Who Has Items Stolen from Luggage

[sloopsailor]

Many years ago a co-worker and I traveled to Europe on a three week business trip. This was before baggage fees, and we both checked our large suitcases at the counter. His was locked, mine was not. Upon arrival in Europe his bag was not on the carousel, while mine was. His never showed up. Upon getting back to the states, he had a message on his answering machine. The airport police at the departing airport had found his suitcase dumped behind a maintance building, severly damaged and empty. They tracked his bag from the address label that is found on most suitcases.

 

My guess is that the lock implied there were valuable items in the case so the thief chose it. I, however, have never locked my luggage and have never lost anything.

[STARFISH*4]

never had anything stolen and our bags our sometimes locked (cable ties) sometimes not...going to start locking with the cable ties tho--

only two times i was stressing out my luggage first time was giving my carry-ons (BIG mistake-never again) and i didnt have time to get some of my jewelry out at POM to the porters....but EVERYTHING was just fine, but from now on my CARRY-ONs go with ME!! next time was the last time we flew home from a cruise, my jewelry was in my carry-on--no time to switch or even try--it was "gate checked" even tho it was under the dimensions, but we were the last ones on and no room (we were suppose to bump--didnt work out that way) and they took my carry-on and checked it all the way thru to our final destination, it did arrive a bit late but EVERYTHING just FINE--i pretty much STRESSED the whole trip...anything of VALUE is always going to be with ME now in my "personal carry-on"!!

[GlendaleCruiser]

Never had a problem. I use zip ties because of having them in the hallways before and after cruise to avoid mischief.

[toberman]

So it looks like other than some shells, the only folks who have had items missing from checked luggage are those who locked them. Is that correct?

 

Last November, one of our CC roll call members had all his camera equipment stolen out of his unlocked suitcase. He didn't know about TSA locks, but he does now!

[Happy ks]

Ditto - however, I never pack anything of value in checked luggage either.

 

Our clothing and shoes have definite value, at least what we paid for them, they are valuable to us. More value than my camera and Ipod.

 

If someone stole our luggage, I would venture to say the clothing and shoes would cost around $750-1000 to replace. My camera and Ipod would cost around $400 to replace. But thieves don't want your clothing and shoes, only the cheaper electronic stuff that most of us put in our carry ons. My suitcase wasn't cheap, either.

 

My makeup probably cost as much as my camera and Ipod, so the person who stated their makeup bag was stolen had a big loss.

 

I cannot understand why a thief would take the time to rifle through a suitcase.

[STARFISH*4]

.

 

I cannot understand why a thief would take the time to rifle through a suitcase.

 

they have resorted to stealing the whole bag...not to long ago read an article about a couple i believe when they were "raided" they had like 100 pieces of luggage that had been stolen right out of the airports:eek:

[EmTeeNesters]

Had a guy palm my DH's cell phone when he picked up his own at the xray machine at NYC port. He thought he was slick, but luckily I saw him do it.

Then, we had to keep seeing him for 7 days on the cruise. :mad:

[ger_77]

Had a guy palm my DH's cell phone when he picked up his own at the xray machine at NYC port. He thought he was slick, but luckily I saw him do it.

Then, we had to keep seeing him for 7 days on the cruise.

 

Wow, that must have been awkward!

 

We've never had anything stolen - we always use zip ties and have flown to international destinations for cruises several times. We've only had our luggage searched once and had "the note" left for us by the TSA folks. Thankfully I pack in zip-lock bags so they don't have to go pawing through our things.

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[jotabecu]

Never anything stolen.

Never lock bags

[Gonzo70]

Flown about 300 times in my life, have never locked my luggage and have never had anything taken.

 

A lock does not make a suitcase any more difficult to open than an unlocked suitcase. Zippers can be pried apart in 1-2 seconds with a pen! They also can be zipped right back up after being pried open, so locks will also not stop someone from slipping something into your luggage.

 

Locking a suitcase is like locking an envelope you send in the mail. No added security and a red flag to a thief that there is something of value inside. Furthermore by locking your suitcase you risk somebody slicing open your luggage with a knife or walking off with the entire bag whereas if someone is going to take something from your unlocked bag, at least your bag won't be damaged. Finally locking your suitcase takes time and money (buying the locks).

 

Never ever put anything of significant value (monetary or sentimental) in checked luggage. Locked or unlocked it is not secure and there is risk of it being stolen, damaged or lost.

[apkpcruisers]

One Christmas I had the entire bag filled with gifts come up missing, luckly most of the items were very inexpensive and were easily replaced. Even got a new suitcase out of it.:D

[wannacruisemore]

Never had anything stolen - never lock my luggage.

Ditto...never lock luggage! And nothing ever taken.....Security didn't open luggage until I went to the BAD room. I had taken a power surge!!

[pris993]

Never happened on any travel. We lock our luggage and don't leave it out of our sight, except when we give it to the foreman on the dock who we tip well. We also tip the folks who pick up our luggage on the last night.

 

In hotels we have our luggage go with us to the room, never leave it will the bellman to deliver later.

 

We have had luggage delayed and even once some took a suitecase by mistake. It was returned the next day with everything there.

 

We have only had the TSA open one case when we had something with a battery in it by mistake.

 

After 40 years of traveling all over the world I guess we have gained some experience or are very lucky.

