Half me Clothes are Missing!!!

[Athena5]

About a month ago I came back from a long trip to America & me being me unpacked in instalments as usual. It took a while to notice that some articles of clothing were missing, one was new, all in all they add up to more than I would have cared to lose. :(

Anyway I tracked the contact details of anywhere I could have left them in America, rang the last place left on my list in LA yesterday & have come up with a negative so far.

Now I've no proof but the only other place I would have left myself vulnerable was on the flight home when I remembered the warning not to lock my bags for security reasons; the airlines of course not mine. Should of done what I did on the way over & forget to take off my locks, they weren't broken by security when I collected them.

Mindful of this when I approached the BA counter I asked them could they reseal my bags with plastic ties (whatever ya call them). Unlike UAL & much to my consternation they said they didn't do it. I had to wait nearby while my luggage was scanned & claim it as my own, perhaps it would have been wise of me had I relocked them then, & that security may have been satisfied with the contents that were being checked straight through to Dub, though no doubt they went through a security check before being loaded on that plane too.

Next time I'll take plastic tags myself, I'm not happy with my luggage being unsealed for so long out of my sight & so many people being able to handle it. As I've said I've no definite proof just a nagging suspicion that it was on this leg of the journey the contents went lost, perhaps I'm wrong. :confused:

Anyone have similar experiences or get any redress??? This new open bag policy must be giving thiefs a field day & leaves pax very vulnerable to anyone with slippery fingers. :mad:

[powerless]

Even more worrying to me was after a return from IAD to LHR earlier this year I found a small container in my suitcase which was definitely not mine and seemingly had been put back in the wrong case during the TSA security search.

My worry was what if this was made of a prohibited item from a protected animal or suchlike or the residue inside was an illegal substance. Would the UK authorities believe me it had been put in from another case? There was a note explaining the bag had been opened and searched but that might not have helped.

If they are going to open bags then they need to be more careful!

[PAXboy]

powerless: Sorry to hear about this and thanks for the warning.

When I went through FCO (Rome) in September, I noticed that a franchise had started offering to wrap your bags in 'cling film'. You could put your bag on the machine and it would spin it around to wrap it up and then heat seal it. I did not notice the cost but looked like a good idea to me.

I have never left my bags unlocked. If they want to cut the locks off, then they are cheap enough to replace but without them is an invitation.

[wub]

I had a camera lens taken from a locked bag in transit from Thailand. The thief must have had access to the x-ray data because how else would they have known what to look for?

The bag's zip was split open to gain access and the lock was left intact.

No compensation forthcoming as the bag had been checked through from Koh Samui to Scotland and had been on 3 different carriers.

[witchdoctor]

PAXboy

Believe I saw the same franchise with their machine at ACE too. Price was 6 Euros per item of baggage. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the company though.

[Athena5]

I have never left my bags unlocked. If they want to cut the locks off, then they are cheap enough to replace but without them is an invitation.
Yeah PAXboy

I think you're right. I remember my consternation at some airport in America when I realised I'd checked my luggage in locked & conveying my concerns to some member of the TSA, he said security would only break them if they deemed it necessary & they didn't. Now I see how silly I was, as expensive as one of my locks is I've lost much more than the value of them, that is if & I say if the contents were stolen at this point in my journey.

A hard lesson learned I think, could be worse!

[CarltonBrowne the FO]

Apparently there is a serious problem with knicker sniffers stealing from women's luggage. The problem is much less rife with business class luggage- the reasoning is, the biz class pax are much more likely to launder their stuff while they are on a trip.

[Athena5]

They didn't steal me knickers! ;)

The problem is much less rife with business class luggage- the reasoning is, the biz class pax are much more likely to launder their stuff while they are on a trip.
What's that got to do with anything. :confused: I was lucky on some of my trips if I could keep myself laundered let alone my clothes, but most were atleast washed by the time I'd boarded the flight, mind you the ones that dissappeared weren't cause I was afraid they might run or other clothes might run into them, one was a snow white pair of trousers!. Just cause I travel cattle class doesn't mean I'm a knacker! :\

[Globaliser]

Athena5: I remember my consternation at some airport in America when I realised I'd checked my luggage in locked & conveying my concerns to some member of the TSA, he said security would only break them if they deemed it necessary & they didn't. Now I see how silly I was, as expensive as one of my locks is I've lost much more than the value of them, that is if & I say if the contents were stolen at this point in my journey.Cable ties are the answer - I'm now keeping a pack of these (£1.99 at my local hardware shop) in the front pocket of my suitcase, so that for any trips departing from US airports I can take off the padlock and replace it with a cable tie.

If the TSA needs to get into your suitcase, they're supposed to reseal it with a cable tie-type thing of their own, after leaving a note inside it. On the way back from Miami last week, they took off the cable tie and had a rummage - but typically failed to reseal the bag or to leave a note.

But expecting competence from the TSA is probably too much.

[PAXboy]

On the way back from Miami last week, they took off the cable tie and had a rummage - but typically failed to reseal the bag or to leave a note. If they did not reseal or leave a note, how do you know it was TSA? ;)

Actually, Globes [sorry - couldn't resist the abbreviation :}] I think that Cable Ties are a good idea and they were discussed here a while back. BUT how do you carry a good pair of cutters or knife to cut them with, if you have to put all such items inside the bag? :confused:

--------------------
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[Athena5]

Yes, I've run into this problem before about the TSA not resealing one my suitcases, I think it the one they didn't search but I still expected all my luggage to be resealed. I got a written formal apology from them. The TSA apologised to me, beat that! :D :ok:

Anyway I rang BA about this yesterday, they said something about an investigation being undertaken & put me through to someone. Well I was left on hold & then a recorded message said due to a high volume of calls I could expect to have to wait for donks. Not having donks I will lodge my query through BA.com or try again. Trouble is I can't be 100% certain that my clothes were stolen at this point so I have to be careful how I word my complaint, I just have a very strong suspicion. Think it's worth checking out though & seeing had any other pax stuff stolen, if there is a thief out there in the baggage handling chain they need to be caught & I think its known on these pages how unkindly I take to thievery of my luggage. As my friend used to say "Someone is going to get their @ss kicked over this". :E

[Globaliser]

PAXboy: If they did not reseal or leave a note, how do you know it was TSA? ... BUT how do you carry a good pair of cutters or knife to cut them with, if you have to put all such items inside the bag?You're right, I don't know for sure. But the TSA have plenty of reported form for failing to reseal bags or to leave a billet doux, and I doubt that a rampie would go to the trouble of cutting off a tightly pulled cable tie just to have a rummage - one of the great things about even a cheap padlock is that it tends to persuade a dishonest rampie to move on to easier meat.

The real answer to the cutting problem is to put a cutter or knife in an unsealed outside pocket of the suitcase, if you have one. But fortunately, almost all of my ex-US journeys take me straight back home so I don't need to worry about it.

[Jerricho]

Half me Clothes are Missing!!

Oh. I though this was something different.......with photos. :E

I know, I know. Get my a** back to Jet Blast.

[Air-Geko]

And I, along with Jerricho, seem to have thought "All right, let the party begin!"

Whoops.

You'll find me in J.B. as well...

Air-Geko

[Athena5]

& I will put a bomb under you both. :E

Opps did I mentioned the forbidden word BOMB! :uhoh:


BOMB, BOMB BOMB BOMB BOMB BOMB BOMB BOMB ! :}

[Jerricho]

Go on Anthea............. double-dog dare you!:p

[TightSlot]

Oh dear! - I call the J.B. mods rightaway to tell them that they left the cage door open overnight... again!

;)