Importance Score: 45 / 100 🔵
Navigating Baggage Claim Nightmares: Airports Where Luggage Loss is Most Probable
For weary travelers after a lengthy flight, few experiences are as frustrating as reaching the baggage carousel only to find their suitcase has vanished. Unfortunately, at certain air travel hubs, the risk of lost luggage is significantly elevated. A recent study by AirAdvisor assessed 53 global airports, scrutinizing passenger volume, gate-to-baggage claim transit times, online searches for ‘lost baggage’, negative customer reviews on Yelp, and overall Google ratings to pinpoint the airports with the highest incidence of baggage loss. The findings highlight ten airports where passengers should be particularly vigilant about their checked baggage.
Travelers heading to these destinations might consider securing their suitcases or opting for carry-on baggage to mitigate the chances of luggage mishaps. The following airports are ranked among the most problematic for airport baggage handling:
Top Airports Ranked by Likelihood of Luggage Disappearance
5. Frankfurt am Main International Airport
Serving over 61.6 million passengers annually, Frankfurt am Main International Airport in Germany registers approximately 3,170 Google searches related to lost luggage each year. This substantial volume, coupled with 30 unfavorable Yelp reviews and a modest Google rating of 3.9, positions Frankfurt as the fifth most precarious airport for baggage handling.
Adding to passenger woes, the average 18-minute walk from arrival gates to baggage claim areas provides ample opportunity for luggage to be misplaced or pilfered.
4. Istanbul Airport
Istanbul Airport, catering to a massive 79.9 million passengers per year, ranks as the fourth most likely airport for baggage to go missing. Despite a relatively positive overall Google rating of 4.4, the airport records 3,340 annual searches for lost luggage alongside 22 poor Yelp reviews.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
The considerable 24-minute average transit time to baggage reclaim further contributes to the risk, allowing extended window for potential baggage handling errors or theft.
3. Dubai International Airport
Dubai International Airport, while boasting the highest passenger throughput among the surveyed airports with over 92 million travelers annually, secures the third spot on the list. Although facing over 5,000 Google searches for lost luggage and accumulating 37 negative Yelp reviews, its sheer volume of passengers underlines the scale of its operations and baggage processing challenges.
With a 20-minute average journey to baggage claim, the airport’s layout presents considerable transit time where belongings could potentially go astray.
2. Charles de Gaulle International Airport (Paris)
Paris’ Charles de Gaulle International Airport accumulates the highest number of unfavorable Yelp reviews within the study, totaling 44. This metric, combined with an extensive 26-minute walk to baggage reclaim—the longest among the top contenders—establishes a challenging environment for baggage management.
Given its position as the fourth busiest airport by passenger volume in the study, the extended transit times and negative feedback suggest significant susceptibility to baggage handling issues. Consequently, Charles de Gaulle ranks as the second most airport where luggage is likely to be mishandled.
1. London Heathrow Airport
London Heathrow Airport may not lead in sheer physical size or passenger volume compared to some global counterparts, but it surpasses all others in the number of Google searches for lost luggage. Startlingly, Heathrow exceeds Paris Charles de Gaulle—the second-highest in this metric—by a margin of 14,840 Google searches, highlighting a pronounced public concern regarding baggage issues at this hub.
For passengers flying into or connecting through London Heathrow, heightened awareness and proactive measures to protect their baggage are strongly advisable. This airport tops the list as the most likely location for encountering luggage problems.
This analysis follows the recent announcement of global airport rankings, where UK airports failed to secure a position within the top 20 globally. In contrast, Singapore Changi Airport was recognized as the world’s best airport for a record-extending 13th time at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2025.
These prestigious awards, representing the largest customer airport satisfaction survey globally, evaluate customer service and facilities across 565 airports worldwide. Changi Airport distinguishes itself by offering an array of amenities including a butterfly garden, a rooftop pool, and a hedge maze, enhancing passenger experience.