TSA says lost luggage complaints down

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Only five out of every 1,000 travelers on U.S. flights complained to airlines about lost luggage this year, the Transportation Security Administration says.

The federal agency said the 2008 figure marked a significant drop compared with the seven out of every 1,000 travelers who complained about losing luggage during a flight last year, The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post said Saturday.

The administration said its rate of complaints was even lower, only five per every 100,000 travelers nationwide.

The U.S. department said on its Web site that while luggage does disappear on rare occasions, determining blame remains elusive.

"Sometimes TSA may forget to place a personal item back into your baggage or may damage an item while repacking your baggage," the federal group said. "Most of the time, there is no way of determining fault."

The Post said the maximum compensation for lost luggage from any airline is set to increase Dec. 1 from $3,000 to $3,300.