Originally Posted by
shiv666
I have a very generic suitcase. I figure the expensive ones get stolen and broken into more.
I spent a few minutes googling this morning and ran into a thousand stories about the husband/wife luggage theft team that got busted in Phoenix. Their bag of preference was a generic black roller. People can't be as sure that someone is grabbing "their bag" and you blend into the crowd once you are ten feet from luggage return.
One issue for me when I am flying with checked bags is when I know I have a wait at the terminal. For example, I am flying into Billings, MT this week and will have to wait two hours for my ride to pick me up. I would rather wait inside the sterile zone where I can nurse a beer or two. If I had a checked bag, I always try to get to the conveyer before the bags start unloading.
What surprised me was the articles about baggage thefts that took place in international baggage return areas before customs. Either you have baggage thieves flying around collecting airmiles and boosting luggage, or there is a trick I am not privy to about how to slip into this area and what if customs pulls you aside for an inspection. You'll need a credibly forged ticket, disembarkation card, passport with an appropriate and freshly minted entry stamp.