How to avoid luggage theft?

Luggage theft is a nightmare for many travelers. It’s especially frustrating if you’re flying back from a successful shopping trip.

Who steals from suitcases at the airport and when?

If something was stolen from your suitcase, it’s not the airline’s fault. Only baggage handlers come into contact with your belongings. If you’ve read our article on how luggage sorting and loading onto a plane works, you already know that after check-in, your suitcase goes for sorting.

As you can see, it’s quite problematic, even virtually impossible, to take something out of a suitcase at this stage. Furthermore, this area in most airports worldwide is equipped with CCTV cameras.

So where does the theft happen?

Most often, suitcases are opened during transportation and loading onto the plane. There are no cameras in the aircraft’s cargo hold — this is an ideal place for thieves. Dishonest baggage handlers are primarily interested in money, laptops, and cameras — items that can be easily and quickly sold. How to find a laptop in a pile of luggage? The easiest and quickest way is to check soft sports bags and backpacks. You don’t even need to open them; a simple feel can determine if there’s a laptop inside. Suitcases are harder — they have to be opened. But it’s not difficult to do; for example, almost any suitcase can be opened with a regular pen. Getting rid of a lock is just as easy; ordinary wire cutters come to the aid of thieves here.

How to avoid luggage theft?

1. Avoid super expensive suitcases. A suitcase from a well-known brand, adorned with corresponding logos, is like a red flag for thieves.

2. Buy a luggage lock. Don’t expect a lock to protect you 100% from theft, but thieves are more likely to choose an unprotected suitcase than one with a lock. It’s not enough to just buy a lock; you also need to know how to use it. If you watched the video above, you’ll see that after the lock was easily opened, it was re-fastened to hide external signs of entry. But this is only possible if the lock is not fixed and the zipper sliders move easily. If the lock is secured so that the sliders are immobile, then such a trick won’t work — the only option is to cut the lock, but that again takes time, which thieves don’t always have. But here we encounter the question: how to secure the zipper sliders? There can be several options. Firstly, buy a suitcase with a built-in lock that secures the sliders:

Secondly, you can buy a special lock consisting of two cables: one to secure the sliders together, and the second to attach the lock to the suitcase handle so that it is immobile:

You can secure it not only to the handle; it all depends on the design of the specific suitcase or bag. 3. Buy a suitcase with a protected zipper. Delsey has made excellent progress in this area; their zippers cannot be opened with a pen. 3. Wrap your suitcase in film. The reason is the same as with a lock — thieves have little time, so it’s easier to choose an easier target. Read more about how and why to wrap your suitcase in film. 4. Never carry valuables in checked luggage. Laptops, cameras, money — always carry them in your hand luggage.

What to do if something was stolen from your luggage?

Unfortunately, most often the loss is only noticed upon arrival home or at the hotel when you unpack your suitcase. But regardless, it’s still best to contact the police and report the theft. Yes, it’s more effective to contact the airport police, not the airline. Since thefts most often occur at the departure airport, upon your return, if possible, also contact their police department. It’s not easy to identify thieves, so don’t have high hopes that your belongings will be found and the culprits punished. But informing airport staff that they have thieves operating there won’t be superfluous. Furthermore, the situation is complicated by the fact that you have no proof that the stolen items were actually transported in that suitcase. This is with the exception of when you checked luggage with declared value. In this case, all valuable items and their cost are described, and in the event of theft, the damage is compensated. However, this service is paid.