Stansted Airport lost property lands on list of worst in the UK for lost luggage

New research has revealed the airports passengers are most likely to experience lost or delayed luggage in the UK.

MoneySuperMarket, a price comparison site, looked into more than 2,000 complaints to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) about lost, delayed and damaged luggage for flights to and from UK airports since 2015.

The data reveals that 636 complaints from London Heathrow lost property were referred to the CAA, which is responsible for handling disputes that are unresolved by the airline.

London Heathrow has the highest rate of unresolved lost or delayed luggage in the UK, while Stansted Airport lost property has the fifth highest. It’s important to note that luggage issues are the responsibility of the airline and not the airport.

A spokesman for Stansted Airport said that less than 0.0000006% of passengers were affected.

Separate research by MoneySuperMarket, which spoke to 2,000 adults who have flown in or out of a UK airport on holiday in the last 12 months, shows that on average, passengers have to wait 7.8 days for lost luggage to be returned, with 8 per cent of people never seeing their luggage again.

Read the full findings below.

Top UK airports for unresolved lost luggage claims (for airports with over 1,000,000 passengers since 2015):

London Heathrow Airport lost property- 636

London Gatwick Airport lost property- 280

Manchester Airport lost property- 186

Birmingham Airport lost property- 100

London Stansted Airport lost property- 61

Edinburgh Airport lost property- 47

London Luton Airport lost property- 27

Glasgow Airport lost property- 26

Newcastle – 23

London City Airport- 15

Outside the UK, Madrid’s Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport tops the list, followed by El Prat Airport in Barcelona and Dubai International. Between the three airports, there have been over 200 lost or delayed luggage claims to the CAA.

Anna Sant, travel insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “Most luggage arrives at its intended destination without a hitch.

“However, with the Civil Aviation Authority receiving over 2,000 unresolved luggage complaints in the past five years, it’s clear that it’s not always an issue that airlines can fix themselves.

“Preparing for your trip with items such as luggage tags can help any lost items find their way back to you.

“Many airlines have information sheets for anyone whose luggage goes missing, which details next steps and acts as written confirmation. Noting the contents and value of your cases will also assist with any subsequent insurance claims.

“It’s therefore vital you take out travel insurance with the right level of cover, as soon as you book your trip. Most policies will cover the full cost of your belongings but it’s worth double checking before proceeding with a policy.”