suze

Sorry but nothing of sentimental or monetary value belongs in checked luggage, ever. You need to pack that stuff in your carry-on bag.

november_moon

American honesty my foot. This is a country where people will steal the seat off of a bike that is locked up outside.

lincasanova

Chapla.. what is amazing is that anyone can go to the carrousels in the USA and retrieve luggage At least in Europe most places, the luggage is still in a secured area where only passengers can go. Although that does not mean someone else can't steal what might look like interesting bags.

At Denver, at least they used to check tags when leaving due to all the ski robberies.

november_moon

lincasanova - That has always bothered me too. Sometimes when I have picked people up at the airport, I have collected their bags for them before they reach the bagage area. I am literally just a person off the street who walked in and started taking bags off the carrousel.

suze

<You do understand that everyone that posts here is not a carry on holiday traveler?>

You don't have to be a "carryon" ONLY traveler. You just need to take VALUABLES on the plane with you.

Michael

Plastic ties will prevent the opportunistic thief. I just had a suitcase miss a connecting flight. The bag was opened by security since its owner was not on the same flight but security replaced the plastic tie and left a message in the suitcase. Not a 100% secure, but better than not locking the suitcase at all.

suze

I don't lock or cable tie or use plastic ties. Like having a very expensive suitcase, I figure locking it only makes it seem there's stuff of value inside.

TonyBishop

november_moon, you said "I have collected their bags for them before they reach the bagage area. I am literally just a person off the street who walked in and started taking bags off the carrousel."
At every airport that I have ever travelled through, the baggage area is strictly off-limits to non-passengers. At which airport(s) have you done that?

Michael

<i>At every airport that I have ever travelled through, the baggage area is strictly off-limits to non-passengers. At which airport(s) have you done that?</i>

SFO for one. It used to be that NYC was strict on luggage check, where someone would ask for proof of tag when exiting the baggage area; no more.

nukesafe

SEA is another airport that anyone could walk up to choose whichever bag he/she wanted. Perhaps there is surveillance and security presence, but no checking of baggage check tags.

We almost never check luggage now, except for dirty clothes, and bulky purchases coming back. Certainly we never put anything really valuable in checked luggage.

TonyBishop

So how do people go through customs with someone else´s bags? More to the point, why on earth would someone take that risk?

MaineGG

Baggage area off-limits to non-passengers?
Nowhere I've been in the US, with the exception of international arrivals.

I remember years ago having to show a matching bag claim ticket in Miami and Las Vegas to exit bag claim area, but haven't been back to either airport since.

At my area airports - Portland ME, Boston Logan, Manchester NH - pretty much anyone off the street could take a bag off the carousel and leave with no questions asked. Personally, if I have a checked bag, I stand right by where the bags come out onto the carousel so I can spot mine right away.

TonyBishop

"Nowhere I've been in the US, with the exception of international arrivals."
That explains it. Because the original post was about an international flight, I fell into the trap of getting into that mind set as regards internal flights in the US.

Thanks, MaineGG.

chapla

That's my concern as I mentioned before.I asked a porter at the airport about what happened to the person who used to double check tags and he said it was due to cutbacks!
The only time the luggage is off limits is when it's an international arrival flight because you have to go through customs.
I truly am appalled by the airport casualness about luggage.In other words, we got you here,good luck with your luggage,you're pretty much on your own!
That's why I said I hurry down to the carrousels.
Now don't get me started on how offesive I find the price of luggage carts! In Madrid they are FREE but in the States they welcome you by making you fork out $$$ or a credit card.......

easytraveler

I used to do a lot of business travel and would always check my larger luggage (with all the paperwork). The airlines were even worse than they are today in handling baggage, so I'd buy a cheap, easily identifiable bag as the baggage handlers seemed to like having my luggage shredded in one way or another. Anyhow, I once got a brilliant red bag - relatively big and quite heavy when loaded up with all the paper files we had to carry in those days. Came home (San Jose Airport) and went to the luggage carousel along with a ton of other people. Never thought once about the process because I had done it so many times before, but there was only one red bag that came out of the chute - a pregnant woman went and got it, had a bit of trouble heaving it out of the carousel - I thought "Strange! That looks like my bag!" and walked over. The pregnant woman was joined by an elderly woman - both very decent looking people. I say "Excuse me, but I think that's my bag!" The two of them gave me one look and then took off - fast.

It was my bag.

Ever since then, I have the same black bag like everyone else, only mine has a crazy-colored ribbon on it.