alexturner74
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07/28/2003 - Updated 08:59 PM ET
Even how you secure luggage has changed
By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
Now that strong baggage locks are falling into disfavor, some airline passengers are turning to cheap seals, clasps and ties to protect the contents of their checked bags.
How do they differ from locks? They're made to break easily.
When the Transportation Security Administration started screening all checked bags for bombs in January, it discouraged travelers from locking their bags to speed inspections and prevent broken locks. People can still secure zippers and lock loops with their old padlocks, but TSA screeners might cut them if they need to inspect a bag's contents.
The alternative products may not deter a thief, but some travelers hope they'll at least prevent zippers from opening accidentally. Most are cheap ranging from 15 cents to $1.25 but are good for only one use. Cheap cable ties, for instance, must be cut off with scissors, while other devices can be snapped off by hand.
Among the options:
Disposable locks.
Retailer Brookstone this month started selling packs of 12 metal-clasp, plastic combination locks for $15. These locks among the pricier options can be used again if not cut off.
Plastic zip ties.
These inexpensive ties often used to tightly wrap wires in bundles are being tailored for bags. Nelco Products, a Massachusetts company that sells industrial ties to stores like Home Depot, recently introduced fluorescent-colored ties in packs of 50. TravelTies sell for $7.95 at nelcoproducts.com but may be in stores soon.
Other seals.
Travel supplies maker Lewis N. Clark has been selling Safety Seals in packages of 10 for $4.95 through retailers since March. "If they do get broken off luggage because of inspection, it's not an $8 or $12 lock that you have to replace," says Cherie Corbisiero, marketing services director for L.C. Industries.
Clark's regular baggage lock sales have fallen about 15%, she says.
Magellan's, the travel supplies catalog and Web site, for 10 years has been selling another one-time-use seal the PrivaSeal, often to people who use them to secure bags left in hotels, spokeswoman Lynn Staneff says. Sales have soared by 300% for the first six months of this year vs. the same period last year, she says. The seals are sold in packs of 12 for $4.85.
Travelers could have another option as soon as November.
The TSA is working with the Travel Goods Association to design a standard lock that TSA screeners can open using special codes and master keys that only TSA employees would have access to, says John Vermilye, a former TSA baggage consultant who runs the project.
The locks are expected to cost more than regular baggage locks, he says.
Original article is here
Even how you secure luggage has changed
By Barbara De Lollis, USA TODAY
Now that strong baggage locks are falling into disfavor, some airline passengers are turning to cheap seals, clasps and ties to protect the contents of their checked bags.
How do they differ from locks? They're made to break easily.
When the Transportation Security Administration started screening all checked bags for bombs in January, it discouraged travelers from locking their bags to speed inspections and prevent broken locks. People can still secure zippers and lock loops with their old padlocks, but TSA screeners might cut them if they need to inspect a bag's contents.
The alternative products may not deter a thief, but some travelers hope they'll at least prevent zippers from opening accidentally. Most are cheap ranging from 15 cents to $1.25 but are good for only one use. Cheap cable ties, for instance, must be cut off with scissors, while other devices can be snapped off by hand.
Among the options:
Disposable locks.
Retailer Brookstone this month started selling packs of 12 metal-clasp, plastic combination locks for $15. These locks among the pricier options can be used again if not cut off.
Plastic zip ties.
These inexpensive ties often used to tightly wrap wires in bundles are being tailored for bags. Nelco Products, a Massachusetts company that sells industrial ties to stores like Home Depot, recently introduced fluorescent-colored ties in packs of 50. TravelTies sell for $7.95 at nelcoproducts.com but may be in stores soon.
Other seals.
Travel supplies maker Lewis N. Clark has been selling Safety Seals in packages of 10 for $4.95 through retailers since March. "If they do get broken off luggage because of inspection, it's not an $8 or $12 lock that you have to replace," says Cherie Corbisiero, marketing services director for L.C. Industries.
Clark's regular baggage lock sales have fallen about 15%, she says.
Magellan's, the travel supplies catalog and Web site, for 10 years has been selling another one-time-use seal the PrivaSeal, often to people who use them to secure bags left in hotels, spokeswoman Lynn Staneff says. Sales have soared by 300% for the first six months of this year vs. the same period last year, she says. The seals are sold in packs of 12 for $4.85.
Travelers could have another option as soon as November.
The TSA is working with the Travel Goods Association to design a standard lock that TSA screeners can open using special codes and master keys that only TSA employees would have access to, says John Vermilye, a former TSA baggage consultant who runs the project.
The locks are expected to cost more than regular baggage locks, he says.
Original article is here
