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Airports and airlines handle a vast number of luggage items daily, but not all make it to their intended destinations. According to SITA's WorldTracer service, despite efforts to reunite lost luggage with its owners, around eight percent remains untraceable and eventually becomes airport property after a 21-day grace period.
SITA research indicates that transfer mishandling accounts for 46% of lost luggage cases, followed by ticketing errors and failure to load at 16% each. Other reasons include airport or customs issues (9%), arrival mishandling (5%), tagging errors (5%), and loading errors (3%).
Once the grace period ends, auction houses and speculators purchase unclaimed luggage in bulk from airports like London Heathrow. Auction houses sometimes donate proceeds to charity, while speculators sell items on platforms such as eBay or Vinted. However, buyers cannot open the bags before purchase, leaving the value of contents uncertain.
