If that happened, it would force the remaining airlines to take responsibility for checked items or go out of business.

No, the airlines would just stop accepting checked bags with electronics or other valuables.

Which would likely cause some airlines to go out of business, because travellers would find such a policy unacceptable.

My guess is initially travellers would put up with it. Not travelling would be even more unacceptable.

Then regulators might step in and insist airlines take more responsibility (as EU regulators did over denied boarding rights).

I find it a bit of a nonsense anyway. It should be possible to entrust stuff to baggage handling and get it back safely later. I suppose a "half-way house" would be a secure baggage service. You pay a fee at check-in, get a special receipt, and then recover from a desk at the other end on production of a receipt. Don't they do that for guns etc anyway? None of this carrousel free-for-all nonsense. (At Saigon they used to check baggage tags on exit from the arrival hall which was something...)

In the meantime, I would have thought a luggage liablility limit of around $5000 would be a reasonable start.

They used to do this at a large number of US domestic airports as well. All those tag-checkers upon exit from baggage claim got re-deployed to prevent prospective terrorists from getting into the secure areas when 9/11 happened...essentially rendering baggage claim, outside the secure areas, a free-for-all for potential baggage theft. I'm frankly stunned that carousel theft hasn't been reported more often.

However, this thread speaks to a different problem: Theft of either contents, or entire bags, while the baggage is "in the system"...meaning that the perps are also "part of the system"...either airline employees, or TSA employees.

traveller, those claims allowed them to drop her
 

In Louisiana, you can't drop someone from their homeowner's insurance for having natural disaster related claims, so the insurers are pouring over the past claims to find other reasons to drop homeowner's insurance. Making these non-natural disaster claims gives them a legal out to drop you, and then you're stuck paying thousands every year for the state insurance. I wouldn't doubt it's the same in Florida. I've even heard it said that fire areas in California and broad ares of the Midwest (tornadoes) have similar issues.

My policy, after several :) thefts from checked baggage is simply this: if you cannot put it in your carry-on...do not bring it ---ship it seperately and insure it.

I wouldn't be too quick to assume Delta won't pay. Their disclaimer appears to be ambiguous--computer equipment is not the computer itself, but, arguably, the accessories such as the mouse.

It it were me, I file a written claim with Delta with a thought about small claims court in the back of my mind. By the way, depending on which credit card you bought the ticket with there may be coverage there. Amex once paid for a very expensive coat I left on a train in Belgium.

And, who know, Delta might offer your 50K miles or so to settle the matter. :)

I can't think of one good reason for putting a laptop into a checked bag. Putting theft aside, it would be a foolish move to put a laptop in a checked bag because of possible damage. Unless you have your data backed up, you could lose everything with one good jolt. Why risk that?

Reason
 

I used that laptop just to surf the net and download music. There was nothing important on it. It still bothers me a lot to have it stolen. Especially around this time of year when going to best buy is pure torture.This may sound stupid but I am a corporate flight attendant and the only thing I need to carry on board and cannot afford to lose is my suitcase with all my uniforms. So I would usually just check in my laptop and items that wouldnt make it through security. If I landed somewhere and my bag containing the laptop and toiletries was delayed I wouldn't even be in that city long enough to receive it.I would just have it sent bag to my home airport and get it a week later when I get back home. I have been checking it in for 3 years and never had a problem. Now I know. I did send in the claim through delta and hoepfully they will be flexible. Otherwise I will be contacting American express to see if they can help me too.

I'm sorry. It still does not make any sense to me while anyone, including but not limited to, a corporate flight attendant would risk damage to a costly item (a laptop) by putting it in a checked bag. I am sorry that some jerk stole it though.

Can only take roller board on board with $2,000 worth of company uniforms which I need to work all week and if I lose that suitcase it would never catch up to me all week as the plane I fly on has no set schedule. Meaning one morning I awake in cabo that night I could be in montreal. The airline would never be able to get the bag to me. It was a risk checking in the other bag but I couldnt take it on board.

It makes sense to me, possibly others not limited to me!

Frankly, if she's been doing this for 3 years as an FA without a problem then I reckon its pretty much worth it.

Given the choice between lugging a laptop as carry-on continuously as an FA and checking it and then paying a few hundred $$$ once every 3 years to get a new one - think I'd go for the latter. After all, I tend to replace my laptop every 3 years anyway. (And I have been known to leave my carryon in lounges etc.)

I know things are different in the US where luggage is usually left unlocked. But in 10 years of frequent flying mostly in Europe and Asia, I have never once lost or had a piece of checked luggage interfered with.

Well, she may have learned a valuable lesson if her insurance or the airline doesn't cover the claim. I'd be pretty sick if it were my laptop that was stolen, although maybe it isn't as bad if you are only using it for downloading music and surfing the internet and not for business. I haven't had to buy a laptop the past few years due to being issued one for employment purposes. I know my employer would be none-to-happy if I checked it in a bag and it was inadvertently damaged or worse, came up missing!!!

Hopefully all will turn out well; someone will take responsibility for the claim and a new laptop can be purchased.

I just spoke with my son who was unpacking after a Thanksgiving trip between SLC and SEA and discovered that a couple of things he'd bought on Black Friday had been stolen from his checked bag somewhere in transit. It was a memory card and a piece of software, I think he said--still in boxes. Of course, we discussed how foolish it was to put them in checked luggage. Still, it is upsetting to realize that the airlines take no responsibility for such things. I suppose he should still report the theft to Delta, plus the two airports, right? Just in case there's a pattern and it could help somehow. Anyone else experience a loss this weekend at these airports? He said the luggage took forever to get to the baggage claim, but then I suppose it takes a while for the workers to open each bag and help themselves to the valuables.