Lost luggage has become less of a nightmare, with real-time tracking and AI quietly reshaping how airports and airlines manage your bags.
A new report reveals that airlines fumbled fewer bags in 2024, even as air travel surged. Industry bosses say the bar’s been raised — and that passengers now expect service that’s just as smooth and trackable as a food delivery app.
Tech Is Quietly Winning the War on Lost Bags
For years, airline passengers have had one big anxiety beyond delays — will their luggage arrive?
In 2024, that fear got a bit smaller. Aviation tech firm Sita reported that the number of mishandled bags dropped slightly from 33.8 million in 2023 to 33.4 million in 2024. That may seem minor at first glance, but there’s more beneath the surface.
Passenger volumes rose by 8.2%. So while there were more people flying, the rate of mishandled bags actually fell — down to 6.3 bags per 1,000 passengers, from 6.9 the year before.
That’s the lowest in years. In fact, it’s a 67% drop since 2007.
The difference? Smarter tech, better systems, and rising customer expectations.
Baggage Gets the AI Treatment
It’s not magic — it’s just math, sensors, and a lot of software.
Sita, which provides IT solutions to over 400 airports and most of the world’s airlines, credits the drop to more “precision” in baggage handling. That includes:
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Real-time tracking, giving passengers visibility through apps
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AI analytics that predict bottlenecks or routing issues
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Self-service bag drops that reduce human error
Airports are starting to function more like digital logistics hubs, not just terminals. With AI spotting potential mishandling patterns in real-time, reroutes and corrections are now faster.
Airports in places like Dubai, Singapore, and Amsterdam have become early adopters of this tech-forward approach, where bags are monitored with nearly the same attention as a high-value online order.
The Delivery App Effect: People Want Control
There’s been a quiet shift in mindset. What used to be “hope for the best” has become “why can’t I track it?”
Travelers now expect their bags to behave like a package from Amazon. They want push notifications, location updates, and some kind of recourse if something goes wrong. Airline executives are listening.
“People don’t care about the backend systems,” said a senior executive from a major European carrier. “They just want to see where their bag is, and that it arrives when they do. That’s the bar now.”
In other words: the delivery app effect is here.
One airline even tested letting passengers scan QR codes on their boarding passes to see the last known location of their checked bags. Unsurprisingly, it was a hit.
Who’s Doing What: Comparing the Big Players
Not all airlines are on the same page when it comes to baggage tech. Some carriers are pushing ahead, while others still lean on legacy systems.
Let’s break it down:
| Airline/Group | Baggage Tracking Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | Advanced | RFID tracking, app integration, high reliability |
| Emirates | Very Advanced | Real-time updates, automated handling systems |
| Ryanair | Basic | Manual systems, minimal app integration |
| Lufthansa Group | Intermediate | Ongoing upgrades, mixed across airports |
| Singapore Airlines | Advanced | Seamless app tracking, AI analytics used |
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also pushed for global adoption of Resolution 753, which requires airlines to track baggage at four key points: check-in, loading, transfer, and arrival. Adoption has been uneven, but the trend is clear — it’s happening.
But Some Bags Still Go Missing
Of course, not everything works perfectly.
Even with smarter tech, 33.4 million bags still went astray last year. That’s roughly the population of Canada.
The reasons vary:
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Tight connections where bags miss the flight
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Labeling errors or system glitches
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Old infrastructure at some airports
For every AI win, there’s still a tug-of-war between legacy systems and modern upgrades. And not every airport is equipped to handle the demands of full-scale real-time baggage tracking.
Just one sentence here: it’s progress, not perfection.
From Annoyance to Trust: Why This Actually Matters
Luggage isn’t just a travel detail — it’s emotional.
When bags are lost, people don’t just lose things. They lose time, trust, peace of mind. A vacation gets off to a bad start, a business trip becomes a scramble, a wedding day gets stressful.
Improving this part of the travel experience changes how people view flying. That emotional shift is what airlines are banking on.
As travel rebounds post-pandemic, airlines can’t afford to just get passengers from A to B. They’ve got to carry their stuff — and their trust — the whole way.
