September is ranked as the least likely month for lost or damaged bags, and it had the fewest actual baggage reports. In fact, the entire fall season experienced the lowest percentage of claims.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – RewardExpert, a free service that helps travelers fly for cheap using miles and points, released the RewardExpert 2017 Mishandled Luggage Report examining the luggage-handling record of 13 U.S. domestic airlines, along with the best and worst months of the year for baggage blunders. Findings show Virgin Airlines had the best baggage performance record overall, with Delta ranking at the top among major domestic carriers. The report also determined that September is the month least likely to experience luggage issues.
“Entrusting an airline to transport your belongings to their final destination in a safe and timely manner is a huge leap of faith for many people,” shares RewardExpert CEO Roman Shteyn, “Finding out that your bag is lost, damaged, or severely delayed can end up costing travelers hundreds of dollars – not to mention items that have great sentimental value and can’t be replaced. Knowing what you’re signing up for when you buy your ticket can help travelers avoid becoming a statistic.”
Key findings of the RewardExpert 2017 Mishandled Luggage Report are:
- Travelers can fly confidently with Virgin, the top-ranked performer based on baggage problems compared to the number of passengers flying with them.
- Among the major carriers, Delta reigned supreme when it comes to getting bags to where they need to be.
- Beware of regional carrier Envoy Air. The carrier ranked dead last, with baggage complaints being nine times more likely for passengers flying Envoy Air than Virgin.
- January falls at the bottom of the ranks as the worst month for baggage misfortunes. Actual numbers of complaints in winter and summer are highest and about equal per season.
- September is ranked as the least likely month for lost or damaged bags, and it had the fewest actual baggage reports. In fact, the entire fall season experienced the lowest percentage of claims.
RewardExpert analyzed Department of Transportation data from October 2013 – September 2016 to rank the 13 airlines based on reported numbers of baggage complaints compared to the number of passengers on board.
The report additionally includes advice for travelers in case they find themselves dealing with baggage issues.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
