Originally Posted by tumbleweed
I managed to snag a ticket via NWA (thanks for the advice, GUWonder; NWA beat Expedia, Orbitz, etc. by a large margin). Now I have another question: post 9/11, the checked-in luggage must not be locked, correct? Is this true for International destinations too? Then how does one prevent some random baggage handler in a random country from pilfering your stuff?
I'm glad
www.nwa.com came through for you too.
Plastic ties that can be cut off easily seem to work for flights leaving the US. [But that doesn't stop some careless (or dim-witted) member of the TSA from breaking off your tie and a piece of your luggage at the same time.] On the return to the US, you can use a standard lock as travellers always did before. In DEL, on your return, the initial checked baggage screeners (before checking in) will place a strip around the middle of your suitcase to seal it shut and around the lock of the suitcase or the suitcases zipper. However, once you clear customs in the US on your return, then you should remove the lock prior to transferring your luggage onwards from the port of entry in the US. If the lock is not removed and the TSA in the US gets their hands on the bag, they have a tendency to break more than just the lock on more than a rare occassion.
