Lost baggage claims are skyrocketing

Lost baggage claims are skyrocketing. In 2006, more than 240,000 bags never found their owners. Over 10,000 bags are lost every day in the U.S. alone. More than 1,000,000 pieces of luggage were lost, damaged, delayed, or pilfered by U.S. airlines from May to July 2007, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

"Very simply, the baggage handling system is a nightmare for the airlines. Like it or not, it's complex and daunting. When you check your baggage, you are gambling that whatever is in your luggage is going to arrive safe," writes Scott T. Mueller, author of The Empty Carousel: A Consumer's Guide to Checked and Carry-on Luggage.

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