I recently saw several videos concerning theft of baggage at our busiest airports, and it reminded me that I haven't covered the subject in recent years. I consider myself a true expert on luggage, since I worked nearly thirty years for American Airlines with most of that time spent in baggage services.
Yes, I was that guy you came to when your luggage was not on
the carousel with the rest of the incoming baggage, or if it was damaged. And, in rare instances, there were items of
value missing from your luggage, which you probably didn't discover until after
you got to your hotel or your home.
Then you also came to see me, or my counterpart.
When pilferage or damaged contents is the problem, more
often than not, you don't discover it until you arrive at your hotel or your
home. Then you phone the toll-free
number for the airline and are given another phone number to call to report the
missing item or items.
I guarantee that you will not be satisfied with the handling
of the claim or the settlement, if there is one. The reason I'm so confident is that there are lots of items that
should not be packed in checked baggage, such as cash, jewelry, prescription
drugs, and fragile items of any nature.
Whenever those are involved, your chance of getting satisfaction is next
to nil. You might get a partial
settlement, but it won't be to your liking.
In my experience, most theft of contents occurred because
the owner didn't take proper precautions to lock the luggage. If they did lock it with one of those
combination locks with the 3 adjustable number wheels, they never reset the
combination from the factory setting of 0-0-0.
That is just plain ignorant, because it is so easy to reset it to your
own combination, and anything that delays the would-be thief will probably
deter the crime.
Here is my recommendation for setting up your combination on
that wheel lock. First, choose a number
that is higher than 500 on a 3-wheeel, or 5000 on a 4-wheel lock. It makes it harder to find the combination
when the perpetrator starts at 0-0-0 and goes up through the numbers - the
common way to 'break' the lock. I know
from experience, because I sometimes had to do this with unclaimed luggage to
search for interior identification.
Here is how to reset the factory setting of 0-0-0: First, open the lock and turn the hasp 180
degrees so that it is opposite the lock mechanism, then press it down. That frees the wheels to be reset and now
you can set a new number on each wheel.
Once you have the new combination set, pull the hasp back up, turn it
back 180 degrees and push it down to engage the lock. Spin the wheels to lock it and then turn them to your new
combination to assure yourself that it opens again - trust me, it will.
My next recommendation is that you put a copy of your
itinerary with your home address inside the baggage. Place it in an inner pocket, if possible, so that it is easily
seen by the baggage service person when the suitcase is searched for identifying
contents. If it ever does get misrouted, lost or stolen, you have a much better
chance of recovery with that interior identification. The itinerary might even get the bag to you while you are on the
trip, and it is easy to print or hand write it to place inside.
My final tip is that you use a suitcase that doesn't stand
out. I know that Louis Vuitton, Zero Halliburton or Tumi are wonderful status symbols, but they are also the
primary targets for theft just because they are likely to contain expensive
goods as well. Good old Samsonite, or a comparable brand is preferable, unless
you want to be a victim of luggage theft.
However, don't buy a flimsy and inexpensive case either, because it
probably won't withstand the sometimes rough handling that checked bags can
get.
Use these three tips and you will probably never be one of
those unlucky people who lose valuable or sentimental possessions on a
trip. There is no guarantee that your
luggage won't be misrouted, but tip number two, the interior itinerary and
identification will get it back to you in the least amount of time. Of course, the best way to insure that
personal and valuable items won't disappear is to put them in carry-on luggage
and keep them with you at all times.
Bon voyage!
