Southampton Airport has been identified as the UK airport most likely to lose passengers' luggage, according to new research by travel company Bounce. The study, which analysed data from 2022 to 2024, found that Southampton had 0.18 baggage complaints per 100,000 passengers, the highest rate in the country.
The airport also recorded the highest overall complaint rate at 4.42%, the second worst cancellation rate at 3.63%, and a low overall rating of three out of ten. London Heathrow and Gatwick also performed poorly, with 0.16 and 0.15 baggage complaints per 100,000 passengers, respectively.
In contrast, Liverpool, Bournemouth, and Cardiff airports each received zero lost luggage complaints per 100,000 passengers. Aberdeen Airport had the highest cancellation rate, with 4.25% of flights scrapped in 2024 alone, though it had a low lost luggage complaint rate of 0.08%.
Manchester Airport was deemed the most problematic overall, scoring just 2.39 out of ten, with low marks for cleanliness, navigation, and queuing, as well as a high number of complaints to the Civil Aviation Authority. London Gatwick ranked second worst overall with a score of 2.6 out of ten, while Southampton came third with 3.01 out of ten.
Cody Candee, CEO of Bounce, said the findings highlight significant room for improvement in UK airports, urging travellers to prepare carefully for their journeys.
