Stealing from Passenger Bags "Common"
 

Make sure you are seated as many quite simply will be shocked to hear that there might have been theft within the aviation industry...but nevertheless...


Pythias Brown: Fomer TSA agent says stealing from pasenger bags is common


There is actually more info in the comment thread than in the article itself so scroll down to read a few of the thoughts that readers contributed.

Stealing....one thing...getting bags another.....lol
 

:8

Stealing is one thing.... Heathrow has often been called 'Thiefrow' for many factual reasons/evidence-based, over the years....

My issue has always been the non-successful baggage transfer from a Big Airline at Heathrow. Most 'pukka' airlines have Biz and 'F' luggage delivered first...not with the Big Airline. Never has and probably never will. Why is that?

4 out of 5 hold bags in last 3 months - 5 'having to have hold bags' (I usually try to not have hold bags). LHR-SIN....bag lost for 4 days. (3hr transfer time). BRU-LHR-GLA (4hrs transfer time) and I go on....not time to share more....a wholly awful situation.

Luckily, I have nothing more to steal than mostly laundry :eek:....anything valuable goes in carry-on!

Big Airline must have a whole load of claims for 'Fox Furs' and Ipads...whatever...has anyone got accurate stats to share? My experience may just be bad luck over years??? :{ :ugh:

There was always a car boot sale in the KDTW employee car park at night....suits watches computers you name it...

Best factual 'baggage' story...as follows.....
 

Apologies for thread migration...however...wanted to share my best career 'baggage' story.

It's not about 'Rob'bing 'A'nything from luggage....rather it was the addition of something during a particularly bad dispute with baggage handlers with a Big Airline at LHR.

A certain unpopular CEO at that time must have had his luggage 'fiddled with', as someone had managed to take the time to excrete a large mass into his hold luggage, which can only have caused him unbridled joy towards said luggage staff upon opening! :sad:

This happened!

I can't resist another 'baggage' security thing...me bad
 

:cool:

I was standing around waiting for the non-arrival of crew transport one day, looking at the luggage, and looking at this new very beautiful lady who was in our airline's new role as a 'Fleet Director'. This was 747 fleet for a Big Airline.

Her role almost made me humble, as I was a mere Pilot....lol. :confused: This was the new name for basically 'flight attendant/cabin crew manager' and this was one of her first flights in this new role. Basically, a largely ground/office-based role. Was I, as pilot, (not saying more) on the Boeing 747 fleet some sort of 'minion'? A 'Director' on board our flights.....OMG!!!

As we waited, staring at our crew luggage for many looong minutes, I chatted with her for a bit and then asked if she could identify her luggage. She eventually did this. Then I posited a 'bet' to her, having looked at her standard '3-digit' combination lock/luggage.

I asked her that if I could open her suitcase/luggage within 30 seconds, would her 'Fleet Director' department find it within their budget to buy the whole crew a round of drinks (and if not, would she pay from her own pocket)?

She agreed. I think she paid from her own pocket.

Lock combination by reply, please. (Duuuuh)....lol:}

Stealing by the TSA? I'm shocked, shocked!

ABC News Tracks Missing iPad To Florida Home of TSA Officer - ABC News

There are bad apples everywhere. Things would regularly go "missing" at airports well before the TSA even existed. There will always be dishonest people in all walks of life. What about pilots/lawyers/doctors and such like caught shoplifting! They are in fact a very small minority and I don't honestly think that it will ever be possible to eradicate the problem completely.

From a recent news report

Read the whole article here.

The most common pin numbers: is your bank account vulnerable? | Money | guardian.co.uk

That surprises me because where I live and bank it is not possible to use such combinations as 1234, 1111, 0000 etc. These, and a few other combinations, are blocked by the bank.

other obvious ones exist if you know the person's occupation. e.g. 1215, 2430, 1030, 1090 for pilots.

I've been told 6969 is quite common too. That covers numerous occupations ;)

Bond'll Do,
Bet you were sorry you'd just bet a round of drinks :}

Our 'PINS' for bank/debit/credit cards are six digits not four. The six digits work in the UK too, at POS machines/ATMs. Not sure why the UK went with four when (obviously) they can cope with six.

I use my service date with a previous employer. Memorised it years ago since I needed it requesting ID tickets. Since it was already there, nobody could guess it, nobody could track it down (airline went out of business 20+ years ago). I also cover my hand when keying it in.

Not 100% safe, but better than 1234!

My friend very recently left her new iPad on a flight at Bodrum, Turkey. I told her she would get it back as the cabin crew would probably find it first when they did their security check after passengers disembark.

No such luck! If it was found by crew or cleaners it is now surfing the net somewhere in Turkey.


I have little sympathy for her being stupid enough to leave it but have no respect for those that would steal a valuable item from customers.


I am pretty sure that it was not picked up by another passenger as she was sat in the front of a small cabin on a 757 and she believed all pax had left that cabin in front of her when she disembarked.

Cabin cleaners usually regard items left in the cabin as part of their remuneration. I was shocked pulling up as crew at a 737 to see a cleaner in the oven raiding the catering! Often the cabin crew do the cleaning between flights and attractive items do go astray.

It is best not taking any valuables with you these days. Travel light...backpacking all the way!