The summer travel season is in full swing, and many travelers’ main concern is lost or delayed luggage. Sixty percent or more of American adults who want to take a vacation in the next six months are worried about their belongings being lost in transit, according to a recent survey conducted by Forbes Advisor. Luggage may be lost or damaged during Transportation Security Administration screening at various airports, and passengers may not always be compensated for their losses.
Forbes Advisor analyzed data from the Transportation Security Administration to evaluate the country’s 100 biggest airports on four key indicators with the goal of identifying those with the highest rates of luggage loss and damage. To find out which airlines are the most likely to mishandle luggage, Forbes also looked at data from the United States Department of Transportation. These are the top 10 worst Airports for luggage loss and damage, according to Forbes Advisor.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) – New York
John F. Kennedy International Airport received a score of 100 out of 100. JFK leads the list of worst airports for lost luggage and damaged bags with the most property loss claims (1.93 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) and property damage claims (1.48 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) between 2013 and 2022.
Miami International Airport (MIA) – Miami
Miami International Airport received a score of 89.88 out of 100. The airport has the second highest number of property loss claims (1.48 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) and property damage claims (1.06 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) among the top 100 busiest airports between 2013 and 2022.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport received a score of 87.12 out of 100. Between 2013 and 2022, Los Angeles International Airport had the fifth highest amount of property loss claims (0.81 claims per 100,000 domestic travelers). LAX was also tied with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport for the 11th most property damage claims (0.70 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) among the top 100 busiest airports.
Norfolk International Airport (ORF) – Norfolk, Virginia
The score for Norfolk International Airport is 80.37 out of 100. Only 22.92 percent of claims for property damage caused by ORF’s TSA screening process were fully reimbursed between 2013 and 2022, the tenth lowest amount. Over the last decade, Norfolk International Airport has the 13th highest number of property loss claims (0.70 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers).
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The score for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is 80.06 out of 100. Over the last decade, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had the tenth-highest amount of property loss claims (0.77 claims per 100,000 domestic travelers). FLL also tied with LAX for the 11 highest number of property damage claims (0.70 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) among the top 100 busiest airports.
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) – Boston
Boston Logan International Airport received a score of 79.29 out of 100. Between 2013 and 2022, Boston Logan International Airport tied with Southwest Florida International Airport for the tenth greatest number of property damage claims (0.71 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers).
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)- Las Vegas
Harry Reid International Airport had a score of 78.99 out of 100. Between 2013 and 2022, just 15.88 percent of claims for property loss caused by the TSA screening process at Harry Reid International Airport were fully compensated, the 14th lowest rate. LAS was also ranked 15 in the nation for property damage claim reimbursement.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) – Newark, New Jersey
The airport’s score is 78.07 out of 100. Newark Liberty International Airport has the fourth highest amount of property loss claims (1.05 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) among the top 100 busiest airports between 2013 and 2022. EWR also had the fifth highest number of property damage claims (0.77 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) over the last decade with Albany International Airport.
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) – Honolulu
Daniel K. Inouye International Airport received a rating of 76.84 out of 100. The Honolulu airport has the seventh highest number of property loss claims (0.79 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) among the top 100 busiest airports between 2013 and 2022.
Dulles International Airport (IAD) – Washington, D.C.
Dulles International Airport received a score of 76.23 out of 100. The airport had the fourth highest number of property damage claims (0.81 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers) among the top 100 busiest airports over the last decade. Among the airports we looked at, IAD had the sixth highest number of property loss claims (0.97 claims per 100,000 domestic passengers).
Top Three Worst Airlines for Mishandled Luggage
According to Forbes Advisor, American Airlines is the worst airline for mishandled luggage, with an average of 5.34 mishandled bags per 1,000 suitcases. The top three worst airlines for mishandled luggage are Skywest Airlines and United Airlines.
The Worst Airlines for Mishandled Luggage
| Rank | Airline | Mishandled Bags per 1,000 Suitcases¹ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Airlines | 5.34 |
| 2 | SkyWest Airlines | 4.51 |
| 3 | United Airlines | 4.00 |
| 4 | Alaska Airlines | 3.80 |
| 5 | JetBlue Airways | 3.17 |
| 6 | Frontier Airlines | 3.09 |
| 7 | Delta Airlines | 3.08 |
| 8 | Hawaiian Airlines | 2.90 |
Compensation for Luggage Mishaps
Airlines are required to compensate passengers for lost, delayed, or damaged baggage during transit. The maximum reimbursement for domestic travel is $3,800 per person, while international travel is about $1,700. Baggage delay insurance can help with unexpected expenses during travel.
The best travel insurance policies include medical expenses, trip delays, and interruptions. If luggage is lost or damaged, it can compensate for the depreciated value of items up to the policy limits. The most generous travel insurance policies provide $2,500 or $3,000 for baggage loss, which is usually secondary to other claims.
