Airlines that lose the most luggage unveiled in surprising new report

Lost luggage can leave travellers feeling worried sick about their belongings as they try to sort out a quick solution.

Despite advancements in airline technology and procedures, baggage mishandling continues to be a frustrating reality for many passengers.

And while some airlines seem to manage baggage more efficiently, others have repeatedly found themselves at the centre of complaints.

A new report, by OddsMonkey, dug deeper into this issue to reveal which airlines are most likely to send your bag on a different journey.

By analysing over 700,000 Tripadvisor reviews and studying estimations from the Luggage Losers database, which tracks live sources from over 18,000 airports and airlines, the research paints a comprehensive picture of baggage mishandling across 25 different airlines.

The findings highlight a significant variation in performance, with some airlines seeing an overwhelming number of complaints, while others seem to have perfected their baggage-handling systems.

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At the top of the list is Aer Lingus, with 3.14 percent of its 14,003 reviews mentioning lost luggage.

This means that, for every 100 reviews, more than three passengers reported issues with their bags not arriving at their destination.

Kenya Airways also fared poorly, with 3.03 percent of reviews citing lost luggage, followed closely by Air Canada, whose 31,620 reviews showed 2.58 percent mentioning baggage issues, reports the Express.

Royal Air Maroc and Ethiopian Airlines also made the top five for mishandling luggage, with 2.31 percent and 2.21 percent of reviews, respectively.

However, the study didn't just focus on the worst performers.

On the other end of the spectrum, low-cost carriers like Jet2, Ryanair, and Wizz Air all performed exceptionally well, with 0.28 percent, 0.32 percent, and 0.50 percent of their reviews mentioning lost luggage.

Jet2 even claimed the title of the airline with the lowest percentage of baggage complaints, an impressive feat for a budget airline.

Interestingly, British Airways, despite its status as one of the world's largest carriers, still recorded 1.21 percent mentions of lost luggage from 61,227 reviews.

While this figure is relatively low compared to some of the other airlines on the list, it may still be surprising to some people.

However, the study also considered the volume of flights these airlines operate, which naturally increases the number of opportunities for mishandling to occur.

Looking at the data from a different angle, the study also delved into the estimated probability of losing luggage based on Luggage Losers' database.

Frontier Airlines has been named as the airline with the highest likelihood of lost luggage, with one in 22 passengers likely to experience this issue, followed by Air India and IndiGo.

British Airways and Iberia also featured on the list, with a one-in-47 and one-in-56 probability respectively.

Despite their industry stature and reach, these airlines have a higher chance of mishandling luggage. However, it's not all doom and gloom for travellers.

Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet, and Wizz Air were not only top performers on Tripadvisor but also boasted the most favourable baggage handling probabilities.

Wizz Air offers a one in 131 chance of losing luggage, while Jet2 outperforms with a one in 674 chance.

In a bid to address these issues, British Airways is testing a new system developed by Microsoft that sends mid-flight alerts to cabin crew if a passenger's luggage isn't onboard.

With over 10,000 passengers trialling this new system, it could proactively tackle luggage problems, allowing travellers to be informed of potential mishandling before they land.