AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Travel Airport security? tourist lost items in luggage

If you have zippered lugggage as most of us do, and you are locking your TSA locks though your zipper pulls, then may be only a mild deterrent to a talented thief. He can stick a pen into the teeth of your suitcase and then open up all the zipper. Do his thing, and then, grab your zippers, pull them back over the zzzip part of the zipper with nary a sign of entry. However, if you have the kind of suitcase that has a zipper and the suitcase lock is built in with your zip tabs slipping into that lock, then the bad buy may be able to open it a little bit, but not be able to rezip it. More of a deterrent.

I have definitely had stuff stolen from my luggage in Miami. And also my credit card info. I have stopped using my card at the airport in Miami after the 2nd time my card info was stolen and used in Florida.

Miami... I do my best to stay out of there. As for items missing, we have never had that issue. I save all the little TSA "notes" and when I pack my bag I put them on top of my stuff. I know that if they think the bag has already been checked, they will generally just zip it back up, after all, it's not like they get paid for every bag they check.

I don't transport anything illegal, but I don't like my stuff gone through.

@ seashell do those locks work for Canadian security as well? We haven't been locking our luggage since all the new rules came into effect. The last time they were locked security cut the locks off.
We have had our luggage checked by TSA when using USAirways in FL (they didn't use an x-ray machine). Sometimes they leave a note sometimes not but the contents are always left in a mess.

Great Idea!

The locks are worthless. Miami is the place. I had a camera stolen there. The thing to do is fill out a theft report ASAP with the airline. A complaint only gets you those miles. AA replaced my camera, pouch, and battery, as I had the copy of the receipt, when I bought it. It isn't necessarily the TSA guys either. In this case it was the "recheck" guys after customs. I even remember the baggage guy sizing me and my luggage up...looking me in the eye.
I definitely don't put anything valuable in my luggage anymore. I wasn't thinking when I put in the camera.

I totally agree about MIA. I've had stuff stolen from my luggage there, too. It's an awful airport, the worst by far in the USA.

Yup Miami,a few times..

Northern, I guess don't really know for sure. When you had your locks cut off, did anyone leave a note for you?

All I do know for sure, is that I keep my real valuables in my carryon, and lock up my suitcases. Those new suitcases with the built in locks, can't be cut off, they are part of the bag and zipper system.

Also like a suitcase belt with the TSA lock included in the buckle.

I no longer lock my checked baggage, but I make sure not to check anything of obvious value. All valuables go in my carry-ons. Never had a problem other than jumbled contents in bags that TSA inspects (and leaves a notification in).

I consider that anything checked may be stolen, so it's simply not worth checking anything you can't live without.