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The airlines most likely to mishandle your wheelchair, ranked

We analyzed government data to determine which U.S. airlines fail to properly handle checked wheelchairs and motorized scooters

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Airport wheelchairs
Airport wheelchairs
Photo: Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle (Getty Images)

With an airline flight, the most important thing is getting to your destination safe and sound. But perhaps the second-most important thing is making sure your stuff gets there safe and sound, as well.

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That’s doubly important when you need that stuff to get around once you land. The Department of Transportation Office of Aviation Consumer Protection’s Air Travel Consumer Reports track which U.S. airlines fail to properly handle checked wheelchairs and motorized scooters, whether that means those mobility devices are getting “lost, damaged, delayed,” or “pilfered.” This Quartz analysis of those reports shows how often that happened in the first half of this year.

Click through to see which carriers were the most likely to mishandle checked bags.

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10. Delta Air Lines

10. Delta Air Lines

A Delta Air Lines plane
A Delta Air Lines plane
Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

Mishandling Rate: 6.66 mobility devices per 1,000

Between January and June, Delta handled about 76,000 mobility devices and mishandled about 500 of them.

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9. Allegiant Air

9. Allegiant Air

An Allegiant Air plane
An Allegiant Air plane
Photo: Larry MacDougal (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 7.16 mobility devices per 1,000

January and June, Allegiant handled about 14,000 mobility devices and mishandled about 100 of them.

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8. United Airlines

8. United Airlines

A United Airlines plane
A United Airlines plane
Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto (Getty Images)

Mishandling Rate: 9.67 mobility devices per 1,000

Between January and June, United handled about 73,000 mobility devices and mishandled about 700 of them.

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7. Hawaiian Airlines

7. Hawaiian Airlines

A Hawaiian Airlines plane
A Hawaiian Airlines plane
Photo: Larry MacDougal (AP)

Mishandling Rates: 9.67 mobility devices per 1,000

Between January and June, Hawaiian handled about 7,000 mobility devices and mishandled about 100 of them.

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6. JetBlue Airways

6. JetBlue Airways

A JetBlue Airways plane
A JetBlue Airways plane
Photo: Ric Tapia (AP)

Mishandling Rate: 14.68 mobility devices per 1,000

Between January and June, JetBlue handled about 14,000 mobility devices and mishandled 200 of them.

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5. Southwest Airlines

5. Southwest Airlines

A Southwest Airlines plane
A Southwest Airlines plane
Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)

Mishandling Rate: 15.2 mobility devices per 1,000

January and June, Southwest handled about 120,000 mobility devices and mishandled 2,000 of them.

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4. Alaska Airlines

4. Alaska Airlines

An Alaska Airlines plane
An Alaska Airlines plane
Photo: Justin Sullivan (Getty Images)

Mishandling Rate: 15.21 mobility devices per 1,000

Between January and June, Alaska handled about 16,000 mobility devices and mishandled 200 of them.

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3. American Airlines

3. American Airlines

An American Airlines plane
An American Airlines plane
Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)

Mishandling Rate: 16.77 mobility devices per 1,000

Between January and June, American handled about 78,000 mobility devices and mishandled 1,300 of them.

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2. Frontier Airlines

2. Frontier Airlines

A Frontier Airlines plane
A Frontier Airlines plane
Photo: Kevin Carter (Getty Images)

Mishandling Rate: 19.4 mobility devices per 1,000

Between January and June, Frontier handled about 14,000 mobility devices and mishandled 300 of them.

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1. Spirit Airlines

1. Spirit Airlines

A Spirit Airlines plane
A Spirit Airlines plane
Photo: Kevin Carter (Getty Images)

Mishandling Rate: 24.96 mobility devices per 1,000

Between January and June, Spirit handled about 12,000 mobility devices and mishandled 300 of them.

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