Suitcase lock damage

[vicky1bfc]

We don't lock our case's but tbh we there's nothing important in them anyway,we only have clothes and tea bags in our case's all important things are with us in hand luggage.

DD's case was opened last year and they didn't even bother to fasten it back up,it came round to us with pockets open and some for her things coming out.

 

[loadsapixiedust]

We always use cable ties on our cases and have never had one opened yet. Check your insurance policy wording carefully, ours doesn't cover unlocked luggage unless entrusted to the care of an airline or other carrier, so once you check it in with the airline it would be covered whether locked or not.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

You can buy tubs of zip ties in B&Q or Maplins. They have various colours, lengths and strengths . We use coloured ones and then you can tell if someone has been in your case if they replace it with a clear one or don't replace it.

Thank you, will find them next time I am in B&Q

Moral is don't put valuable in your checked in luggage.....

Yes, completely agree with this - never have done, never will do...

I can never understand people who complain that their laptop/camera/video-camera/priceless-souvenier was stolen from their checked baggage...

Boo

 

[T16GEM]

When we travelled to MCO in 2004 we flew via Newark, they would not let us through to the flight transfer until we had removed ALL locks from our suitcases.

To be honest as others have said there were only clothes and teabags in the suitcase so we weren't too bothered about them being opened. Mine was the only one out of 5 cases that was opened and they did leave a note - also I knew that they had been in there before I saw the note as at the last minute before we left home I literally threw in a pair of cropped linen trousers with the intention of ironing them when we got there, the said trousers were all folded up neatly when I re-opened my case not all crumpled like I had left them - so I guess I got a tidy inspector! SO it's not all that bad!

If you have nothing to hide what's the problem? You never know one day a suitcase search could save your flight?? JMO.

 

[Boo Boo Too]

If you have nothing to hide what's the problem? You never know one day a suitcase search could save your flight?? JMO.

The problem is - although probably very rare - if someone steals things from your case... even if you don't have anything of obvious value in your case. IF the thieves chose to steal something like a man's suit, an evening dress, hair straighteners, my nice underwear... It would still be frustrating and you would still probably like to claim off of your travel insurance. This is quite rare (since most thieves want to steal something small of high value).

Also people rummaging through your belongings - for non-official reasons - are not likely to be neat enough to refold things after themsleves.

On a recent trip. British Airways "lost" our suitcase. We were flying direct from Heathrow to Denver. We checked in over 3 hours before the flight. We were flying business class (so supposedly "priority luggage"). Our two other pieces (skis and ski stuff) made it to Denver on the flight, our third piece (with all of our clothes in) didn't. No reason why, it just never got loaded onto our flight. In fact it took over 7 days to reach us (spent 5 of those just sitting on a rack at Heathrow!). It finally got delivered to us, by courier, at 00:15am (we had been asleep for 3 hours - the courier only warned us 5 minutes before he got there). That case had been one with a TSA lock on it. When we got it, the TSA lock was missing, the suitcase handle was broken, the case wasn't even fully zipped up AND the contents had DEFINITELY been rummaged through by someone. There was no note in it to say by who (it could have been TSA, it could have been customs, it could have been any airport employee, it could have been a courier...). If someone official (i.e. TSA/Customs/BA) had opened it, you would think that a note AND securing the suitcase by some means (instead of leaving the zip partly open) would have been appropriate?

Personally I find that very disturbing - all sorts of people could have had access to my luggage during it's journey. They could have taken something or planted something in it (drugs/explosives/whatever). AND there is NOTHING that you can do to stop/control it. Absolutely nothing.

Yes, I am happy for the TSA (or customs) to search the bags, BUT I believe that they should have a responsibility to leave a note and secure the bag suitably after they have searched it. They don't. I think that the manual searches are probably creating more "opportunities" than stopping them...

That was one of two suitcases that had their TSA locks missing. The second was coming home. I TSA locked it before checking it in at a Colorado regional airport. We flew AA from there to Chicago, then connected to a BA flight back to Heathrow. When the bag came out at Heathrow, the TSA lock was gone (no note, no zip tie, nothing).

Boo

 

[Lizzy Lemon]

I wholeheartedly agree that I do not mind my suitcases being searched if it keeps us all safe but surely this is so time consuming. Don't they have sniffer dogs for drugs and x-ray machines for guns, knives etc. I don't understand why the manual search so many of you are subjected to.

 

[mushumadness]

I tsa lock my hand luggage as I use a back pack, I have seen some tv shows where people get stuff pinched while the back packs on their back, which is why I use the tsa lock

Got to admit I am wary of locking my cases, and not locking them

 

[Huggles]

If Customs access your case by unlocking it, then they will relock it before releasing it to the airline /handler. They also tend to be quite neat even if you aren't there...or at least in my experience.

Benefit of the zip ties is that if you put on a blue tie and when your case arrives at your destination and it has a red one or none at all, then you know someone has been in it. If a Customs officer than stops you to query the contents, you can point out that whilst you packed the bag originally, it would appear that someone has been in it since it left your possession...do it early on in the converstion in case when they open it something illegal is within. HOWEVER it is possible to open a zip tie without damaging it and it can then be re-used, but just thought its security application is worth knowing about

 

[Amyrlin]

We have used TSA locks and had no problems, some locked and not opened, others opened and relocked and a note left. For the sake of £3 it is worth ensuring that the contents are all covered by insurance, no insurance policy will pay out for lost goods if it was not locked when it left you.


Also, it does appear that they are are more likey to open cases not locked with TSA locks, whenever we have use,d or been with people that did not use TSA locks, their locks were cut off.

 

[homerdog]

Don't they have sniffer dogs for drugs and x-ray machines for guns, knives etc. I don't understand why the manual search so many of you are subjected to.

Nothing like making sure yourself