I agree with you, and I usually regret causing the Delta employees grief when they are just carrying out the policies they are given. I say “usually,” because now and then I come across someone who is clearly contemptuous of guns and gun owners, and goes out of their way to make my life as difficult as possible.

This situation is characteristic of big business, corporate America. Faceless executive types put these policies into place, require employees to enforce them, and are shielded from the ire of the customers who are offended by them. More than once, I have asked the employee (at Delta and other companies) to refer me to the person who is responsible for the policy I find objectionable, so I can take out my dissatisfaction on them, rather than the innocent employee who is just doing their job. Of course, they are never able to do that. I have fantasies about being seated next to such a person on a flight, where I would have a captive audience.

The suitcase has a TSA lock, and the stories of TSA folks pilfering passenger baggage are legend. Plus, I expect that a TSA key is not all that hard to come by, particularly if you’re a baggage handler on the make. There has been one incident where a passenger used a gun from a checked bad to commit a crime at the airport. There have been numerous cases of guns being stolen from checked bags. This is a stunt for appearances, about as effective as having everyone remove their shoes at the security checkpoint after ONE guy tried to smuggle explosives onboard in his shoes.I agree, although I still think everyone would be better off if we focused on people, rather than things. If an airport police officer wants to talk to me about why I have a gun in my luggage, I have no issue with it. My objection is that Delta is keeping me from accessing my personal property after it has left their care. Once I pick up the bag, neither I nor my bag are Delta’s concern anymore, and any constraints they might think they need to place on my luggage should be lifted.

The gun safes are a good idea. If nothing else, they reinforce the practice of unloading the gun and ensuring the chamber is empty. Without them, people would be wrapping loaded guns in an old shirt and throwing them in their luggage. I’m appalled at the lack of care and basic safety measures some gun owners/carriers practice. However, placing any special tags on the luggage that tends to identify it as containing a gun is irresponsible. This information could be encoded on the regular luggage tag, if needed (and I don’t know that it’s needed).

There’s a myth that checking a gun in your bag ensures it will go onto the same flight as the passenger and will be handled with special care. I’ve been flying with guns for over 30 years, and on many occasions my bag did not make it onto the same flight as me. I’ve also arrived after my bag did and found it unattended in an unsecured area of the bag claim area, having been taken off the carousel.

As I said in my previous post, when I traveled regularly I was going through a Samsonite-quality bag at least once per year. The airlines (usually Delta, but Lufthansa wrecked a bag for me, too) wrecked them, then offered less than the replacement cost or a cheap off-brand replacement. The Zero Halliburton bag is now 12 years old. I’ve had it repaired once—refurbished, actually—after it had been dented repeatedly. It still looks like it’s gone through a war, but it’s as solid as when it was new. I would buy another Zero Halliburton bag in a heartbeat.

I haven’t noticed that Delta is any worse about abusing bags than the other airlines. They all treat passenger luggage like crap.

The answer is, largely, that most damage happens in the automated baggage system underneath each airport. Manually moving bags entirely from point A to point B simply isn’t feasible in large hubs, and as a result there are elaborately designed systems of conveyor belts and automated carousels that supplement the baggage handlers’ manual handling. And automated belts have a healthy appetite for protruding wheels, tags and zippers. This isn’t any particular airline or employee’s fault - it’s a necessary evil for delivering bags on time. These systems keep getting better - some now put luggage in RFID-trackable buckets before sending it into the abyss - but it will be decades before everyone in the world upgrades, and the money has to come from the airport authorities...

Having received my fancy Hartmann gift from DL for reaching million miler, I do see some of the appeal of expensive luggage - it’s a beautifully made luxury product. But honestly, I find my TravelPro luggage to be way more practical and functional, and the Hartmann never leaves the closet: I prefer traveling with luggage that has practical features like expandable zippers and padded handles rather than aesthetic touches, and the TravelPro wheels and handles are both well encased so they don’t protrude much and repairable to resist the worst an airport can throw at it. And when it gets beaten up by the inevitable dirt, grime and scrapes from getting checked, I simply replace it with another.

I’d liken it a bit to driving a Porsche to work every day in a cobblestoned European city center: yes, you can do it, and everyone will think you’re cool..... but you should expect to pay a LOT of money to your local body shop in the process. Getting a Fiat Punto is probably a better idea, at the end of the day - less conspicuous, designed for its environment, and you’re less sad when things go wrong. You can still drive the Porsche on weekends out to your favorite winery, but it probably shouldn’t be your daily driver.

Are you also using your own non TSA locks on your bag containing firearms? You are supposed to. I use large heavy duty padlocks on my cases when I fly with firearms. I'm also a bit troubled by the extra tag but my gun cases I fly with look like heavy duty gun cases so I don't think the extra tag is giving away too much information.

My newest Tumi set is exactly one year old, purchased at the DTW Monarch store before they closed. The roller already looks like it’s [improper use of contraction] been dragged through the Battle of the Bulge and the expansion zipper has been torn off.

It’s [proper use of contraction] why I buy Tumi, and also why I don’t sweat the damage or abuse. That’s what they’re designed for.