Luggage Strap or Sarah Wrap

[OhMari]

My dd is leaving for Southern Africa on Monday the 16th of May. She is flying out of O'Hare. Her professor just e-mailed her and told her to put a luggage strap on her suitcase, or have her luggage saran-wrapped.

She has her plane ticket, will they saran-wrap her luggage after it is checked and put through the scanner or should we go get a luggage strap. What good are luggage straps. She has brand new luggage that I got her for Christmas. Plus I am going to go buy lime-green ribbons so she can identify her luggage. She is changing planes in Amsterday, then flying to South Africa.

Sorry, haven't flown in 10 years and haven't been paying too much attention except the horror stories of being obtained and searched.

 

[tlbwriter]

I would contact her airline(s) and find out whether they allow luggage straps or wrap. They might not.

 

[swilshire]

Luggage straps should be no problem, but they don't add any security if that is the concern. They are mostly just to add a little protection against a bag popping open, or to help recognize the bag.

For security, there are now TSA approved locks which would keep everyone else out. That is what I would buy in her situation.

Sheila

 

[Mickey Fanatic]

When my husband travels with work most airlines don't allow locks. I don't know about luggage straps. I would check the airline for what they allow.

I hope that your daughter has a great trip! It sounds like a chance of a lifetime!

 

[L107ANGEL]

I know this will sound odd. My DH insists on saran wrap and the strap. A couple of years ago my husband went away on a business trip. Once he and the others arrived, they realized all of their clothes smelled like fuel! Imagine 5 men having to find a place to do laundry and washing all of their clothes! The only one that was spared was the one who had the "hard" luggage, not the soft sided that is more prevalent now a days. He also uses the strap so the bag does not accidentally pop open. I would check with the airline as well to see what will be allowed.
A side note, I hope your DD has a lovely trip!!!

 

[DMRick]

All my clothes are in very large ziploc bags. I do that, because I have a problem with perfume, aftershave, and on a trip last year, someone's must have broken, and my luggage and clothes stunk. I always use a strap..both to stop it from popping open, and to ID my luggage on the carosel.

 

[jiminy14]

I have another suggestion for you regarding the luggage. My DD is currently studying in New Zealand. She flew from Philly to LA and then to NZ. Her luggage was checked through to NZ at Philly. When she got to NZ she discovered that one of her bags had been "left" in LA. Luckily, we had taken digital photos of all her luggage and printed them out for her to take with her. She simply went to the lost luggage office and was able to provide the clerk with an exact picture of her lost bag which was then faxed to LA. We took several pictures of each bag from different angles including standing up and laying down. We also took pictures of all identifying logos. These pictures also help if you find that your luggage has been damaged.

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

I didn't know any US airports did that but DH and I took a trip to South Africa about a year and a half ago and when we left having our luggage wrapped was an option - it cost about $1.00 per bag (I think). If I remember correctly you kept all your luggage with you, got it tagged, and then went through security (with your luggage), and on the other side was the wrapping place. It is like heavy duty plastic that they wrap around. We did it b/c of all the neat souveniers we bought and it definitely made it easier when we got back to the states to identify our luggage.

Other than a lost bag, we have personally never had a problem with things missing out of our luggage. I would either get the TSA approved locks or the luggage strap and when she leaves do the wrapping.

 

[ktglads]

When I went to South Africa, I didn't wrap my luggage, but it was all in space savers bags so even if anything happened to my bags, it was still protected. It also saved me from worrying about little critters in my clothes since they were sealed at all times except to remove an item and then it was sealed back up. I did mark my luggage with straps since they really help you tell your bags apart from one another. She will be identifing her luggage quite a bit going through customs so I think that's why the teacher suggesetd the straps as well.

I flew in and out of Johannesburg and the security was pretty tight. They hand checked all luggage before you could check in to the plane and did full body pat downs before you could get to the gate.

 

[OhMari]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

KTglads My dd will also be landing in Johannesburg from Amsterdam. She is trying not to over pack, since she will be able to do laundry.

This is a once in a life-time trip for her and she is scared and excited. She really wanted to study a year semester abroad, but it never worked out. The president of Northern MI wants to make it manditory for each student to study a semester abroad. Good luck with that one.

 

[ktglads]

Is your daughter staying in J'berg or taking another flight from there? I had a day in the city and spent the rest of my time up in the Northern Province (around Tznaneen, Polokwane, and a few other cities that I would butcher the spelling of the names of). It was such a beautiful place where I was even though it was in the worst drought in 100 years. I was on an expedition through Earthwatch that helped with the Blue Swallow Working Group.

 

[Forevryoung]

If you have any other South Africa questions I can email my Aunt. She lives in Cape Town. Every few years she flys to the states so we can see her. More often my other Aunt goes to South Africa. She flys out of Newark if that makes a difference.

 

[OhMari]

Is your daughter staying in J'berg or taking another flight from there? I had a day in the city and spent the rest of my time up in the Northern Province (around Tznaneen, Polokwane, and a few other cities that I would butcher the spelling of the names of). It was such a beautiful place where I was even though it was in the worst drought in 100 years. I was on an expedition through Earthwatch that helped with the Blue Swallow Working Group.

Sorry I didn't get back to you early, She is at the Tshwane University of Technology north of Johannasburg at Figa Lapa. She will mostly stay in Pretoria. She e-mail me and said the flight from the states to Amsterdam was ok, but then to South Africa was very long. They got a 3-car police escort. First the police made them show their id's, then they knew it was a hoax. She will be spending a lot of time with the police and the judicial system over their.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Okay I hate to fly and have not flown in about10 years that being said, here is my question. What the heck is Saran Wrapped bags and why do they do it? If someone wanted to break in they could just break the wrap right?