Lost suitcase

[lolane1]

On 12/25/2019 at 7:09 PM, Hlitner said:

 

 

 I also like to secure our luggage with simply zip ties (which are very inexpensive and sold at big box stores, auto parts stores, etc).  The zip locks are an easy way that I can tell if anyone has tampered with our luggage.  Unlike luggage locks (which can often be opened and then closed) the zip tie cannot readily be replaced (there are many different sizes and colors).  

 

 

  A zip lock is no assurance that your luggage has not been tampered with.  I once forgot my luggage key at home, so while traveling I googled how to break into your luggage.  It was so simple. A poke with the pen breaks a self healing zipper and you can open your bag in seconds.  Then you can reseal it.  Oh well.  That explained how a lot of electronic cords and charger were stolen from my locked luggage years ago.  I now carry them.

 

Here's a video

 

Edited December 27, 2019 by lolane1

[Hlitner]

Try to rezip your luggage like that (first bust open the zipper with a pen).  It does work on some zippers but does not work on many other zippers.  But one can assume there is always a way for most pros, but fortunately most pros do not even waste their time.  They simply look for the easy target or just steal the most valuable luggage.

 

Hank

[lolane1]

It works perfectly on all of my suitcases and I can easily rezip them without a trace of it ever being opened -multiple times, I might add. And I have Travel Pro plus another two brands. I'd venture to say that quite a bit of  luggage still contain those self healing zippers. Zip ties won't make a bit of difference. 

 

However, hope is on the horizon.  New zippers are being manufactured with two rows of teeth to easily prevent this from happening.  And there is one called Pacsafe Toughzip which is puncture resistant.  

 

You might want to try your luggage and/or buy some new luggage with puncture resistant zippers. It's on my list for future purchases. 

 

https://www.safesuitcases.com/Puncture-Resistant-Luggage-Zippers.asp

[geoherb]

I would never pack my prescription meds or car key in checked luggage. I carry them in my backpack. The worst case we had was missing luggage on flights. Once was when our initial flight was delayed and we were switched over to a later flight with a connection in Orlando. We made the connection, but our luggage did not. Fortunately we were staying overnight in Fort Lauderdale and the airline delivered our bags to our hotel during the night. They were waiting for us in the morning. We met a family on that cruise whose luggage did not catch up with them until the ship docked in St. Thomas on the third day of the cruise.

[abbydancer2003]

On my post of my husbands mistagged luggage?  The story doesn't end there.  When we arrived back in San Francisco late at night (after spending a few hours in New York with my sister), we pick up the bags and are about 20 minutes after leaving the airport when we get a call from United baggage services saying that they have my husband's bag and we have someone else's.  

 

Yup, we turn around and go back.  Identical bags.  

And FYI, the bag was not black and an Eagle Creek bag, so not that common.  

 

[Nebr.cruiser]

My husband doesn't normally pack his meds in checked luggage either.  This time he put them in his big bag, intending on changing them to his carry-on once we picked up the bags in the terminal.  Turned out to be a mistake, for sure.  Luckily not a big loss as his meds are very inexpensive with our supplemental insurance, but still of course has some cost.

 

As to the car keys, I had actually forgotten they were attached to a small purse I brought along but wasn't using for the flight home.  Those can be expensive to replace.  I usually don't even bring them on a cruise, but forgot about them.

[sandyoftheseas]

This is a little of the subject but my mother was going through security at our local airport and her purse went through the xray machine and she was held up at the scanner.  A woman took her purse and  tucked it up under her arm (I assume to try to hide it) and began to walk away.  Luckily I was there to tell the lady "you took my mom's purse"   which she gave to me and then walked away without saying a thing. SO NOW I always put my purse on the xray belt last and make sure there is no more that one person ahead of me waiting to go through the scanner.