Entrepreneur Pieter Levels created a website called “Luggage Losers” to expose an airline, Vueling, after they lost his girlfriend’s luggage on a trip from Lisbon to Barcelona. The suitcase was eventually sent to Austin, but was unable to be retrieved by the couple. Levels created the site with the purpose of ranking airlines based on how much luggage they are currently losing, allowing users to avoid flying with airlines that have a high rate of lost luggage, in hopes that the airlines will improve their services. Levels recognized the need for this information as he found that there was no existing data on lost luggage for specific airlines, and this site would help travelers make more informed decisions about which airlines to choose for their flights.
Data from the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows that mishandled bags, which include lost, damaged, delayed, or stolen bags, are reported by passengers. However, individual airlines no longer submit the number of mishandled baggage reports, so the statistics may not be entirely accurate. The site “Luggage Losers” scours the internet for information on lost luggage as reported by individual travelers and cross-references this data with existing lost luggage statistics to estimate the current rate of lost luggage for each airline. The site also takes into account other factors such as airline fleet size and airport size differences to provide a comprehensive ranking of airlines based on their lost luggage rates.
As of the latest data, Iberia Airlines was ranked as the “biggest luggage loser” with a high rate of lost luggage, followed by Air India and WestJet Airlines. Conversely, Japan Airlines lost the least amount of luggage, followed by Lion Air and Azul Brazilian Airlines. However, it is important to note that the rankings on the site depend on the accuracy and presence of online complaints and individual accounts, so the data may not be fully representative of the actual rates of lost luggage for each airline. A report by MyBaggage.com found that American Airlines had the highest number of lost-luggage reports, followed by Envoy Airlines and Republic Airways, which serve as regional airlines for larger carriers.
The “Luggage Losers” website aims to provide travelers with more information about airlines’ lost luggage rates so they can make more informed decisions when booking flights. This data is especially valuable since individual airlines no longer report mishandled baggage statistics to the Department of Transportation. By compiling online complaints and individual accounts of lost luggage, the site estimates the rate of lost luggage for each airline, taking into account factors such as fleet size and airport size differences. The hope is that by publicly ranking airlines based on their lost luggage rates, passengers can choose airlines that have a good track record of handling luggage and avoid those with higher rates of lost baggage.
The creation of the “Luggage Losers” website by Pieter Levels has shed light on the issue of lost luggage among airlines and provided travelers with a tool to make more informed decisions. By ranking airlines based on their lost luggage rates, the site aims to help passengers avoid flying with airlines that have a high rate of lost luggage and incentivize airlines to improve their services. While the accuracy of the data may vary based on the reliability of online complaints and individual accounts, the site serves as a valuable resource for travelers looking to minimize the risk of losing their luggage while flying. Ultimately, the goal of the site is to hold airlines accountable for their handling of luggage and encourage them to prioritize customer service in order to improve their rankings and reputation among passengers.
