Combination locks on bags?
 

We will be visiting the US from Australia adn are concerned about leaving our bags open. We aren't likely to have anything suspiscious in our checked bags as we take all camera gear and rechargers on board. I was thinking of putting a combination lock on the bag and if security wants to inspect it they could page us for the combination. Has anyone ever tried this before?

They won't page you
 

They will cut the lock off with the risk of damaging your suitcase. The only thing to do is put nothing of value in your checked bags. It's the way we are forced to live now.

This is not the case. There are TSA approved combination locks available which I have used succesfully for several months. They have a special security key/code combination which allows the TSA to open and relock them without cutting them or damaging your luggage. I have used them on a number of flights this year with great success. I know they are available from Samsonite, Brookstone and most luggage shops (at least in my area). I would strongly recommend them. You can probably get them online also. However, even before the TSA, I never put anything of real value in my checked luggage. Several years ago, I had my luggage broken into in Frankfurt.

Unfortunately, your idea of 'suspicious' and the TSA's idea of 'suspicious' are likely to be very different. I don't carry valuables on trips. I don't know that I'd want to.

I've already had the so-called TSA approved lock
 

cut off! It made two trips and then SNIP! They can and do cut them off. The little printed excuse left inside. As for any other sort of lock, SNIP! SNIP!

wow, that is extreme!
 

Is America the only country in the world that actually clips off people's locks? That is ridiculous is people can be paged to give the combination. This will be our only trip to the States for several years so I don't want to buy the special approved one. What about wrapping the bag with packaging tape or enclosing it in a carton-if they inspect it will they reseal the carton? At least that would keep out casual theives. The only thing in the checked bags would be clothes and books. The only valuables would be the camera gear and we will carry that on with us. How big a problem is theft out of luggage in Honolulu and LAX specifically?

Can you imagine if they had to do this for everyone? :confused:

6 Roundtrips in the last 2 months with TSA locks - NEVER cut of, opend and relocked twice (the locks show when they have been opened). The only time I had one cut of was when they first came out, has become much better since then.

I have had my lock cut of in Germany and the UK (not TSA locks) even before 9/11. Wrapping or puttng in carton will not help and they could damage the bag trying to open it. They will not reseal it. I never had a problem at Honolulu or LAX, (fly both fairly often) but as everywhere, theft can occur. (The only place I had a problem was Frankfurt). The TSA locks are not expensive and work as well as any other lock so you can use it for all your travels.

okay, i am going to buy these brookstone locks today. Are they pretty sturdy?
I am flying from sea-jfk-lhr-thr. I never lock my luggage, but have be warned that locking your luggage is prudent when flying to THR.

I hope they ask before they cut, they will open my bags, but with me present. I hope.

lala

Don't hope too hard; they won't ask, and they won't worry about whether you're present unless you're transporting a declared firearm. The best you can hope for is that you will be in an airport where they do the checked bag screening in the lobby before you go to the security checkpoint. DCA is like that, for example, and when we went to Hawaii last year, they decided that Ms1995hoo's bag had to be searched. We couldn't go into the checked baggage area, but we could see the guy searching it and he saw us watching him. No problems. You cannot then lock your bag, however, even in that situation--you are given NO access to your checked bag after you hand it over to the screeners, except in the firearm situation. Whether some TSA agent might let you hand him your keys to lock the bag and then hand them back is something I don't know; I'm sure it violates the rules.

The only other time I've checked luggage that I can remember was last September on Concorde, but as I checked it at LHR the procedure was different. (Plus, since it was Concorde, they sealed up my bag in a nice plastic wrapper. I saved it and now use it to store my bag at home. Too bad all airlines can't do this--it sure eliminates a lot of scratches and dings.)

I will be travelling from Manila to the US on Cathay Pacific with JFK Int'l as my port of entry. My itinerary is as follows: MNL-HKG-JFK. En route to JFK from HKG, there is a stopover in Vancouver (YVR).

Here's my question: Is there a point in my itinerary where the TSA can enter the picture, and crack open my locked luggage to inspect it? Or does the TSA only do this for flights from within the US?

The only thing to do is assume your bag will be rummaged through. I never check luggage because of this problem - I don't like the idea of someone going through my things when I can't supervise.

There have been numerous horror stories posted here about searchers opening ziplock bags of shampoo and leaving them unsealed to soil the entire suitcase, valuable items being damaged by careless handling, food items being opened and thereby un-sterilized, TSA-approved locks being cut with damage to bags, etc. Bring everything in carry-on, or ship your bags ahead of time with USPS or a one of those travel services.

Travel Sentry
 

The TSA locks are made by Travel Sentry. With these locks, virtually all checked baggage locations have the keys to open these locks and relock them with no effort. Travel Sentry also makes a lock that indicates if the lock had been opened by TSA. I have seen that lock when a passenger showed it to me. I was very pleased that those locks exist. As I said, virtually all checked baggage locations have the keys. If your lock has been cut, definitely complain. I strongly encourage it.

www.travelsentry.org for more info.

Locking checked bags.
 

At my airport, CAK, we do all of the checked bag screening directly behind the airline ticket counters. Passengers are welcome to stay and watch the procedures. If they want to have their bags locked after being searched, we always accomodate them; however, it's ONLY a TSA screener who locks that bag, not the passenger. In addition, if a passenger does leave a bag locked, we inform the airline representatives of that, and they page the person back to the ticket counter. Only in very rare circumstances does the pax not return to the counter, and that's the only time we'll cut a lock off.