Up To £5.8 Billion Worth Of Luggage Lost In Airports In A Single Year

Holidaymakers are again facing disruption this summer when travelling by plane, with numerous airport traffic controller and ground staff strikes planned throughout 2023.

The disruption is causing a knock on effect throughout the aviation industry. In 2022, increased numbers of passengers travelling and reduced ground staff caused an unprecedented number of lost baggage - resulting in billions of pounds worth of luggage lost or stolen.

The experts at MoneyTransfers.com have analysed data on lost luggage and revealed that in 2022 alone, there was up to £5.8 billion worth of luggage lost or stolen at airports worldwide- with this figure only likely to grow in 2023.

Key findings:

• 1.8 million bags were lost or stolen in 2022 - worth a staggering estimated value of £1.8 billion to £5.8 billion.

• Based on the current growing rate of mishandled luggage, in 2023, there will be an estimated 13.27 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers

“The anticipation of a long overdue holiday by millions returning to the skies after the pandemic was sharply dashed by huge queues and unprecedented amounts of lost luggage last year - and we can now reveal just how shocking the cost of that disruption was to holidaymakers.

With airline passenger levels predicted to near pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and numerous airport strikes planned this year alongside urgent staff shortages, it seems likely that the mass disruption experienced at airports is only likely to continue before urgent change is delivered to improve the situation.”

Jonathan Merry, Travel Expert

Jonathan Merry

How many suitcases were lost completely?

While there were 26 million mishandled bags last year, most passengers were reunited with their belongings eventually. Here’s a breakdown of the eventual outcome of those mishandled bags.

In 2022, 7% of mishandled bags were lost or stolen. With a total of 26 million bags mishandled, that translates to 1.8 million lost or stolen bags in a single year.

For comparison, in 2021, there were 9.9 million mishandled bags - 6% of which were lost.

How much is the average holidaymaker’s suitcase worth?

Holidaymakers range between packing light for a weekend trip, to paying extra for checked suitcases bringing everything but the kitchen sink! So, it’s difficult to estimate exactly how much the average lost suitcase is worth.

In terms of travel insurance, a premium of £1,000 tends to be the standard offered for lost baggage. At the other end of the scale, a study by SWNS showed that the average holidaymaker’s bag is worth £3,225. This figure was calculated by taking into account the cost of a suitcase, clothing and underwear, toiletries, sunglasses, straighteners, and other gadgets people will typically take on holiday with them.

We’ve used these two figures to get an estimate of just how much money is lost through lost luggage over the course of a year.

Over £5 billion worth of lost luggage last year

If we estimate the average holidaymaker’s suitcase to be worth between £1,000 and £3,225 as per the study above, we can begin to calculate just how much the luggage lost in airports each year is actually worth.

With 1.8 million lost or stolen bags last year alone, that’s an overall staggering value between £1.8 billion and £5.8 billion worth of luggage lost.

UK Airports That Lose The Most Luggage

Staff shortages and strikes have left unprecedented numbers of passengers separated from their luggage (some temporarily, and some lost altogether), but there are of course some airports where this is more likely to happen than others.

Data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) across 2017 to 2021 highlights the top five worst airports for losing luggage in the UK:

• London Heathrow: 35.63%

• London Gatwick: 19.54%

• Manchester: 13.03%

• Birmingham: 8.81%

• London Stansted: 7.66%

The figures above are based on the number of cases raised with the CAA between this four-year period.

Global baggage crisis

The number of passengers travelling abroad is gradually returning to pre-pandemic levels. In 2021, there were 2.28 billion passengers - a massive reduction from the 4.54 billion passengers in 2019 pre-pandemic.

In 2022, however, numbers rose to 3.42 billion. For a variety of reasons, though, the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers has grown exponentially in the last year - with a shocking 74.7% increase in mishandled bags year-on-year. The mishandled bag rate has almost doubled in one year, jumping to 7.60 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers from 4.35.

If we use that same year-on-year increase, we can predict that in 2023, there will be an estimated 13.27 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers.

Overall, there were 26 million bags mishandled in 2022. In 2021, there were just 9.9 million. Although the number of mishandled bags almost doubled to 7.60 bags per thousand passengers, the total number of mishandled bags, at 26 million, still represents a 59.7%

reduction from the 46.9 million mishandled in 2007, reflecting some long-term improvements within the industry.

The report from SITA predicts that this is largely due to a range of challenges faced by the industry, including staff shortages, making it difficult to ensure bags are handled smoothly at airports.

Luggage mishandled in 2022

Here’s a breakdown of the mishandling rate per 1,000 passengers in 2022. As you can see, the mishandled baggage crisis lies largely within international travel. Even more, bags are mishandled significantly more within Europe, with a mishandled baggage rate more than double that of North America.

Dealing with lost luggage

Last year, we saw numerous reports about the mountains of lost baggage and shockingly-long queues at airports due to increased levels of passenger numbers. Now, the true cost of the crisis can be revealed.

With more passengers predicted in 2023 and growing unrest within the aviation industry - hundreds of thousands of flights are in jeopardy after airport staff strikes - it seems likely that this crisis will only get worse before it gets better.

Jonathan Merry, travel expert at MoneyTransfers.com, offered these tips for anyone dealing with lost luggage:

1. Check for Refund Eligibility

If your luggage is lost, you may be eligible for a refund of your checked baggage fees. Airlines typically have 21 days to locate and return your missing luggage. If your luggage is returned within this period, you can still claim compensation for delayed luggage. If it's not found, you can file a claim for lost luggage.

2. Contact the Airline Promptly

In case of lost luggage, the airline should be your primary point of contact, not the airport. Reach out to the airline's representative as soon as possible to report the issue. Ensure you have their contact details handy if they are not available at the airport.

3. Consider a baggage tracker

In the past year, searches for the term ‘luggage tracker’ have increased by 220% (Google Trends data) - perhaps highlighting just how many people were impacted by lost or delayed luggage last year! There are a wide range of luggage trackers available on the market to help you track your lost items. These can be extremely useful when liaising with your airline to help show where your suitcase actually is.

4. Inspect Your Recovered Luggage

When your luggage is finally returned to you, carefully inspect it for any damages and ensure that no items are missing. If you find any items damaged or missing, inform the airline promptly as they should repair or replace them accordingly.

Methodology

To find the estimated value of lost baggage worldwide in 2022, we took the estimated value of one suitcase (£1,000 - £3,225) and multiplied it by the number of lost or stolen suitcases (1.8 million i.e. 6% of the 26 million bags mishandled last year).

This comes to a total figure of £1.8 billion to £5.8 billion.