View Full Version : Should i lock checked luggage
dizneywend
15-09-2010, 21:37
Hi,
we are off soon to Florida and were always advised to not lock our suitcases when travelling to the US. When we travel in europe we always lock our checked luggage and feel i would would like to when flying to the US now due to the stories i keep hearing about items going missing whilst not in owners care and the opportunity is there and easy if not locked. We are flying British airways and have tried looking on their site but not found any answers.
Any advice would be great.
Thanks very much, Wendy
Mo Green
15-09-2010, 22:03
Wendy we used to buy the special locks as advised by British and American Airlines but found our cases were regular unlocked by security and the locks were never replaced. We now use platic cable ties which can be cut by security if they want to look in the case. We bought a pack of multi coloured ones which also help to identify your case the other end. We have never had our cases opened since using cable ties.
It is still not advisable to put anything of value inside the cases.
Maureen
dizneywend
15-09-2010, 22:12
Thanks very much Maureen, think i will do that.
Its not just the cases but my husband and son are taking their golf clubss and would like a little piece of mind then i suppose i will know for sure if they have been opened.
Thanks again
Wendy
Not to scare anyone but last year flew virgin.Orlando back to manchester,got home found both nintendo ds's missing with games and chargers.So from now on anything like this will be in hand luggage the robbing ***s...
ujpest doza
15-09-2010, 22:26
We always lock ours and up to now have never had them opened.
dizneywend
15-09-2010, 22:26
I know, i dont really trust anyone when its out of my site. Its quite sad really but you just hear of too many incidents.
When we were there xmas 08 a family of 6 arrived ok but after 3 days of being there, their villa was broken into so also careful not to take valuable items for that reason.
dizneywend
15-09-2010, 22:27
oh, i just thought that if it was locked it would be more of a target of being opened so thanks for that. Definatly going for the cable ties!
Laurel Oak
15-09-2010, 22:39
We have cases with TSA approved locks so security can get into the case without causing damage. You can also but TSA approved padlocks which work in the same way.
Cases are often opened as they leave a note but never had any problems.
christhear
15-09-2010, 22:39
We have been using cable ties for about 3 years now - cases have to our knowledge never been opened, or if they have the cable ties have been replaced.
3 of our cases were opened when we came home from FL last year, the padlocks had been cut off and there were a number of items in the cases that had been broken and also a load of Hershey bars and packets of Hershey kisses had been taken. Was not impressed. They didn't seem to have any respect for the belongings in the cases. A note was left in each to say it had been searched and that they weren't to blame for any damage done. Well, I was certainly not to blame so who was ??? There was no mention, funnily enough about blame for items stolen !!!
Will use cable ties in the future.
We normally use cable ties (you can buy very colourful ones in Home Depot in the US - pink, yellow, orange, turquoise) and we have still had our suitcases opened, and the ties have never been replaced, so I do not think that this is a guarantee that your suitcases will be left alone - they have the right to open your suitcase so you just have to accept that.
We use a TSA lock AND cable ties now, but expect at some stage to have the suitcases opened on the way. Incidentally, we flew via Charlotte 2 weeks ago and returned 2 days ago and on neither flight were the suitcases opened.
The best advice is not to pack anything valuable in your suitcase and I think this is true wherever you fly to - be it the USA or Europe or the Far East. It makes sense to carry precious items in hand luggage and then you can be sure that they won't disappear. Doubtless there are many cases of theft at our British airports, too - and if your suitcase has been opened in the USA, on the way back there would be ample opportunity for the thefts to take place on arrival in the UK if your suitcase is unlocked.
You can get TSA locks (the type USA security can open and relock) with indicators on that tell you if they have been opened by TSA. This is useful, as apparently, claims for missing items are invalid if you have exited the airport. They are called TSA indicator locks, if I remember correctly. The ones I use are called Presto Locks.
lafifille
16-09-2010, 01:45
Trip before last we bought and used TSA approved locks, because DH insisted we should lock our cases. Guess what, they still broke them and left a note saying they had to break the locks to search our cases. How dumb is that...??? [msneek] I've kept everything as I meant to see if there was a way to complain, but never got around to it. We're back to not locking our cases, I never put anything of value in them anyway.
mollymolly
16-09-2010, 11:29
Like Maureen we use cable ties.
We also leave a spare cable tie inside the case.
On a couple of occasions our cases have been opened, a note left and the cable tie replaced.
We've never had anything taken from our cases.
When the TSA first started opening cases (after 911) they broke the lock on one of our cases rendering it useless. I claimed a replacement from the TSA and was successful. They sent me a cheque to replace the case. It was strange having a cheque from the US Government! Not long after they started putting a disclaimer on the note they left.
Bernadette
freddiehollie
16-09-2010, 22:05
How secure are cases when locks are used?
Not at all, you can open a case with not much more than a pen.
Better to "never" leave anything valuable in the case in the first place.
We always use cable ties and have had cases opened on a number of occasions, nother ever taken and nothing ever broken. Recently bought a case with an integral TSA lock not used it yet but having read the postings here not sure if I should use it, would not want the suitcase damaged.
steph_goodrum
16-09-2010, 22:33
We've been using the cable ties for years now, not just to prevent theft but to stop anything being slipped in without immediately being obvious. When they have been opened they have been replaced with blue cable ties and notes left.
Bought some of the TSA locks from Amazon last week, bout £11 for 2, with a 3 digit combination which you can change, has a lock which can be opened by the authorities but a colour indicator tells you if it has been opened, good advice not to put any valuables in a hold case
We always use cable ties and the last couple of times they have been opened, once the tie was replaced, this time it wasen't, there was a note inside to say they had opened it.
Madabouttigger
17-09-2010, 17:31
Always use TSA locks, never had the cases opened....yet.
lafifille
17-09-2010, 20:26
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Lyn
We always use cable ties and have had cases opened on a number of occasions, nother ever taken and nothing ever broken. Recently bought a case with an integral TSA lock not used it yet but having read the postings here not sure if I should use it, would not want the suitcase damaged.
[/quote]
One of my husband's co-workers just came back from NY. She had a suitcase like yours and locked it (against my advice I must say). They broke it to open the suitcase, which made her pretty angry, but hey, I told her so...[msnwink]. It seems that in this matter you're lucky or you're not...
Cable ties sound good though to prevent someone to put something in your case, as previously said. I must say I've never been worried about that when travelling to the US.
Lesley S
17-09-2010, 20:41
I think the last couple of times we have been over, our bags have been opened. We don't put anything on, they just leave a note to say that they have been in the bags.