Our experiences with Delta security (or lack thereof) at MCO last night

[Tina]

We flew home from MCO to Washington Dulles last night on Delta Express. We were completely shocked at their "security" with our luggage. Early in the day we had checked out of our resort and checked our bags with bell services for the day so we could spend the day in the parks. When checking in at the Delta ticketing counter, the agent started asking all of the usual questions about baggage handling. When asked if the bags had been out of our control since packing them, we answered "Yes." We told the agent that the bags had been checked at the hotel for the day. She then asked, "Well, was it a STRANGER that had your bags." We answered, "We've been at the resort all week, but we did not personally KNOW anyone working there." She said "Ok," handed us our boarding passes and told us to have a nice flight!!! We couldn't believe that they didn't want to search our bags! These were carry-ons! Our bags were never checked at the security check point either.

Later, when chatting with our flight attendant, I relayed this story to her. She was totally shocked. She asked me to please report it to Delta Airlines - and informed me that she would as well. It appears that some airline employees still don't care.

 

[cbrfan]

Wow, Tina!! I just posted a question about that very subject! I just assumed they'd want to search our bags. Makes me a little uneasy that they wouldn't. What's the point of even asking??

 

[seashoreCM]

Storing bags with the hotel concierge after checkout is a very common thing these days so the standard operating procedure is not to do anything special after hearing you desribe that. Even in the room the maid could have touched the bags so that is no different.

If airlines took note of passengers comfessing that bags were stored with a stranger, the concierge, that would be beefing up security, not just doing the normal rules.

It is still desirable for you to recheck the contents. Then the bag would no longer have been out of your control since packing. In some countries people have been detained when contraband was found in suitcases, put there by someone else wanting to smuggle it aboard a flight with an accomplice at the destination airport hoping to steal the bag off the carousel before you got it back.

More Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[lookingforward]

Your story is a scary one. The same problem exists with cruises. We sailed last November and on cruises you put your luggage in the hall the night before you disembark. Anyone could have access to your luggage while it waits in the hall to be picked up. When we checked in for our flight I answered honestly that the luggage had been out of my control since the night before and they did not even blink an eye!

 

[Tina]

Since the airlines did not know which hotel we stayed at or the hiring practices of that hotel, they should not consider baggage checking to be safe. In light of the events of September 11th, they need to change their way of thinking about this sort of service.

 

[Kermit]

I never even thought about answering that question in relation to a hotel storing your bags. I would hope that since Disney keeps the bags in a locked room, there wouldn't be a big threat. It is a good idea to go through your own bags, though.