PROBLEMS at airports have led to thousands of people losing their luggage this summer.
Piles of suitcases have been left unclaimed as staff shortages and strikes have left passengers separated from their stuff.
However, some airports and airlines are worse than others when it comes to losing suitcases.
That's why bag storage company Bounce has analysed data from the Civil Aviation Authority to find out which are the worst offenders.
They revealed the five worst airlines and airports for losing luggage in the UK.
Their figures are based on the number of cases raised with the CAA between 2017 and 2021.
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The 5 worst airlines for lost luggage on UK flights
1. Royal Air Maroc – 12.53% of lost baggage cases
2. Iberia – 8.17% of lost baggage cases
3. Ryanair – 6.54% of lost baggage cases
4. Pakistan International Airlines PIA – 5.99% of lost baggage cases
5. Vueling Airlines – 5.72% of lost baggage cases
The airline with the most lost luggage cases on UK flights was Royal Air Maroc.
The airline, more commonly known as RAM, is the Moroccan national carrier but flies to both Heathrow and Manchester.
They had 46 lost luggage cases raised with the CAA.
In second place was Iberia, the flagship airline of Spain, while Ryanair came third on the list.
Pakistan International Airlines and Vueling completed the list of the airlines to have lost the most luggage on UK flights.
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Ryanair refuted the figures from the analysis and said that actually they had a good record when it came to losing luggage.
A spokesperson said: “These are completely false. Ryanair operates over 3,000 daily flights (many to/from the UK) and leads the industry with fewest lost bags – (1 bag mishandled per almost 10,000 passengers).
"This is one of the many reasons that Ryanair is Europe’s favourite airline and why our customers continue to fly with us to their favourite destinations across Europe.”
Research showed that from airports in the UK, Heathrow statistically lost the most luggage, while two other London airports made the top five.
The 5 worst airports for lost luggage in the UK
1. London Heathrow – 35.63% of mishandled baggage cases
2. London Gatwick – 19.54% of mishandled baggage cases
3. Manchester – 13.03% of mishandled baggage cases
4. Birmingham – 8.81% of mishandled baggage cases
5. London Stansted – 7.66% of mishandled baggage cases
Heathrow had 96 cases of lost luggage during the period analysed, compared to Gatwick's 51.
Manchester had the worst figures from non-London airports, with 34 cases of lost luggage from the airport reported to the CAA.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We want everyone to travel with their bags which is why over the last five years over 99 per cent of bags have travelled with their passengers – one of the best performances of a major hub airport anywhere in the world.
"But we want to go further and are urging the CAA to ensure we can invest in upgrading the Terminal 2 baggage system to drive an even stronger performance.”
A Gatwick spokesperson said: “While every missing or mishandled piece of luggage is regrettable, ground handling companies – which are employed by the airlines – are responsible for baggage handling at the airport.
"Please speak to the ground handling companies or airlines for further comment on this issue.”
Bounce boss Cody Candee offered his top six tips for dealing with lost luggage.
1. Contact the airline
Rather than the airport, it’s the airlines that you should get in touch with in the first instance and you should do this as soon as possible.
There should usually be a representative from the airline at the airport, but if not, be sure to source their contact information and give them a call.
2. Ask to have your luggage delivered
When you do speak to someone from the airline, ask them to forward your luggage to you, either at your home or to your holiday destination.
The airline in question should always offer this service to you, however, make sure to double-check when the process will take place.
3. Check for a refund
If your luggage is lost then you may be able to have your checked baggage fees refunded.
If your luggage is delayed or missing, the airline has 21 days to find it and get it to you.
If you get your luggage back within 21 days, you can still claim compensation for delayed luggage.
If you don’t, you can make a claim for lost luggage.
4. Keep any receipts
If you’re stuck without your luggage for a number of days, it’s likely that you’re going to have to buy things such as clothing, toiletries, and other essentials to keep you going until you get it back.
If this is the case, be sure to keep hold of all your receipts as you should be compensated for these.
5. Check your insurance
Different insurance policies will have different coverage; be sure to check whether your travel insurance covers lost luggage or not.
If not, it may even be worth checking your homeowner’s insurance, or the credit card you used to book the flight, as these sometimes have lost luggage benefits too.
6. Check your luggage
Hopefully, you eventually get your luggage back, but when you do, be sure to give it a thorough check for damage, and make sure that there are no missing items either.
If items are found damaged or missing completely, the airline should repair or replace them.
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