Have searched the flyertalk archives and cannot find anything much on theft from checked luggage. Would be interested in feedback from overseas-traveling flyertalkers.

A friend traveled last week from DEN to DPS (Bali) via this routing: Frontier DEN-SFO, then Eva SFO-TPE-DPS. This was her second trip to Bali using Eva's highly recommended Evergreen Deluxe (deluxe economy) class.

When she arrived at DPS, no luggage! I had advised her to: (1) At baggage checkin, double-check the destination tag to be sure it was designated DPS, and (2) Ask the check-in agent to wrap the softside bag with some baggage tape, especially around the padlock. The agent tagged her bag to TPE initially, but she corrected that and the bag was tagged to DPS. She checked in about 90 minutes early at DIA. No delays or irregular ops on any of the flights.

She made the missing bag report at DPS and waited 2 days for the bag to show. They delivered it to her hotel in Kuta. When she received it, there was no tape on it at all, the lock was missing, and about half of the contents of the bag were gone. The thief had carefully gone through everything, even taking some items out of her first aid kit and leaving others behind. Taken: Winnie the Pooh outfit gift for Balinese friend, new tee shirts, Leatherman tool, most first aid items and the first aid kit container, etc. Left behind: bug spray, Cipro prescription (!), sting ease (whatever that is).

My friend has CSA travel insurance which will cover up to $1,000 loss, also she has mentioned coverage from her MC Platinum. The Eva people at DPS (who are contract, I believe) have told her she can make her "missing items" report when she gets ready to leave Bali --- and I advised her to go to the airport to do it immediately and she did submit an initial “missing items” report the day after she received the missing bag.

All right, flyertalk experts, any comments? I used to work for CO and have some experience in baggage service, so I advised her on a few points. Fortunately, my friend didn’t have anything like jewelry or other valuables in the bag. She is going to be gone for over a month, so just couldn’t pack everything (like the first-aid kit) in her carry-on.

Does anyone have knowledge of organized baggage pilferage on this routing, with these airlines? I know LHR used to have major problems, but haven't seen anything about TPE and DPS. I'm highly suspicious of the baggage delivery service at DPS, the "taken items" were odd and it was extremely weird that they didn't steal the Cipro.

I'm making the same trip PHX-LAX-TPE-DPS on May 25th, so this really has me in a high state of concern. I’ve already decided to take/check my husband’s Atlantic hardside “vault” suitcase, rather than my new softside Skyway (bought at great discount price from ebags.com).

Thanks in advance for any helpful comments from veteran Asian travelers.