Does this happen to you/your family etc in many different countries/airports or ?? Any trend as to where it happens? Maybe I live a sheltered life, but I don't recall any of my friends and certainly none of my family ever complain about missing items.

Happened to us once connecting through LAX..

nothing different than foreign countries in this case..

Let the department of transport know.. and a denial of claim followed..:rolleyes:

Missing items from my luggage has happened to me twice. Both times when leaving Atlanta.

If you've never had your luggage messed with, that's great. Good for you. But don't take that to mean that it doesn't happen to others. And I sincerely hope that if it hasn't happened to you, it is because you are just more careful and clever than the rest of us. On the other hand, maybe it's that your number hasn't come up yet. :cool:

My number's come up several times. Here's a sample.

Years ago, flying SEA to ORD to BFE Mississippi, luggage never arrived. I spent two weeks wearing just what I wore onto the plane. The only concession I made was to buy some cheapo exercise clothes to wear while my stuff was in the laundry. I never did get my luggage.

I've also had checked luggage completely destroyed, and I've had checked luggage opened (prior to 9/11 even).

Whether due to theft or mishandling, I don't care. I don't want to deal with either situation in the future, so I carry on unless forced to check my luggage. And I keep a tight rein on my carryon.

Cheers,

Aaron

Some good ideas on this thread...thanks

On the occasion I check luggage, the most valuable thing I've checked is the bag itself. I figure if my luggage does get lost, the airline can buy me a nice new suitcase.

My biggest complaint with having my luggage searched is not pilferage, but the fact carefully arrange clothes/garment bags tend to get rifled through and wrinkled after repacking. There's not really anything to avoid this, either. :(

I do seem to have horrible luck with baby car seats (they're a bit fragile if they get thrown around and the various mechanisms in the base break). United baggage service personnel seem more interested in offering up a $150 e-cert than providing loaners or actual replacement cost (not that I'm complaining).

Oddly..

I've never had damaged child's car seats on UA.. and I've been flying with them for 8 years pretty consistently..

Our Peg Perego stroller did get banged up on the first trip.. since then, my wife and I really don't bother thinking about it.. and its 5 years with that stroller as well.. being gate checked consistently..

Discouraging the Pilfer
 

I choose my rattiest undershorts. Work the crotch over heavily with a Hershy's Kiss. Pack it on top. Contents not disturbed. :p

I close the zippers with cable ties. This is just for TSA, as a thief would just pop open the zipper with a ball-point pen.

To remove cable ties without scissors, put a ball-point through the loop and twist.

The OP doesn't account for theives that have no shame.

I've known relatives whose luggage was opened by the TSA and stuff was missing, like prescription medication (still in the box with a drug store label, not in a drug store bottle), new wool scarf, etc. That doesn't prove the TSA did it but someone airside did it.

Were the medication painkillers?

great stuff.

[QUOTE=EOS;11808007]The comment made by the poster is not sexist and not mysogynistic. It just reflects poster's(and my) observation and experience as to which bags are statistically more likely to be stolen, and an example of one of the more statistically occurring types of people (not dissimilar to myself btw) that may learn the hard way not to check this type of bag. I am certain the comment was not meant to be demeaning.

You do realize that you're replying to a 3 year old comment, right? Just fyi. Then again, you are apparently a historian, so...

[QUOTE=h15t0r1an;18710450]Thanks. Exactly, what you said! ^

BTW, if this was demeaning at all, it was against blondes but not against women. The female perspective of it is simply because that was a woman's bag. Oh, and I like blondes (and brunettes), but that's another topic. :D

On topic, it's good this thread is coming to the top again since right now there are some discussions on that subject in the Travel Products forum.

Till

Good stuff in this thread.

Gate checking freaks me out. It takes me by surprise, because my 22" usually makes it onboard, and I don't employ any theft deterrents. Plus, I just don't like the idea of the gate check. I can't shake the feeling that once I step onto the plane and am out of view, the guy just chucks everyones bag out of a little trap door and they fall 2 stories down onto the truck or something.

Anyway, carrying some of those zip ties or cables and having them ready in a front compartment would be useful just in case I'm forced to check a bag, last minute.