Top-performing San Francisco International Airport’s complaint rate of 0.31 per 100,000 passengers is notably 72 percent lower than the study’s national average.

Lowest baggage complaints:

San Francisco International Airport (SFO): 0.31 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Kansas City International Airport (MCI): 0.42 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): 0.58 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT): 0.59 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP): 0.59 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Denver International Airport (DEN): 0.64 complaints per 100,000 passengers

Upgraded Points also looked at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report, zeroing in on the number of mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags from January to September 2024 for the 10 largest U.S. airlines and comparing those figures to 2023 to calculate year-to-year percentage changes.

Comparing the airlines

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Big Four carriers are all featured among the worst airlines for baggage handling, with Alaska Airlines — which is merging with Hawaiian Airlines — also performing poorly.

Worst airlines for mishandled baggage:

American Airlines: 0.90 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags

United Airlines: 0.68 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags

Alaska Airlines: 0.64 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags

Delta Air Lines: 0.49 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags

Southwest Airlines: 0.44 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned bags

Allegiant and JetBlue were among the best airlines for baggage handling with mishandled rates of just 0.24 and 0.36 per 100 enplaned bags, respectively.