A record 5 billion passengers took to the skies globally in 2025, and there’s good news for those who checked bags: The rate of mishandled luggage actually declined by 8.7% year over year, according to a report published by SITA, a baggage handling specialist that operates in more than 2,800 airports. While cases of lost, delayed, or damaged luggage are overall rare, passengers were more likely to experience baggage mishandling at some airports over others. To pinpoint those, we turned to a recent study from the travel experts at Upgraded Points, who analyzed TSA baggage complaint data to find the best (and worst) U.S. airports for luggage mishaps. 

Airports With the Most Baggage Complaints

The study looked at baggage complaint data from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the 60 busiest U.S. airports from 2015 to 2023, adjusting the total number of property-related complaints to annual passenger volumes during the same period to ensure a fair comparison.

As you can see, the vast majority of travelers checked their bags without a hitch, but a few airports stood out with a higher-than-average number of complaints. Interestingly, the list was dominated by airports in Florida, which had six showings in the top 10 worst airports for mishandled baggage. Travelers to the Sunshine State may want to travel with just a carry-on instead — or take some extra precautions (more on that below) when checking a bag. Orlando, which topped the list, had 63% more baggage complaints than the study average.

Here are the 10 airports with the highest complaint rates: 

• Orlando International Airport (MCO) — 1.81 baggage complaints (per 100,000 passengers)
• New York John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) — 1.72 complaints
• Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) — 1.71 complaints
• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) — 1.69 complaints
• Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) — 1.68 complaints
• Miami International Airport (MIA) — 1.59 complaints
• Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) — 1.54 complaints
• Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) — 1.51 complaints
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) — 1.49 complaints
• Sacramento International Airport (SMF) — 1.41 complaints

Airports With the Fewest Baggage Complaints

At other airports, even some busy international hubs, baggage operations run much more smoothly. (Flight delays are often a different story, though.) The following airports had the lowest rates of complaints in the study:

• San Francisco International Airport (SFO) — 0.31 baggage complaints (per 100,000 passengers)
• Kansas City International Airport (SFO) — 0.42 complaints
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) — 0.58 complaints
• Tie: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) — 0.59 complaints

Airlines With the Most Mishandled Bags

Of course, the airline you fly matters, too. The Upgraded Points study analyzed which airlines were responsible for the most mishandled bags in 2024, but we took a look at the 2025 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The five worst offenders were:

• United Airlines — 0.72 bags mishandled per 100 enplaned
• American Airlines — 0.66 bags
• Hawaiian Airlines — 0.54 bags
• Alaska Airlines — 0.52 bags
• Delta Air Lines — 0.43 bags 

What Passengers Can (and Should) Do

The first tip, if you can swing it, is obvious: Ditch the checked bag (and high fees) and travel with only a carry-on. That’s not always possible, particularly for long trips, but we’ve assembled a few helpful tips to squeeze more into your bag, and a few strategies to avoid overpacking, too. 

If you still need to check a bag, there’s one gadget you should always slip inside your luggage: an Apple AirTag. The quarter-sized device allows you to keep tabs on your bag throughout its journey, and Apple now even allows you to share its real-time location directly with airlines. If you have an Android device, there are plenty of worthy alternatives. Another tip? Make sure you remove any old bag tags from previous journeys, as experts say this can increase the chance of your bag getting misrouted.