ek, I didn't know that shrinkwraping was available. Sounds like a good idea to me. Maybe calling your airline would help? Maybe they know about it? Or calling TSA or the airport?

I would like to use it. My concern is not security or theft (never put anything in the bag that anyone would want), but zipper breakage - visions of my undies pouring out of the bag drop onto the conveyer belt!! I guarantee you, if that happens, I'm not claiming them! Of course, my always-ready-to-tease husband would probably SHOUT for me to retrieve them!

I would also like to use it to keep our new bags from looking aged after 1 trip!

On one trip, we opened our suitcases to find a card from TSA indicating our bags had been opened & searched. We only check clothes, tour books, & little bit of over-the-counter meds, but I didn't notice anything missing or disturbed.

Please let us know if you find out more about the shrink wrap. We are flying thru JFK in Nov. & would definitely use it.

Julie

Best way to avoid theft is to use cheap bags.The way it works is that bags likely to contain goodies are quietly diverted to a secret spot where they can be rifled, so if you can avoid being selected in the first place........
Probably best not to lock them either - they wont be opened unless selected, and then no lock will keep them out. A locked bag indicates goodies.

Julie I am leaving Friday and will be back mid-October so will let you know if I find those machines. I cannot find any info on the airport website and the airline (KLM) has no office in the US, believe it or not!

The duffel bag I am using for this trip IS fairly cheap..less than $50! But if I cannot shrink it I think it is best to lock, even with those flimsy TSA locks...

Julie, that happened to my daughter last year. Her bag had burst open and she jumped onto the conveyor belt with it, stuffing her clothes back in as they went around...

Sadly, I wasn't there to see it. Although I probably would have been laughing so hard she'd never forgive me.

Nikki, you sound just like my husband! Just think - if you were only there AND had a camera ready! What a travel photo!

Thanks ek. I'll be glad to hear how it turned out. Leaving Fri & back mid-Oct. That sounds like a great trip! Hope all goes well, but either way, have a great time.

Julie

Thanks!!

I use plastic cable ties to secure zippered bags, either suitcase or duffel bag.

The TSA can cut them open without destroying anything. I keep a nail clippers (to cut them open) and extra cable ties (for return trip) in an outside pouch of the checked bag.

Thanks! I bought a pack of plastic cable ties in various colors; they come with their own tiny clippers.

Gee, those plastic ties sound like a great idea. In these days of unlocked bags, I've been concerned about the zippers sliding open, just from all the tossing around at the airport.

I can't recall where I saw shrink wrap machines. I saw them in several locations at an airport (overseas, I think), but have not seen any recently both in domestic or overseas airports. I worried that just the sight of those shrink wrapped bags would piss off TSA, and the bags would be opened just for spite!

I bought the packs of plastic cable ties at The Container Store; the pack holds tiny ties of various colors that will fit betwen the holes of the zippers on your bag:

http://www.containerstore.com/browse...p;PRODID=73783

Just want to post the answer to my own question above:

There are at least 2 shrink-wrap machines in Terminal 4 including one in front of KLM checkin. I wrapped my large duffel bag for $7.00. The bag was not opened by TSA and arrived locks in place and tightly wrapped, safe and sound!!! The charge for a very large hard bag is $9.00.

Am I the only person who thinks that this is a terrible waste of plastic? I see this everyweek when in the Rome airport and all I can think of is what a waste to the environment. Sorry but its been bothering me all summer........

Duty Free..I have to agree with you on that score. I would only use this if I had a bag tht was in danger of tearing, or as in my case, I was concerned about security, as in having my bags and belongings arrive intact. They do use an awful lot of plastic!!! But I will use in again next week when I store a bag in an airport with a reputation for baggage tampering.

Suggestion: Package contents in 'baggies' and then package 'baggies' in a heavy duty plastic bag. Affix address data to the HD bag. All bags need to be transparent. Do not pack anything you can't afford to lose.

But how does that prevent tempering with one's bags? It also uses lots of plastic! Anyway, putting the label inside the bag is a great tip! BTW..my travel companions shrink wrapped their bags as well and guess what, they did not make our connection! I hope that the bags appear safe and sound, and untampered with..hopefully having had them shrink-wrapped will prevent pilferage during the looong transit time. Also hope their bags arive as promised!!