Last night, for the first time in fifteen years, i've had items that have been taken from my checked bag. Ironically i even had the bag sealed with plastic banding, that had been cut off and put in a side pocket..

It was a flight back home from China, made it fine all through ORD customs and then for the last leg home, i check it again, and then the banding is gone.. no TSA tag which happens occassionally, upon further inventory items are missing..

Curious if baggage people have to go through security in and out, and is there any cameras that monitor what goes on?

very frustrating..

I am so sorry this happened. I find this very disturbing, especially after
9/11. There should be cameras aplenty.

Very frustrating, and difficult to pursue. TSA will point the finger at the airline, and the airline will point the finger back at TSA. What went missing?

Also very sorry.

Others here are far more knowledgeable than I regarding filing a claim with the airline and TSA, but I will ask this: Did you by any chance purchase your ticket with an American Express card? You may have some options if so.

Good luck in getting this resolved. And welcome to FT.

Get use to it.. I had stuff stolen from my checked luggage (dive knife and dive kit). From SNA to DFW to Cozumel. I noticed it in Cozumel. The TSA lock indicated it was opened.

I contacted AA... they said it was a TSA problem.
I contacted TSA... they said, over the phone, that they have had a bunch of keys missing and it is not their problem.
I contacted police at DFW on my way back home.. they basically told me to get lost.
OC Sheriffs at SNA took an incident report when I got back home.

i had bought two music boxes for my kids, these went missing.. it was a united flight, but i don't know if these baggage people are just common airport employees or how that works..

frustrating.. its not the money, more so sentimental because of my kids..

i did buy the ticket with an AE card, but i think its a wash..

Cheers..

Regardless of the money or sentiment, I'd still file the claim with TSA/DHS, the airline and whatever system is in place with American Express. Allowing TSA and/or the airline to get away with theft with nary a word mentioned just doesn't seem right. Please reconsider - it may ultimately be a wash, but what is the harm in spending an hour or so filing the claims on the various websites?

Agreed. I've had equipment missing/taken from my checked luggage. If you file a report and make some noise, it created a record. Which is better than nothing at all in the long run. It indicates there is a problem.


My experience: TSA did leave a note for me, but they said they're not responsible for "Misplaced" items and told me to take it up with the airline and their baggage handlers.
The Airline told me to go back to TSA or file a police report.
The Police department said nah, contact my insurance.
(BTW insurance company want a police report.)

Pretty standard. Both TSA and the airlines are rife with thieves, and both have plausible deniability. Sucks to be a paying customer.

What baffles me is that the TSA apparently thinks that the same people who have free access to luggage to steal everything they can get there hands on are not a threat to the airplanes themselves. If someone is able to remove valuable objects from luggage wouldn't these same criminals also be able to place something in said luggage? I don't know, maybe a bomb? But no, there is nothing to worry about behind the curtain. The real threat is 80 year old lady with breast prosthesis. They're the ones who need to be stopped at all cost.

Welcome to flyertalk

The answers to your question will depend on the airport, but I would say if there was any security it would be looking for prohibited items and not the 47 items they (and "they" could be anybody who had access to your luggage, not just the baggage people) took from people's luggage, and it would only be security coming into the job.

There have been many stories about employees being able to just ride the airport bus into the back door with the only security being asked to show their ID, and of course many stories about handlers being arrested, including two in Philadelphia a couple weeks ago for several years of pilfering.

I would guess in your case, either there was no camera, or they did not do it in front of cameras.

Unfortunately, I think the only way you'll see restitution is through your home insurance company, if you have theft coverage for the items taken (not all items are covered unless you have a rider for them). If you bought the items with certain credit cards (why I use my Amex for just about everything), they're also covered.

My family laughs at me when they see my Aeronaut. I have locks on every compartment, and some of the packing cubes are also locked. Certainly, the packing cube with my insulin and needles is locked up and tethered to a o-ring. I won't unlock it for anyone at the airport, either. There's no reason why TSA or anyone else at the airport needs to handle my med bag, by their rules. That hasn't stopped workers from trying. If they ask me to display the items I have no problem. But they're not touching any of it. It's my word against theirs and we all know the passenger is always wrong vs. the TSA.

I have certain prescription meds hidden so my bag would have to be shredded to get at them unless I was the one doing it. To a thief it's just money on the black market. To me, those needles and meds keep me alive.

I pay to ship items home via USPS Priority and FedEx or UPS every trip; at least they're insured and usually won't get stolen enroute without me getting my money back. If something goes missing at an airport or enroute it's gone. Even if I could get a police report it's not worth the hassle.

I ride buses and light rail and trains with TSA and ramp employees all the time. The TSAs board the buses with backpacks riding light and high, and going home those bags are packed, heavily. What's in them? I don't know, but I think some of you with missing items might be able to tell me!

Just sign me 'never a checked bag since 1993' and leave it at that - and yes, US Airways did find a way to lose that box on a nonstop, end-of-cycle, evening flight out of PHX. Last checked cargo I ever tried to get home.

You're lucky. I had NYPD threaten me with arrest when I pointed out the armed robbery happening under their noses. Apparently I was interfering with their union-mandated coffee and donut break.

What happens if you sue both and let them point fingers at each other?

If you bought the missing items with an Amex (depending on the flavor of Amex), you can file a claim on the missing items, as long as you purchased them within the last 90 days. More info:

https://www212.americanexpress.com/d...tbenefitdetail

Probably you should sign up for Amex' baggage loss/delay plan also...https://www295.americanexpress.com/f...ge/coverage.do