Lost bags? The good news 

It’s a staggering statistic, and an indication of the mechanics of the aviation industry, but US airlines collected in excess of US$900m in baggage fees during the first quarter of 2016. This is according to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Of the carriers listed, American Airlines came out on top, having collected the most baggage fees, with some US$262.5m accrued during the quarter.

That profitability is soon to be eroded, though, as newly-introduced measures will oblige carriers to refund passengers in full for any baggage fees charged in the event of mislaid luggage. Specifically, this payment will be triggered automatically where a domestic bag is delayed 12 hours or more; on international flights, that delay period rises to 15 hours. All the passenger has to do is notify the airline in question.