It doesn’t come as much of a shock, after the great foiled-terror-plot/checked-luggage crisis of two months ago, that August has earned the record for the greatest number of “mishandled” bags in four weeks. Over the course of the month, some 437,000 bags went missing – that’s 14,100 a day (for US airlines alone!). And this in a year that’s already seen record statistics for carriers worldwide: 30 million lost bags in 2005. USA Today’s article offers some cold comfort by noting that “the DOT report also shows that airline on-time performance improved slightly after Aug. 10. Airlines boarded planes faster because passengers had fewer carry-ons. And the number of passenger complaints about slow security lines dropped sharply in August.” Though they also added, “airlines say baggage handling is back to normal after the government last week began allowing passengers to carry small containers of liquids on board. Some say they still need upgrades.” Back to “normal”, eh? So basically, planes board and take-off faster, winging you to your destination where you will spend days waiting for your luggage to arrive and rationing your 3 oz bottles of toiletries. Whee!

Previously:
- Weekend Travel Section Roundup
- New Security Restrictions and the Demise of the Carry-on Bag
- Today in Travel Media

(Image via Rob Elliot’s photostream)