American Airlines is the US airline with the worst record for mishandled luggage. And it’s not just for this year. Based on Department of Transportation Air Travel Consumer Report data by MyBaggage.com, between 2021 and 2024, the airline had the most cases of mishandled luggage compared to other US airlines.
Of the 200 million luggage handled by the airline from 2021 to 2024, 1.7 million were mishandled. That’s equivalent to 8.71 per 1,000 cases. To make matters worse, its bad record isn’t just in recent years. The data also showed that it had the most cases of mishandled luggage in the last ten years.
American Airlines acknowledged its shortcomings and said that it is already working on improvements. David Seymour, chief operating officer of American Airlines told the Wall Street Journal last year, “If we get [travelers] there and the bag doesn’t make it, [there’s a] huge drop in their perception of the service or the value they got from buying a ticket on American.”
In an email to SFGate, a representative of the airline said that they are already seeing improvements. For instance, in February 2024, the airline pointed out that they had a 25% year-over-year improvement in mishandled baggage. The airline said that it recorded its lowest number of cases since 2017.
So what changed? The airline introduced a priority bag system wherein the luggage travels shorter distances and is placed near the front of the aircraft. This allows faster removal upon landing. Also, the bag tag tells the staff how long the luggage should stay on the plane.
The spokesperson said, “American has been improving the way we care for our customers’ baggage, particularly the way we move bags at our hubs and transfer bags between connecting flights.” The spokesperson added, “These efforts have paid off.”
According to the airline, it recorded a 15% year-over-year improvement in the number of mishandled luggage in 2023. And this March, American Airlines claimed that it had a 13% year-over-year improvement.
Though the numbers for mishandled luggage are looking better, American Airlines raised its prices for checked bags this year.
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