Theft at Airport - Page 2 - Flight Only / Airline and Airports, Holiday Forums

Theft at Airport

2006-06-28 13:36:59

The real temptation and giveaway to any dishonest baggage handlers is not whether your luggage has been shrinkwrapped but what they've seen when your hold baggage is X-rayed.

I think the shrink wrapping of luggage is a waste of money to be honest. It doesn't give you any extra security merely demonstrates to you immediately on sight that the luggage has been tampered with!

And that is the whole point of it! It enables you to tell whether your luggage has been tampered with and to take action immediately before you leave the airport rather than discovering this only once you've got home. Havana airport was always notorious for thefts from baggage and now Cubana won't check-in baggage that hasn't been shrinkwrapped first - they provide the service free precisely because at every stage of the check-in and baggage handling process it enables all staff and security in particular to tell whether a case has been tampered with. It's cut down their pilferage problems and complaints as a result.

I do think though that it can be a potential deterrent in other circumstances too. Why go to the bother of cutting through shrinkwrap, which can in my experience actually be a bit of fiddle to remove, when there will be plenty of cases that will be easier to get into and which won't draw attention to you when you end up surrounded by or trying to dispose of all that clingfilm?

SM

Dougie

2006-07-04 15:50:15

Magster wrote:
I think the shrink wrapping of luggage is a waste of money to be honest. It doesn't give you any extra security merely demonstrates to you immediately on sight that the luggage has been tampered with!

I thought that too, but as a friend mentioned the other week it does have another use in certain parts of the world. This friend was meeting up with another friend in Thailand, the other guy was coming from Australia and as you may be aware there have been a lot of drug trafficking convictions of Australians recently.

It seems that a lot of Aussies are now using the shrink wrap and if the bag even looks like it has been tampered with they just walk away, don't even bother taking it off the carousel. They are aware it could have been a customs check, but like this guy says, why take the risk. For the sake of a couple of hundred in clothes.

Chelsea Blues

2006-07-05 07:06:57

Stolen Goods

I have been reading all these posts about items being stolen from suitcases, some of which have supposedly happened at Monastir airport. I am amazed at some of the items that have been packed into checked-in suitcases. I would never dream of packing anything of high value into my suitcase. I have been travelling to Tunisia for more years than I would wish to admit to and have had no problems whatsoever. Common sense should tell you that if you put a digital camera worth £200 or portable dvd player or Rolex watch (whether real or not) into a suitcase that is going to be scanned (in colour and 3-d) by someone who probably earns 50 dinars (£20) a week you are going to have a big shock when you open your suitcase at home. I know that it's stealing and I don't condone it but just remember to leave your brain in engaged mode when on holiday.

johndoe

2006-07-05 07:33:31

hi ..chelsea blues,...it must be fantasic to be wonderfull like you and never make a mistake.................john-doe

Pippa

2006-07-05 07:46:50

There is currently a thread running on the Complaints forum about valuable items being apparently stolen from luggage.

I agree with Chelsea Blues about not putting anything valuable in the hold luggage. In fact I think most travel insurance policies insist that valuable items remain with you.

The size of hand luggage that you are allowed now should mean that video camera, digital cameras and the like should easily fit in especially as nowadays this equipment is so much smaller anyway.

Pippa

johndoe

2006-07-05 08:42:39

hi pippa...as i have stated in a earlier post my wife bless her made a mistake which will not be repeated,.but having hindsight which it appears both you and chelsea have must be really great ,.have the pair of you never made mistakes which you both regret...................john-doe........."these are my last comments on this subject"

neknit

2006-07-05 10:13:59

Food for thought. I never really thought about it before. We always put our camera in the suitcase but keep the DVD player in hand luggage.
No more thanks for the warning. Never take any valuable jewllery away just costume. What's the point you can replace any of the expensive stuff but not the sentimental reasons that you have it.
Margaret

sugarbabe61

2006-07-06 18:41:35

I think the fact that somebody would actually open up your sealed/locked luggage and steal your personal belongings is absolutely dispicable. I also think the airlines/aiports or whoever is responsible for employing these thieves, should be doing more and these thieves should be severly punished for the crimes they commit!!!

