More than one million checked bags have been mishandled by U.S. airlines in the first six months of 2026, according to newly released government figures.
The latest Air Travel Consumer Report, issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation in August, contains new data covering flight delays, cancellations, baggage, wheelchairs and scooters, oversales and consumer complaints.
Analysis of the figures by travel company Global Work & Travel found that reporting airlines mishandled 1,052,493 bags between January and June 2026, from more than 213 million bags enplaned.
That equates to around 5,815 mishandled bags every day during the first half of the year.
American Airlines recorded the highest mishandling rate, at 0.73 bags for every 100 enplaned. It also recorded the largest total number of mishandled bags, with 251,976 between January and June.
The U.S. Airlines Most Likely to Mishandle Your Bag
| Rank | Airline | Bags enplaned | Bags mishandled | Mishandled per 100 bags |
| 1 | American Airlines | 34,541,265 | 251,976 | 0.73 |
| 2 | Envoy Air | 5,224,762 | 37,723 | 0.72 |
| 3 | United Airlines | 29,253,054 | 192,191 | 0.66 |
| 4 | SkyWest Airlines | 14,734,864 | 81,434 | 0.55 |
| 5 | Republic Airways | 4,887,188 | 25,990 | 0.53 |
| 6 | Alaska Airlines | 14,126,041 | 74,896 | 0.53 |
| 7 | Frontier Airlines | 4,816,542 | 24,733 | 0.51 |
| 8 | Spirit Airlines | 1,870,785 | 8,719 | 0.47 |
| 9 | PSA Airlines | 6,044,565 | 26,731 | 0.44 |
| 10 | Delta Air Lines | 40,560,183 | 153,022 | 0.38 |
| 11 | Southwest Airlines | 46,350,429 | 148,875 | 0.32 |
| 12 | JetBlue Airways | 7,188,577 | 22,135 | 0.31 |
| 13 | Allegiant Air | 3,474,622 | 4,068 | 0.12 |
“Most travellers hand over their suitcase at check-in and don’t think about it again until they’re standing at the baggage carousel, but there are a few things worth doing before your bag disappears down the belt,” said Jürgen Himmelmann, Co-founder and Chief Executive of Global Work & Travel.
“Take a clear photo of your suitcase and another of what’s inside it. If your bag is delayed, damaged or goes missing, having recent photographs can make identifying it and explaining what you’ve lost much easier.
“It’s also worth putting your contact details inside the suitcase rather than relying entirely on the external baggage tag. If the outside label is damaged or removed, airport or airline staff still have a way of identifying who the bag belongs to.”
