Today we will look at which airlines that serve the United Kingdom have received the most complaints for lost or damaged luggage. So you are all checked in for your flights and have passed through security without a problem, then, to your horror, you see that your flight has been delayed. Eventually, the aircraft arrives, and you board, all ready to start that long-awaited vacation.
You arrive safely at your destination and wait patiently at the luggage carousel for your suitcases to arrive. The bags start coming, yet yours does not arrive. Eventually, the carousel stops, and you realize that your suitcase is missing.
Now you have to go to the airline’s customer service desk and tell them that despite checking the bag in at the departing airport, it has yet to arrive with you at your destination. After filling out a form describing what the suitcase looks like and providing the airline with a contact telephone number and the address where you are staying, there is nothing more you can do but wait and hope your suitcase arrives on a later flight.
Reasons why luggage can get lost
Your bag may have gotten lost due to a ticketing error that led to the bag being loaded on a different plane. The most likely reason so many bags go missing is that they are deliberately not loaded aboard the aircraft due to weight restrictions. This is especially the case with small regional airlines that operate turboprops.
Every plane has a weight restriction that determines its maximum takeoff weight. Airlines calculate weight based on fuel cargo and the number of passengers and crew. if the number is too high, they need a way to reduce the weight. The obvious first choice is not to load some of the luggage. If you are connecting to another flight, and it is not with a partner airline, your bag will be one of the first not to get loaded, as the airline can blame the other carrier for losing it.
Earlier this month, American business magazine Forbes published a list of the United Kingdom’s worst airlines that lost or damaged luggage. The data Forbes used for is article came from Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and covers complaints between 2018 and 2022.
Ryanair
Some will not be surprised that low-cost, no-frills airline Ryanair is the worst offender for lost or damaged luggage. Between 2018 and the third quarter of 2022, the Dublin-headquartered airline received 954 complaints about missing or damaged baggage.
British Airways
The United Kingdom national flag carrier came in second place and was the only full-service airline to make it into the top five worst offenders. Between 2018 and the third quarter of 2022, British Airways received 844 complaints about lost or damaged luggage.
easyJet
Luton Airport (LTN)-based easyJet was third on the list of baggage complaints, with 565 passengers filing a complaint about lost or damaged baggage between 2018 and the third quarter of 2022.
Wizz Air
In fourth place is Wizz Air UK, a subsidiary of the Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air. According to the CAA, 552 passengers complained about lost or damaged luggage between 2018 and the third quarter of 2022.
Norwegian
While much less than Ryanair, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA received 419 complaints between 2018 and the third quarter of 2022.
Most complaints about lost luggage came from passengers traveling from London airports. Meanwhile, Birmingham Airport (BHX) had the most complaints over damaged baggage. The worst airport for losing luggage that was never found was Glasgow Airport (GLA) in Scotland.
While airlines will pay compensation for lost or damaged luggage, you can protect yourself by taking out travel insurance. Like all kinds of insurance, you hope you never need to use it, but it can come in handy if your flight is delayed or canceled. It also covers lost and damaged luggage.
Source: Simple Flying
