A GROWING number of passengers can expect disappointment at luggage carousels this summer, as the number of bags lost or mislaid by Europe’s major airlines continues to rise.
According to figures released by the Association of European Airlines for the first quarter of this year, on average, seven passengers on a typical Lufthansa or Iberia flight lost their bags. Six travellers suffered the same fate with Luxair and Austrian Airlines; five with British Airways and Air France. Low-cost airlines were not among the 25 airlines that volunteered for the study.
Overall, the average number of bags that went missing per 1,000 travellers was measured at 15.2 between January and March this year, up from 14.7 bags in the same period in 2005. But that number is expected to rise over summer.
Meanwhile, more than 70 per cent of holidaymakers are packing far too much; and 80 per cent admit they only wear half of what they take, according to a recent survey of 3,000 holidaymakers. The average tourist over-packs by 10lbs, with women the worst offenders. More than half pack a different outfit for every day of their holiday; and 20 per cent take between five and 10 pairs of shoes for a two-week trip.
