Suitcases

[maureen4200040]

Hi all,

This is directed at anyone whose been to Orlando in the last few months. What is the procedure regarding suitcases. Do we lock our suitcases with one of those little suitcases locks, or do we have to use the cable ties etc.

All advice accepted & welcomed.


Maureen4200040

 

[mrshnn]

i would like to know the same,do we lock or keep unlocked i have a combination number locks on hard cases

 

[Martin29]

Hi maureen

From the beginning of 2003 the Transport Security Administration have carried out 100% screening on all luggage. Their advice is to leave bags unlocked to help prevent the need to break padlocks should they decide to open a piece of your luggage.

This is only a suggestion and you can, if you wish, lock your cases if you choose. However, if the TSA decide to open your bags they will break the padlock and will not be responsible for any damage which may occur. The screeners will close your bag with a tamper evident seal and also place a notice inside your bag alerting you that it has been inspected.

This happened to me on the way home last June when one of my bags got searched (it was a huge black holdall that even looked suspicious!).

It's entirely up to you, personally I'll be locking my cases when I travel to and from Orlando this November. I'd rather loose a padlock than have some baggage handler stealing from my cases(which I believe has increased since these rules came into force).

 

[AndRu]

Ditto - we had two of our padlocks ripped off and cases serached. Note to self - don't leave money belt inside suitcase stuffed with receipts of everything we'd bought on holiday. It makes it look like your trying to take a huge wad of cash out of the country!

 

[autumnfae]

It is advised to not lock your suitcases. We use cableties on ours. My aunt had her suitcase locked when she flew from Arizona to Ohio, and they broke the lock to get into it. They left a note in her suitcase with her lock taped to it.

I don't trust airlines, and I wish I could lock my suitcase.

 

[jdyer]

If you left a padlock on the top of your suitcase contents, do you think they would relock the case with the different padlock, if they'd broken the original?

 

[Grumpy John]

We fly out Friday for 3 weeks and will be cable tieing all the cases/holdalls going out and coming back. Had one case searched in February coming home from Orlando, note put inside and a blue TSA cable tie replaced the one they had to cut.

 

[Martin29]

Using cable ties is a good idea, they're cheap to buy and offer a form of security. The trouble is they're just not secure enough (in my opinion), anyone with a sharp knife can cut them and then your contents are wide open to theft.

It's a chance you take, either lock your cases and risk loosing a padlock (and possible damage to the bag when they use bolt cutters) should the authorities select one of your bags to open or use cable ties and hope everything goes okay.

I prefer to lock my cases, especially on the way back after I've spent a small fortune at the factory stores.

 

[JohnW]

I posted the same question on the Dibb last week and got this interesting response:

From the TSA website -
Air Travel

Accepted and Recognized Locks

The list below identifies locks that are “accepted and recognized” by TSA, which means that TSA screeners can open and re-lock these bags for security screening instead of cutting the lock. TSA screeners have tools for all TSA accepted and recognized locks that enable them to open the lock without damaging it if a physical inspection is required.

Some of the locks listed below are specific brands. Other names on the lists are manufacturers that produce a wide variety of locks, only some of which are accepted and recognized by TSA. We recommend that you check the packaging to ensure that it has language similar to "accepted and recognized" by TSA if you plan on using the lock for air travel. Most locks on the market are not TSA-recognized. This list will be updated periodically to provide the latest list of brands that are TSA accepted and recognized.

Brand Name:

Aegis Brands Travel Sentry locks
American Tourister Accessories
Atlantic Luggage
Austin House Travel Essentials
Briggs & Riley Luggage
Brinks Travel Sentry locks
Brookstone Easy Check
Delsey Luggage
Eagle Creek Travel Safe
EasyGo
eBags Travel Sentry locks
Franzus Travel Smart
Kenneth Cole Luggage
Lewis N Clark Travel Sentry locks
Magellan's Travel Sentry locks
Master Lock Travel Sentry locks
Pacsafe by Outpac Travel Sentry locks
Prestolock SearchAlert
Restoration Hardware Travel Sentry locks
Royal Traveller by Samsonite Accessories
Samsonite Accessories
Samsonite Luggage
Sharper Image Travel Sentry locks
Sunco Luggage
Target Embark Travel Sentry locks
Tumi Luggage
Voltage Valet Travel Sentry locks

TSA also has the ability to open luggage from some other luggage and/or lock manufacturers not listed above, although time pressures may require screeners to cut these locks rather than open them because there are many manufacturers, each using multiple master keys. It is very important to TSA that your baggage makes it onto your plane, and we will do everything possible to balance that need with security and customer service considerations. Screeners will always strive to open a bag, if required, without breaking the lock.

TSA website