Expert details what happens to lost luggage as Spain ranks among worst for losing it

A worker has revealed what happens to your luggage it you lose it and don’t claim it.

Spain was recently ranked ninth in the world for most lost luggage, with almost 60,000 suitcases reported lost in its last month alone, as per Spanish News Today quoting data from .

It’s estimated that one in every 125 suitcases passing through in the country is lost, delayed, or damaged.

Marina Pachón, a supervisor of ground operations at Madrid’s Barajas , explained that the way bags are processed differs between airports.

“At El Prat , it would be placed in a tray associated with laser code reading, a finer method to ensure it reaches the docks properly,” she told .

“In others, there are tag readers to classify into different docks, and everything is automated,” she added.

The luggage is then sent to the aircraft’s hold unless something suspicious has been detected. In these circumstances “a white light turns on indicating that it needs to be reinspected.

The bag then “exits the maze via a belt controlled by state security forces and bodies, in this case, the Civil Guard”, the worker explained.

Ms Pachón said there are three reasons why bags get lost, in her opinion. These include the sheer amoung of suitcases arriving, the kilometres of conveyor belts they’re carried on, and “work overload.”

She said people whose bags haven’t appeared at the other side should contact the airline they travelled as they will have it registered. The carrier will then manage its return and any refund, if neccessary.

However, for whatever reason, some people never end up collecting their bags and the luggage ends up in a lost property office.

After some time has passed without the bags’ owners coming forward, it then becomes too late to get their possessions back.

Ms Pachón said after a certain amount of time, auctions are held of the suitcases. “I know that some of the contents are burned,” she claimed.

Airports will make considerable efforts to find the owners of bags before the bags are given to charity, sold or destroyed.

Aena, which owns Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport, has been approached for comment.