Photo © Joni Hanebutt | Dreamstime.com
It’s all fun and games until someone loses a suitcase.
The rise in tournament travel means more athletes traveling to more places, and often carrying more equipment. In some cases (like swimming or running events), gear is light and easy to toss into a carryon bag; however, other sports, such as tackle football and ice hockey, require a greater volume of items, with uniforms, helmets, pads, sticks, skates and cleats and resulting in luggage that need to be checked.
And that’s where the worry begins for many athletes on their way to tournaments. In some cases, athletes and spectators find they are subject to differing regulations around specific pieces of equipment, like soccer balls, basketballs and baseballs, to items maybe not as mainstream, such as pool cues.
Stories about lost luggage are legion, and with the advent of social media, incidents that travelers once just fumed over can now be shared with the world. And as it turns out, there’s quite a bit to unpack.
According to the New York Post, “A report from earlier this year by shipping site MyBaggage.com pored over data supplied by the DOT that details the total amount of luggage checked in by airlines between January 2021 through January 2024.
The worst offender was American Airlines, which struggled with 1,750,009 lost-luggage reports — that’s an average of 8.71 disappeared bags per 1,000 that were loaded onto an aircraft. Second was Envoy Airlines — American’s largest regional carrier, formerly known as American Eagle — and in third place was Republic Airways, which acts as another regional airline for American, as well as Delta and United.
Overall, the trend of lost and damaged bags is up but new technology to help travelers reconnect with their belonging is making headlines too. According to CNN Travel, “Apple has unveiled a new feature where users can share an Air Tag’s location with third parties, like airlines. In the Find My application, users can generate and share a link to an Air Tag’s location as part of the “Share Item Location” feature.
The new service has been integrated into airline customer service at 15 carriers, including Delta and United, according to an Apple news release. Passengers who attach an air tag to their luggage will be able to share its live location with the airline, helping people track their luggage while flying — and find it if lost.
Usually, an Apple user can see the location of their Air Tags in their Find My application. Now, users will be able to create a live-updating link that they can share with others.
The New York Times also noted steps that should be taken to help reclaim missing bags; those include reporting lost luggage immediately and, when necessary, repeatedly reporting it. Travel insurance, the article adds, can help pick up costs for replacements if the airline won’t cooperate.
There’s even a more specific remedy: Baggage insurance. One travel site, UpgradedPoints.com, breaks down a number of these policies, describing their relative advantages and disadvantages.
“These policies can protect you against out-of-pocket costs if your luggage is delayed, lost, or damaged in transit,” the article notes. “While airlines are required to cover certain costs in these situations, they may not cover everything. That’s especially true if you’re traveling with high-value items. Taking some nice golf clubs or top-notch ski equipment in your checked luggage? Baggage insurance might be worth considering to ensure you aren’t left holding the bill in any of these situations.”
Additionally, some credit cards (particularly those with travel perks, such as mile rewards) offer coverage for lost, stolen or damaged luggage.
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