A recent report by AirAdvisor revealed which airports have the safest baggage claim and which ones are most likely to have your bag stolen. The investigation came up after a TikTok pointed out that Dubai Airport’s baggage claim followed an honour system, like most airports worldwide. For example, we watch luggage on the conveyor belts pass by until we see ours.
The TikTok itself was filmed in Dubai Airport, which ranked third when it comes to lawless baggage claim, with 5,290 luggage potentially stolen. Overall, this report tells us that, at certain airports, luggage claimers aren’t being as honest as they should be.
The top 10 airports with the most lawless baggage claims
The data analysed for Several variables to determine lawlessness within airports. These include passenger volumes, searches for lost luggage, reviews, Google rating, and distance to baggage claim from the gate. The top 10 is as shown:
- London Heathrow Airport, England: 83.9 million passengers, 18,950 searches for lost luggage, 20 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Charles de Gaulle Airport, France: 70.3 million passengers, 4,110 searches for lost luggage, 26 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Dubai International Airport, UAE: 92.3 million million passengers, 5,290 searches for lost luggage, 20 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Istanbul Airport, Türkiye: 79.9 million passengers, 3,340 searches for lost luggage, 24 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Frankfurt am Main International Airport, Germany: 61.6 million passengers, 3,170 searches for lost luggage, 18 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Netherlands: 66.8 million passengers, 4,030 searches for lost luggage, 17 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore: 67.6 million passengers, 4,400 searches for lost luggage, 18 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Barcelona El Prat Airport, Spain: 55 million passengers, 3,370 searches for lost luggage, 16 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, Türkiye: 41.5 million passengers, 7,210 searches for lost luggage, 14 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
- Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, Australia: 40 million passengers, 6,570 searches for lost luggage, 15 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim.
Overall, London Heathrow is ranked as the most lawless baggage claim airport by a landslide, with the second highest volume of lost luggage being 7,210 (Sabiha Gökçen International). Nearly 19,000 searches have been carried out, and it questions whether there is a fault in the luggage management or if Heathrow is a hotspot for baggage thieves. To compare to other UK airports, Gatwick ranks at #20 and Manchester ranks at #33.
Methodology
To discover the most lawless baggage claims, an analysis of quantitative data was needed. The researchers gathered reviews and ratings from Google of each airport, and then investigated the total passenger figures, searches for lost luggage in the vicinity, negative Yelp reviews, and the average walk time from the gate to the baggage claim. They then created an index to reveal which airport you are most likely to have your bag stolen from.
It’s not to say that you will have your bag stolen from these airports. The report should encourage passengers to carry out the correct safety procedures when travelling. This can include padlocking your suitcase or adding an AirTag to it.
Have you ever had your luggage stolen? Let us know in the comments!
