Stop Airlines Losing Our Bags: Scan Every Checked Bag, Fine Failures, Compensate Passenger
The Issue
Like millions of travellers every year, I have experienced the frustration and disruption caused when airlines lose checked baggage. Lost or severely delayed luggage can ruin trips, leave passengers without essential belongings, and cause unnecessary stress and financial loss.
Despite passengers paying for checked baggage, there is currently no mandatory system that guarantees every checked bag is confirmed on the aircraft before departure. According to the SITA Baggage IT Insights report, approximately 25 million bags are mishandled globally each year, costing the airline industry an estimated $2.5 billion annually. These figures make it clear that lost baggage is not an isolated accident but a widespread and preventable operational failure.
We are calling for airlines to be required to implement mandatory digital baggage reconciliation for every flight. This means every checked bag must be scanned at check-in, during transfers, and at aircraft loading, with electronic confirmation that all checked baggage is on board before departure. Barcode and RFID technology already make this possible and are used successfully in many airports worldwide.
In addition, airlines must be held accountable when baggage handling fails. We call for:
Automatic financial penalties for airlines for each checked bag that is lost or not delivered within a defined time period
Automatic compensation to passengers for lost or severely delayed baggage, without requiring receipts for essential items
Mandatory public reporting of airline baggage performance, including lost baggage rates
Lost baggage should not be treated as an acceptable inconvenience. When airlines can track aircraft, crew, and passengers in real time, they should also be required to track the belongings entrusted to them. Preventing lost luggage is achievable using existing technology, but it requires clear rules and meaningful consequences for failure.
By signing this petition, we call on regulators and the airline industry to adopt modern baggage tracking standards, enforce accountability, and protect passengers from the ongoing and avoidable burden of lost luggage.
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The Issue
Like millions of travellers every year, I have experienced the frustration and disruption caused when airlines lose checked baggage. Lost or severely delayed luggage can ruin trips, leave passengers without essential belongings, and cause unnecessary stress and financial loss.
Despite passengers paying for checked baggage, there is currently no mandatory system that guarantees every checked bag is confirmed on the aircraft before departure. According to the SITA Baggage IT Insights report, approximately 25 million bags are mishandled globally each year, costing the airline industry an estimated $2.5 billion annually. These figures make it clear that lost baggage is not an isolated accident but a widespread and preventable operational failure.
We are calling for airlines to be required to implement mandatory digital baggage reconciliation for every flight. This means every checked bag must be scanned at check-in, during transfers, and at aircraft loading, with electronic confirmation that all checked baggage is on board before departure. Barcode and RFID technology already make this possible and are used successfully in many airports worldwide.
In addition, airlines must be held accountable when baggage handling fails. We call for:
Automatic financial penalties for airlines for each checked bag that is lost or not delivered within a defined time period
Automatic compensation to passengers for lost or severely delayed baggage, without requiring receipts for essential items
Mandatory public reporting of airline baggage performance, including lost baggage rates
Lost baggage should not be treated as an acceptable inconvenience. When airlines can track aircraft, crew, and passengers in real time, they should also be required to track the belongings entrusted to them. Preventing lost luggage is achievable using existing technology, but it requires clear rules and meaningful consequences for failure.
By signing this petition, we call on regulators and the airline industry to adopt modern baggage tracking standards, enforce accountability, and protect passengers from the ongoing and avoidable burden of lost luggage.
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Petition created on 1 February 2026