Fewer bags go missing, but 24 million bags are still delayed: what can the passenger do?

One of the most frustrating problems of flying has visibly improved: according to SITA's 2026 Baggage IT Insights report, the rate of mishandled baggage in 2025 decreased by 23%, while global passenger traffic moved at near-record levels. However, the good news does not mean that the risk has disappeared: worldwide, 24 million checked bags were still delayed, damaged, or sent to the wrong place. Hungarian travelers, especially during the summer peak season, on connecting flights, and on long-haul flights, should prepare more consciously.

The fresh data is important because baggage handling is not merely a background process at the airport. If a suitcase does not arrive at the destination, it means lost vacation time, extra costs, administration, insurance issues, and often completely unnecessary stress for the traveler. In a family vacation, the lack of children's clothes, medicines, or beach equipment can rewrite the program from the first day. On a business trip, a late suit or technical device can even affect the success of the meeting.

According to the summary published by SITA on June 29, the improvement is not due to a single new tool, but a combination of several technological and operational changes: real-time data sharing, AI-supported route planning, biometric baggage drop-off, better transfer processes, and the integration of passengers' own location-tracking devices. This trend is already tangible for Hungarian travelers, even if the speed of development varies by airline and airport.

What do the fresh numbers show?

According to the report, approximately 5 billion passengers flew worldwide in 2025, while 24 million bags were mishandled. This category does not only mean permanently lost suitcases: it includes bags that arrive late, are put on the wrong flight, temporarily disappear, or are returned damaged. According to SITA, the rate of mishandled baggage decreased by 23% and fell below pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

The picture is still not completely reassuring. The report estimates the annual cost of poor baggage handling at 6.3 billion dollars. A single mishandled bag can cost airlines an average of 260 dollars, while the industry's net profit per passenger is on average much lower. This is significant for passengers because for airlines and airports, baggage is not just a customer service issue, but a serious financial incentive: the fewer the errors, the less the compensation, redelivery, administration, and reputational loss.

One of the most important claims of the report is that transfers continue to be the biggest risk point. 39% of cases registered in 2025 were related to transfers, although this proportion improved compared to the previous year. In other words, short connection times, routes involving multiple airlines, travel through large hubs, and late-arriving inbound flights continue to increase the chance that the suitcase does not arrive on the same plane as the passenger.

Why is this important for travelers departing from Budapest and Vienna?

Most Hungarian passengers travel on direct European flights or continue to overseas or Far East destinations via large hubs. For those departing from Budapest airport, the baggage risk looks different on a direct Mediterranean flight than on a long route built with a transfer in Frankfurt, London, Paris, or the Middle East. Those who choose Vienna airport from Western Hungary or for a more favorable schedule face similar considerations: the baggage route often passes through more actors, ground handlers, and IT systems.

Large European hubs, such as Frankfurt airport or London Heathrow, are constantly improving their baggage handling systems, but pressure is also greater due to traffic growth. SITA's data highlights exactly this: technology improves performance, but it does not eliminate the impact of delays, weather disruptions, labor shortages, strikes, or overly tight connections. Therefore, the passenger should not assume that digital systems solve everything automatically.

On long-haul flights, routes to the United States, Canada, Asia, or Africa deserve special attention. If someone travels via New York, for example, at JFK airport or other American hubs, they must check not only the transfer time but also the entry, baggage collection, and re-checking rules. On some routes, the bag must be collected and re-checked for customs or entry reasons, which represents a completely different risk than an automatically forwarded European transfer.

What is changing in technology?

The biggest progress is that baggage handling is increasingly becoming a data-driven service. Airport baggage tags have long contained identifiers, but modern systems aim to make the bag's journey trackable at multiple points: at drop-off, loading onto the plane, during transfer, and upon arrival. This is in line with the logic of the IATA 753 baggage tracking standard, which aims for more measurable and verifiable handling of baggage journeys.

According to SITA, in the next phase of the industry, artificial intelligence and real-time data will play a larger role. AI-based models, for example, can predict whether a given bag might be at risk during a short transfer and alert ground handling. Real-time passenger information can reduce the uncertainty when the passenger only realizes at the destination that their bag has not arrived while standing next to the conveyor belt.

A particularly interesting development is the involvement of passengers' own tracking devices, such as AirTag-style accessories. According to a previous SITA announcement, the integration of Apple Find My Share Item Location and WorldTracer significantly reduced the number of permanently lost bags in the first year in cases where the passenger authorized the sharing of location data. This does not mean that every airline offers the same service on every route, but it shows the direction: in the future, the location data seen by the passenger and the airline's internal recovery process may come closer together.

What can the passenger do to reduce the risk?

The improvement in baggage handling does not replace basic travel caution. Those flying during peak periods, with family, sports equipment, or multiple transfers should prepare consciously. The most important rule is that indispensable items should not be in the checked suitcase. Passport, medicine, glasses, charger, laptop, valuable devices, a change of clothes, and basic equipment needed for the first day should preferably go into the carry-on luggage.

• On connecting routes, leave a reasonable buffer, especially at large airports and for flights not purchased on a single ticket.
• Photograph the suitcase, the baggage tag, and the drop-off receipt, as these speed up the administration during a claim.
• Place a tag with name, phone number, and email address on both the outside and inside of the suitcase.
• Do not check in irreplaceable documents, keys, jewelry, cash, or tools indispensable for work.
• Check the baggage tracking, delay, and compensation rules of the given airline before departure.

Those departing from Budapest can check the Budapest airport live flight information before departure, as a delay or gate change can indirectly affect baggage handling. For departures from Vienna, the Vienna airport flight information page is similarly useful. At large hubs, it is worth paying attention to terminal changes, minimum connection times, and whether the route is part of a single booking or consists of separate tickets.

What does this mean for airlines and tourism?

The improvement in baggage handling is one of the less visible but very important parts of the travel experience. Tourists often look at the flight price, the schedule, and the destination first, but the memory of a lost suitcase can be more strongly fixed in the long run than a punctual departure. Therefore, the development of baggage technology directly affects customer trust, the perception of airline brands, and the value of airport services.

From the tourism market perspective, more reliable baggage handling is especially important for premium, family, sports, and long-haul trips. In the case of sports equipment, strollers, bicycles, musical instruments, or conference materials, it matters whether the bag arrives one or two days later. Better tracking not only reduces the number of errors but also the consequences of errors: if the airline sees more quickly where the bag is, it can reroute or deliver it faster.

The bottom line: the situation is better, but control should not be let go

Based on SITA's fresh report, the industry is moving in a good direction: there are fewer mishandled bags, digital systems are increasingly connected at more points, and passengers can receive more information about their bag's journey. At the same time, the 24 million affected bags indicate that the problem remains real, especially during transfers and busy periods.

For Hungarian travelers, the best strategy is to treat technological progress as a help, but not to replace good preparation with it. Reasonable connection times, accurate baggage tags, basic equipment in carry-on luggage, photographed receipts, and flight checks before departure: these remain simple but effective steps. Baggage handling has become smarter, but a calmer trip still begins with the passenger knowing what to expect and preparing for the case where the suitcase does not arrive at the same pace as they do.