For travelers watching the baggage carousel go around a third time with no bag in sight, the anxiety is familiar — and in the first half of 2026, it was justified for a significant number of passengers. About 1.05 million checked bags were mishandled across reporting U.S. airlines out of 213 million checked, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report. American Airlines posted the highest rate among the 13 reporting carriers: 0.73 mishandled bags per 100 checked.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
The DOT measures mishandled bags per 100 enplaned — a rate-based comparison that neutralizes the size advantage larger carriers enjoy.
“Mishandled” covers bags that were lost, delayed, damaged, or pilfered while in an airline’s custody — not only bags that disappeared permanently. The DOT tracks incidents per 100 bags enplaned, which levels the playing field between a carrier flying 500 routes and one flying 50. American mishandled 251,976 bags out of roughly 34.5 million checked — a volume that reflects its size, but a rate that reflects its performance.
A separate DOT measure tracks total consumer complaints: American received 9,046 and Delta received 4,354 during the same period. Those figures cover all complaint categories, not baggage alone. Do not conflate them with mishandling rates.
Here’s how the 13 reporting carriers ranked, worst to best:
- American Airlines: 0.73 per 100 (251,976 bags out of ~34.5M)
- Envoy Air (American-affiliated regional carrier, reported separately): 0.72
- United Airlines: 0.66 (192,191 bags out of ~29.25M)
- SkyWest Airlines: 0.55
- Republic Airways / Alaska-Hawaiian Airlines: 0.53
- Frontier Airlines: 0.51
- Spirit Airlines: 0.47
- PSA Airlines: 0.44
- Delta Air Lines: 0.38
- Southwest Airlines: 0.32
- JetBlue Airways: 0.31
- Allegiant Air: 0.12 — lowest among reporting carriers
Across those 13 reporting carriers, approximately 1.05 million bags were mishandled out of 213 million checked in the first half of 2026, based on DOT data analyzed by secondary travel industry sources.
Your Bags, Your Backup Plan
The industry trend is moving in the right direction — but the gap between the best and worst performers remains striking.
The overall mishandling rate among reporting carriers dropped from 0.52 per 100 in the first half of 2025 to 0.49 in the same period of 2026. The direction is encouraging. The gap between Allegiant at 0.12 and American at 0.73 is nearly sixfold — a performance difference worth factoring in before booking.
A high rate does not guarantee your bag goes missing. A low rate does not guarantee it won’t. What travelers can control:
- Keep medication, ID, valuables, and one change of clothes in a carry-on.
- Photograph checked-bag contents before departure.
- Hold onto the baggage claim tag.
- If an airline cannot resolve the issue, a complaint can be filed with the DOT‘s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection — carriers must acknowledge complaints within 30 days and respond in writing within 60.
The DOT publishes this data so travelers can make informed decisions before the carousel ever starts spinning.
