Scottish Travelers Are Obsessed With Plastic Wrap
Jennifer Billock September 29, 2015
Now more than ever, Scottish travelers are wrapping their luggage in plastic wrap to prevent crime.
Plastic wrap is no longer just for food — a growing number of Scottish travelers at three airports are now paying to seal their luggage in super-strength cling film. Luggage Point offers the service for only £7 at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Birmingham airports.
“There has been a year-on-year increase in demand for our bag-wrapping service and we expect it to grow further,” Denise Gilmour, the head of retail at Glasgow Airport, told the Daily Record. “It’s popular particularly for passengers traveling with valuables.”
In addition to protecting fragile items like strollers and golf clubs, the wrap deters crime that results from increased international flights with stopovers.
“Passengers are concerned not only about theft but about people inserting items into their luggage,” Luggage Point spokesperson Graeme Stewart told the Daily Record. “This is more common with the rise of longer-haul flights which include stops at other airports en route. Passengers are also concerned that suitcases costing hundreds of pounds, can become damaged.”
With rising luggage costs both at retail and fees for checking baggage at airlines, it only makes sense that travelers are trying to protect these items from damage. While this service is only available at select international airports in the U.S., it seems like it’s only a matter of time until the trend spreads among American travelers — although whether or not the TSA approves of it is another story.
[Photo: Daily Record]
What a horrible waste of resources. The only reasons I can see plastic wrapping a suitcase would be acceptable is is the suitcase is broken and needs reinforcement to complete a journey or if there are suspected bed bugs. As a security measure or water proofing device - get the right suitcase to start with. TSA must be able to get into the suitcase, and if challenged, will. And waterproof your bag before leaving home. There's this thing called, ironically enough, scotch guard.
"The plastic wrap is removed, obviously. In every single airport outside of the USA, if security needs to physically search a passenger’s luggage , the passenger is paged and is taken to a place to watch." Definitely not true for the UK, and I don't believe it's true for many other places in Europe.
Airports have been offering bag-wrapping services around the world for decades. It's very popular in Latin America, mainly because it's perceived as a way to keep ground staff from stealing from luggage.
AADFW, The plastic wrap is removed, obviously. In every single airport outside of the USA, if security needs to physically search a passenger's luggage , the passenger is paged and is taken to a place to watch.
It rains a lot in Scotland. The plastic protects your bags when they sit in the rain on the tarmac. ;-) Actually, this service is available in most European airports. I have never used it.