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Delayed or misplaced bags are possibly travelers' biggest worries next to flights arriving late and the cost of a ticket, says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com.

"Most people, obviously, don't suffer lost bags," Hobica says. "But when it does happen to you, it can be quite devastating, especially if you're heading off for a cruise and you're stuck with no clothes, or you're going to a business meeting."

The airlines say they are working to upgrade their baggage systems. But industry analysts, such as Vaughn Cordle of AirlineForecasts, say money from the extra fees is going largely to offset low ticket prices or to shore up the airlines' bottom lines during tough economic times. Airlines globally collected $2.47 billion in baggage fees in the 12 months ending in September, Cordle says, with little likely targeted to guarantee bags will arrive with passengers.

Bag fees "generate revenue that they need to operate and still keep base prices low enough to attract the consumers," says Anne Banas, executive editor of website SmarterTravel.com.

Most often, bags just delayed

Although thousands of checked bags are delayed, lost, damaged or pilfered each month, the rate of mishandled baggage is down. As of November, the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics says the rate of reports filed in 2009 by passengers for luggage that was mishandled on domestic flights had dropped to 3.80 per 1,000 passengers. A year earlier, the rate was 5.12.

Analysts give several reasons for the drop, including: Fewer people are traveling during the economic downturn, and fewer passengers are checking their bags because they want to avoid the escalating fees.

The airline industry attributes part of the drop to steps airlines say they're taking to get passengers' bags there with the passengers.