Lost in transit

In a previous Musing I commented on the number of pieces of luggage that go missing each year via air transport - and this is one of the reasons I am unwilling to assign things I really want to see again to checked baggage. The figures at that point suggested that worldwide 200,000 pieces of luggage go irretrievably missing each year - which would work out at about 4,000 a week - spread over all the airlines of the world. With the new security measures in place, you have to wonder how much those figures will increase (well, they would wouldn't they) ... which is why it was interesting to note an item from the BBC News this morning ... reporting that:

Around 10,000 bags checked in by British Airways passengers have gone missing at airports since the UK security alert began, the airline says ... It said half of them were still piled up at airports waiting to be delivered back to their owners.

So, does this mean it's "good bye" for the other half - and is it only the ones with laptops and ipods that aren't waiting for their owners to collect them? (Cynical ... me?) And if these are the figures for one airline - 5,000 in a week - which is more than the previous average for all airlines- what does the global figure look like? And how happy are the travel insurance companies about now?