Right off my soapbox.

By the way how much does it cost to get your case shrink wrapped?

wilkolo

2006-07-21 12:26:26

The rule is, check your insurance, if it aint covered in checked in luggage then don't check it in. I always carry cameras etc in hand luggage.

EDIT: I have had to remove some of your comments which may be deemed offensive to some of our members, who are in fact bagagge handlers and who should not all be tarred with the same brush.
David HT Mod

pink_butterfly

2006-07-23 22:04:21

I always pack valuables in my hand lugguage as my insurance states it wont cover it if its in the case.

johndoe

2006-07-26 16:28:31

theft at airports

hi all ...just to give a up-date on my earlier post regarding theft of my cameras at monastir airport,.i have had to-day a knock back on my insurance claim from atlas insurance,.because i put valuables in my suit case they will not accept any responsabilty also because i did not have a reciept for my video camera it was over two and a half years old then i also have no claim,.have also spoken to my travel who were the t.o they do not want to know as well ,.but i have have asked them to respond to my comments on their security if some one can take items from a suitcase without them knowing what is to stop any one placing items in it that could go bang at 35 thousand feet i await their reply which i will post..."if i get one"............regards.........john-doe.... :shock:

pink_butterfly

2006-07-26 16:36:50

i can't see insurance backing down on this one

Prettypollycat

2006-07-26 16:41:36

Hi John
I don't think you'll get very far with the insurance company either.

It's a pity that you had to learn the lesson not to put valuables into hold luggage the hard (and costly) way.

Here's hoping that other people will take note of what happened to you and pack all valuables (and of course medicines) in their hand luggage.

Cheers
Polly

johndoe

2006-08-03 11:03:55

theft at airport

hi..all...just had a reply from the tunisian tourist board ,.thanking me for my letter and saying that they would look into to it and inform tunis authorities,.plus could i send them all the details AGAIN,can not understand that request if they have got my letter with all the details once why do they need them again ?.........regards.john-doe ...bewilldered and confused........

jamz1107

2006-08-11 21:37:08

when you are traveling to anywhere now u cannot pack cameras ipods mobile phones or anyting else electircal or valuable onto the hand luggage because of that foiled (thank god and the ploice and the MI5)plan so that is a bummber what should you do when you want to take a camera on board and not in the suitcase because of luggage jackers

Prettypollycat

2006-08-12 08:20:22

jamz1107
The policy in force currently is very clear:
you cannot take a camera into the cabin, it has to go in your hold luggage.

It's the same for everybody.

The current restrictions may be relaxed or completely lifted at some point in the future.

Polly

sugarbabe61

2006-08-12 08:53:55

I think with recent events this week, the temporary measures with no hand luggage will probably continue and become permanent. Which now means no more expensive cameras etc. Not only do you run the risk of having your expensive items stolen, but if you see the way they throw your suitcases about, if it doesn't get stolen it will more than likely get broken.

I just cannot comprehend at all how anybody can want to blow up a plane and the events of this week make me ashamed to be British. The one only thing out of all this that does give me some proudness of being British is the excellent investigation by MI5 in their surveillance and arrests.

By the way you never hear of problems on flights from say Italy, France, Spain to the US do you? If I could afford to move away from UK I would be off tomorrow.

Right off my soapbox now - again!!

qatarman

2006-08-12 11:29:37

MI5 my bum Pakistani secret police,and dont ask how they got the info.

MarkJ

2006-08-12 17:32:57

By the way you never hear of problems on flights from say Italy, France, Spain to the US do you? If I could afford to move away from UK I would be off tomorrow

Please do take note though that there are restrictions in place that have been enforced by the USA security services that apply to flights arriving from ANY country in the world. So passengers travelling from Italy, France or Spain are also NOT allowed to carry liquids on board when travelling to the USA - full stop.

To save duplication across the board, I will lock this topic now as there is already a very long thread going on the recent security measures taken :wink:

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=81406

MarkJ HT Mod

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