RSW ranks 19th on Forbes’ worst airports for lost luggage list

Reporter: Taylor Wirtz Writer: Matias Abril
Published: Updated:
2022 was a record-breaking year for travel at RSW. CREDIT: WINK News

One of the worst airports in the country is right around the corner. At least that’s what a new study by Forbes says.

They ranked the worst airports for lost and damaged luggage, and four of them are in Florida. Even Southwest Florida International Airport is on the list.

When Erin Youngstrom packed her bags for Southwest Florida, she thought they’d be in good hands.

“I have status with this airline. It has a priority tag on it,” Youngstrom said.

One of the bags made it to RSW safe and sound. As for the other?

“One of them just got rerouted to Chicago,” Youngstrom said.

Youngstrom admits the airport she flew out of was probably at fault, but luggage issues aren’t new in our area either. A study by Forbes Advisor found that four of the country’s 20 worst airports for lost and damaged luggage are in Florida.

Miami International Airport comes in at number two, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International at number five, Orlando at 16, and RSW at 19.

Fortunately, Nerdwallet’s travel expert Sally French said that the odds of anything happening are low.

Her biggest piece of advice?

“Anything you can’t afford to part with should be in your carry on,” French said.

That could be anything like medication or valuables. For Youngstrum, that’s feeding her pup.

“All of his dog food and everything that I wasn’t going to need for tonight, so now I’m gonna have to go figure out some alternative to even feed my dog,” Youngstrom said.

If your bag is lost or damaged, French said that airlines will usually reimburse you, but you need to move fast.

“It’s good practice to file any sort of claim within returning from the trip and sometimes even on the trip, because if you delay, then you might lose the opportunity to actually make claims. Thirty days is common,” French said.

Some of your risks can even come down to who you fly. Forbes said American Airlines is the worst airline for mishandled luggage.

French said that Southwest Airlines is one of the best.

It’s also a good idea to take a picture of your bags, and their contents, so you can submit them to the airline if needed.

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