Security of your carry on luggage
 

Anyone have any helpful tips. What I'm worried about is the security of my carry-ons, specifically on the plane.

I travel transatlantic a lot, and on the night flights I am always asleep. I am worried somebody could go into the overhead where my bag is and rifle through it/steal the bag.

Unfortunately even though I am flying J in AA most of the time, there is not a lot of space at the seat that makes stowing a bag in my proximity feasible. I do keep my passport, wallet and blackberry with me, but I worry about my laptop and other items.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I have thought of maybe a cable lock or an alarm, but I have never seen anything like that in use.

Thanks

Get a carry on you can lock closed.

I wouldn't worry too much about them stealing the bag, they can't go very far, but if it's locked it would make it harder for them to get anything out of it.

I wouldn't go the alarm route, you know it's going to keep going off when you don't want it to and somebody will freak out.

Not sure a cable lock would help all the time, there may or may not be a place to attach it to.

I'm not a frequent flier like most of the people on FT, but I've learned a few tips from those hard-core road warrior types over the years:

1) Always put your carry-on bag above your own seat. If the space above your seat is already occupied, put your bag as close as possible, preferably in a spot that where you can see anyone accessing the bag.
2) Put a lock on your carry-on bag to prevent rifling.
3) Select a nondescript carry-on that doesn't scream, "I am an expensive bag with desirable contents - please steal me!" My own carry-on generally contains several thousand dollar worth of camera and computer gear; yes, a drop in the bucket compared to pro photographers and a few others who have to carry expensive gear for their jobs, but it's a lot to me! But that bag is a cruddy, cheap Samsonite roller that I paid $40 for at WalMart. It's a little worn-looking and doesn't look like either a camera bag or a laptop bag.
4) Remove anything from the bag that you may need to access during the flight, especially PEDs, and keep them in a smaller bag that will fit in your under-seat space. You're already keeping your wallet, passport, and Blackberry with you, which is smart.

If you are truly worried about your bag being stolen, you could make a habit of choosing seats near the front of the plane so that you can make sure the bag is still in its place when you land; if it's gone, you can block the aisle and inform the FAs that your bag has gone missing, and whomever took it won't be able to deplane till the bag is found.

I use combination locks when I am afraid of theft. The advantage is, there is no key that could be stolen or lost :D This also lets you e.g. cuff the bag to the table at a restaurant, so that you would not have to worry about thieves.

Maybe you should consider getting a carryon with a built-in combination lock, if this is important to you.

Actually, I try to put my carryon above the seat on the opposite side of my seat. That way you can really see if someone is messing with your bag. If you put it in the bin above yours, you really can't tell which bag someone may be accessing.

Yet another vote for a lock.

If you get a lock for your carry on, be sure to also lock it up when going thru security. You are more likely to have stuff go missing at the checkpoint than in the air.

I have used Red Oxx cable locks. The don't actually lock they look like they need to be cut, but screw together. They are light and are intended to slow people down. Before that I used zip ties.

+1 ^

Generally.. keep the bags in your vicinity..

If someone opens the OH door, keep an eye on it..

So you're suggesting the OP sleep with one eye open? :confused::confused:

Good point.. Most of the time I don't sleep on the plane, or travel with family, so one of us is always up..

I haven't travelled alone for years, so honestly, likely nothing is going to happen.. if you're worried, make a deal with a neighbor to keep an eye on things.. but again, that's based on trust as well..

+1.

A friend of mine used to be a detective at LAX, & he told me one time they busted a ring of thieves who were working the LAX-LAS route.

People would put their carryons directly above their head, so they couldn't actually see them. The thieves would pretend to be putting their own stuff up there, but in actuality were ruffling through others' luggage & stealing things. He said the natural inclination for (most) folk is to lean away from the person standing next to you in the aisle when you're seated, because their crotch is in your face.

His advice was to put the carryon stuff opposite from where you're sitting so you can keep an eye on it or anyone near it.

Of course that doesn't help when you're sleeping, but it does help reduce the possibility of theft.

Cheers.

While I agree it is best to place your carry on opposite of where you are sitting that is not alway possible and sometimes you are forced to place it nowhere near where you are sitting. I saw a Lewis N Clark Triple Lockdown Luggage Lock on the Corporate Travel Safety web site and I decided to give them a try. I now use them for both my checked and carry on bags.

The idea of the lock is to make it more difficult for someone to cover their tracks if they use a sharp object to enter your bag because this TSA approved lock prevents the zipper from moving very far. I feel better that my carry on has a lock on it when it is gate checked as well.

I also find this lock handy to secure luggage together (handle to handle) when at the luggage carocell or waiting at a hotel to check in. I use this lock to secure my bag to my chair while eating too.

Shak

http://www.corporatetravelsafety.com...ck-p-1270.html

Interesting lock!