WASHINGTON — More bags were lost, damaged, delayed or pilfered by U.S. airlines last year than in at least eight years, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Reports of mishandled bags on domestic flights rose 23 percent in 2005, from 4.91 per 1,000 passengers in 2004 to 6.04 per 1,000. That's an average of about 9,700 lost or damaged bags per day.
Last year, airlines were cutting jobs as the number of domestic passengers surged to the pre-Sept. 11 level of 590 million.
Of the 20 carriers that reported to the Transportation Department, Atlantic Southeast Airlines had the highest rate of baggage complaints — 17.41 per 1,000 passengers — and Hawaiian Airlines had the lowest, at 2.95 per 1,000.
Every checked bag must now be screened for explosives. According to a recent federal report, the Transportation Security Administration screens about 75 million bags a month.
Chron.com Lost or damaged airline bags increased last year to 9,700 a day
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