Does SWA lose alot of luggage?

[meloneyb21]

I was watching the news and they were saying how in 2005 airlines have lost 30 million pieces of luggage and how 200,000 of them never made it back to the owners. We'll be flying for the first time in April and we're flying SWA. This has made me a little concerned, so I'm wondering how their track record is. I heard they're a good airline, but what are your opinions?

 

[DVC-Don]

I've been flying Southwest exclusively for the past 4+ years. Only one time a couple of our bags wound up on another flight (to the same airport) and arrived a couple hours behind us. They had them delivered to our home.

 

[safetymom]

There are some things you can do to lessen the chances that your luggage may get lost.

Allow plenty of time to check in, if you check in at the last minute you may miss the cut off or worse the baggage doesn't make it on the plane.

Be sure to put a copy of your itinerary in your suitcase with contact information on it. Use a cell phone number that they can contact you while you are away from home. Be sure to have where you are staying also.

Don't put your full address on the luggage tag on the outside of your luggage.

Be sure to pack in your carry on any items you may need when you first reach your destination. Prescriptions, change of clothes, etc. That way if your luggage is delayed you can still function.

NEVER EVER put anything of value in your suitcase. If you can't afford to lose it don't put it in your luggage.

 

[simzac]

Have flown 4 times in the past 3 years on SW, 4 to 7 bags per trip for the entire family, never has a bag not arrived with us. I see no problem.

 

[iluvflorida8]

I have flown 12 flights on Southwest the last 3 months, and have NOT had any lost luggage or problems.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

We'll be flying for the first time in April and we're flying SWA. This has made me a little concerned, so I'm wondering how their track record is.

Southwest Airlines is not as bad as US Airways:

• US Airways: 9.62 bags lost per 1,000 passengers
• Delta Air Lines: 7.09 bags lost per 1,000 passengers
• American Airlines: 5.92 bags lost per 1,000 passengers
• Southwest Airlines: 4.25 bags lost per 1,000 passengers

Source: http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2006/commentary06032201.htm (may require registration)

 

[wdwfan1]

We have never had any of our luggage lost on Southwest.

 

[byoung]

We learned how to use only carryon's. It's great , no waiting for your bags etc.

 

[MickeyCrazed]

Don't put your full address on the luggage tag on the outside of your luggage.

Why shouldn't you put your full address on the outside?

 

[DebbieB]

Why shouldn't you put your full address on the outside?

If airport workers see your full address, they will know you are not home and leave you vulnerable to a break-in.

I wouldn't worry so much about lost luggage on a direct flight, I worry more about connections.

 

[pamjb]

I have had 5 flights on Southwest. One of our bags went missiing on our return to Philly after our Jan 2005 cruise. It was delivered to our home in Allentown the next day.

 

[allonte]

I fly SWA all the time and I've never had a bag lost.

 

[allonte]

Don't put your full address on the luggage tag on the outside of your luggage.

Then if it does get lost, how will it get back to you?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Why shouldn't you put your full address on the outside?

If airport workers see your full address, they will know you are not home and leave you vulnerable to a break-in.

This comment casts an unnecessarily bad light on airport employees. The much more likely scenario would be any person with criminal intentions who spends time at airports specifically for the purpose of obtaining the home addresses of travelers.

Don't put your full address on the luggage tag on the outside of your luggage.

Then if it does get lost, how will it get back to you?

Use your work address, or the address of a friend who WILL be home (or who has a good home security system )

 

[safetymom]

That is why if you have a cell phone to use that number. If you put a copy of your itinerary in your luggage then they will be able to get ahold of you no matter where you are.

 

[Lewisc]

Once I had a problem, I got the missing bag the next day. It was a connecting flight and it looks like one bag never left the plane. It was a few days after Charley so I attributed it to employees who were very overworked.

SW would have delivered it to my house but the airport was convenient and I didn't want the bag sitting outside my house all day.

 

[Jenn]

We have flown SWA at least 10 times. One time in Orlando we had a bag misplaced - we left our hotel info, they found the bag and delivered it to our hotel later the same day.

 

[chamonix]

Not SW, but I had a bag go missing and never saw it again. I had it in my possession when I went through customs in Miami, (after getting off a Lan Chile flight from Santiago) then had to re-check it in to TWA for the flight to St Louis. It was scanned as being checked in, but never scanned as being put onto the plane. This was right after I saw a hidden camera thing on 60 minutes about theft by baggage handlers at Miami! lol They said sometimes they switch the tags and send your bag somewhere else where they have an accomplice who picks up the bags. This was before 9-11 and perhaps isn't as easy now that they bag match passengers.

You know, there wasn't anything "valuable" in my bag--no electronics, expensive gear, etc. But what I realized after that experience was that what was "valuable" to me wasn't those kinds of things anyway: those are easily replaceable. I cried for the things I could never get back: items from my trip to Antarctica (not getting back there anytime soon, lol), my trip journals, a sweater purchased when I studied in Greece and Turkey in college for two summers, sentimental stuff. I never pack anything now that I am not fully prepared to never see again. No, it's probably not going to happen to you--but when it does--if your bag is stolen/lost forever--it really sucks.

 

[pooh2001]

Luggage on SWA

We naver have had a problem.

What we do - on the way to WDW - the tag attached to our luggage has our cell #, the resort we are staying at and our names.

On the way home - we have a tag attached to our luggage which has our cell #, our home address and our names.
No break ins - we are on our way home - so if the luggage gets lost - we are home.

INSIDE everybag - carry-ons and checked luggage - Where we are staying, for how long, our home address, our home #, our cell #, and emergency contact numbers. If someone is that desperate to open our bag to rob our home - they will be caught by our nosey neighbors (better than a watch dog !)