Insurance firm, LV, has published the results of a survey which suggests that British Airways is the airline with which British travellers most often have baggage issues. The figures show that nearly a quarter of all those who took part in the survey have experienced baggage loss, damage or delays at some point in the last five years whilst travelling with BA.

A spokeswoman for the airline disputed the survey’s findings saying that there was no way to prove that 25 per cent of passengers traveling with British Airways had experienced problems with their baggage. She added that since the opening if Heathrow’s Terminal 5, the airline’s baggage performance had actually improved.

The Air Transport Users Council conducted a similar survey in 2007. The data collected showed that BA’s baggage handling record was poor, and that only TAP Air Portugal was likely to treat a passenger’s belongings in a shoddier manner. According to the ATUC, they are unable to conduct a follow up survey, because airlines are no longer required to give out data regarding baggage handling performance.

Respondents to the LV survey placed Virgin Atlantic in second place when it came to poor baggage handling performance. In third place was Emirates, with one in every nine passengers claiming they had experienced baggage problems. Fourth and fifth place went to budget carriers, easyJet and Ryanair respectively.

The results of the survey may not please British Airways at a time when thousands of its customers are trying to cope with the disruption caused by striking cabin crew.