Checked bag fees keep climbing — the first bag now averages $45 on domestic and short-haul international flights across US carriers — yet new Department of Transportation figures show airlines are still fumbling luggage at almost exactly the same rate as last year. In the first six months of 2026, the 13 largest US airlines collectively mishandled 1,120,760 bags. That works out to roughly 0.5 bags per 100 loaded onto planes, essentially flat against the 0.52 rate recorded over the same period in 2025.
So who's doing worst? American Airlines leads the unfortunate rankings with 0.73 mishandled bags per 100 enplaned from January to June 2026, fractionally ahead of its own regional subsidiary Envoy Air at 0.72. United Airlines follows at 0.66, then regional operators SkyWest (0.55) and Republic Airways (0.53), who share ground with the combined Alaska/Hawaiian operation. Even budget carriers Frontier and Spirit land mid-table at 0.51 and 0.47 respectively.
At the other end of the scale, Allegiant Air is the clear standout, mishandling just 0.12 bags per 100 enplaned — six times better than American. JetBlue (0.31) and Southwest (0.32) also perform well, while Delta, often assumed to be the reliability benchmark, sits at a respectable-but-unspectacular 0.38. A 'mishandled' bag covers anything lost, delayed, damaged or stolen, so these rates reflect more than just luggage that vanishes entirely.
One reason the rankings sting: many of the worst offenders are mainline carriers charging the highest bag fees, meaning travellers are paying more for a service that hasn't measurably improved. Regional partners like Envoy, SkyWest, Republic and PSA — which operate many shorter domestic sectors under the big airlines' brands — cluster in the middle and upper half of the table, so a flight's operating carrier can matter as much as the one on your ticket.
If you do need to check a bag, there are ways to hedge. Apple AirTags and similar trackers have become the go-to solution, and several US airlines now let you share a tracker's location with customer service agents directly through their apps, which speeds up locating delayed luggage. Travelling with carry-on only, or choosing carriers further down the mishandling table for trips where you genuinely need checked luggage, are the other obvious plays.
For anyone booking a 2026 domestic US trip, this data is worth a glance before you pay that $45. It won't guarantee your bag arrives — but it tilts the odds in your favour.