[Marie51]

I have never had anything stolen from my own luggage, but my hairdresser did. He put his luggage out in the hallway to be picked up on the last night (like we all do) and when he got home there were some clothing items missing. He did not have it locked, and he wears nice clothes.

[Donray]

On well over 2000 flights never had anything stolen. Mostly never locked the luggage. I am with the group that figures a person might think something with stealing in locked luggage.

Any luggage with a zipper is not worth locking since opening the zipper is easy and fast even when locked.

[grandmato4]

Never locked and never had anything stolen.

[Glaciers]

Our clothing and shoes have definite value, at least what we paid for them, they are valuable to us. More value than my camera and Ipod.

 

If someone stole our luggage, I would venture to say the clothing and shoes would cost around $750-1000 to replace. My camera and Ipod would cost around $400 to replace. But thieves don't want your clothing and shoes, only the cheaper electronic stuff that most of us put in our carry ons. My suitcase wasn't cheap, either.

 

My makeup probably cost as much as my camera and Ipod, so the person who stated their makeup bag was stolen had a big loss.

 

I cannot understand why a thief would take the time to rifle through a suitcase.

 

"Value" is a relative term. To me it means items that are not covered by an airlines limits of liability, medications, camera equipment, etc. And to understand why a thief would rifle through someones luggage you need look no further than the post that indicates that people still put camera equipment in checked luggage.

[Happy ks]

"Value" is a relative term. To me it means items that are not covered by an airlines limits of liability, medications, camera equipment, etc. And to understand why a thief would rifle through someones luggage you need look no further than the post that indicates that people still put camera equipment in checked luggage.

 

Which is exactly my point. My clothing has definite value to me, other people think of their clothing after a cruise as merely dirty laundry. To most thieves, my clothing has no value, the clothing may not fit any of them or their family members and definitely may not be their style, so I don't understand stealing clothes from a case at all.

 

I wonder how many times people have to be told not to put things like money, jewelry, medication, computers, cameras, etc....into checked luggage. There was a thread recently regarding a couple who had nothing with them for the whole cruise, since their luggage was misrouted. They had no clothing, toiletries, camera, etc... on their trip.

[room010]

Nothing stolen but there's nothing worth stealing from my checkin bags anyway. I keep all valuables, passports, etc close by at all times in my hand baggage. Standard proceedure.

[blyle]

The only time I locked my luggage they cut off my lock instead of using the TSA key and broke one of the metal rings the lock hung on. So now I can't ever lock that luggage due to their damaging the metal ring. I don't lock anymore because they were just too lazy to use the key and just cut it off.

[Ttowntreasures]

I hope I just didn't jinx myself. This is our 8th cruise and we have never had anything taken. However, my sister-in-law's sister (due to her own doing) lost jewelry, cameras, etc. when she gave her carry-on bag to the porters at the dock.

We always carry our valuables, meds, etc. with us. If someone wants my clothes, welcome to them, just means more shopping for me. :)

[PrincessE]

I thought anymore we couldn't lock our luggage. The TSA said not to lock your bags. I've never had anything stolen out of my luggage because I don't check any. Either does my husband.

 

We put everything in a carry-on. Even for two week cruises. We just pack the essentials.

[PrincessE]

Which is exactly my point. My clothing has definite value to me, other people think of their clothing after a cruise as merely dirty laundry. To most thieves, my clothing has no value, the clothing may not fit any of them or their family members and definitely may not be their style, so I don't understand stealing clothes from a case at all.

 

I wonder how many times people have to be told not to put things like money, jewelry, medication, computers, cameras, etc....into checked luggage. There was a thread recently regarding a couple who had nothing with them for the whole cruise, since their luggage was misrouted. They had no clothing, toiletries, camera, etc... on their trip.

 

If your luggage is misrouted, the airline gives you an allowance. And I know the cruise line will typically give you some clothes and sell you clothes at a reduced rate. I've cruised with people who had their luggage go missing and the cruise line (Princess) was very kind to them.

[kathcoll]

We've always locked our luggage and have never had anything missing. I would like to read about anyone who has truly had items missing from their locked cases. .

 

Returning from Cancun we had our luggage locked with TSA locks, which were cut off at some point - apparently by Mexican authorities - there was a note attached that our bags were searched. Our luggage was received minus 2 cameras, battery chargers (phones, Kindle reader, laptop safe in carryon), and some small inexpensive souvenirs.

 

We carried valuables except cameras.

 

Mexican officals blamed American luggage handlers, airline blamed Mexican officials, and we lost our cameras.

 

With regrets to those who hate to wait while I stash my legitimate sized carryon, I'm now a carryon only travelor. Between this experience and two occasions with 2 and 4 day waits for luggage to be found, and one totally missing luggage experience I've given up on checked luggage.

[fletch5727]

Never had anything stolen from our bags, sometimes we lock, sometimes we don't.

 

We did however have a golf club mixup in Cabo one year. When we went to golf the second day of our vacation, we discovered that one of the golf cases we had picked up at the airport wasn't ours. The concierge desk spent the whole day calling different hotels trying to find where the other people were staying, and eventually found them. Our travel bags were identical, and they didn't even realize until we tracked them down that there had been a switch. From then on, I've always checked the name tag before leaving the carousel, no matter what I've done to make my bag easier to recognize.