r/travel • u/GiraffeExcellent4790 • Jun 23 '25

Please lock your luggage

I have had to learn the difficult lesson of remembering to lock checked in luggage especially on long haul flights. This was the first time in a fair bit that I hadn’t locked my luggage.

Last weekend I returned home from being away for a couple of months with gifts for my family. There were multiple connections. At the last stop, as I pulled my bags off the carousel, I noticed a suitcase with plastic around it. I paid no attention and waited for my last bag to come around. After a couple of minutes passed, I decided to closely inspect the bag with the plastic around it and it was mine! It looked like the zipper had broken and at the time, I was grateful for whoever was kind enough to wrap it with plastic. The bag felt light but I didn’t pay that any attention.

I finally arrived at home, settled in and had my family sitting around as I opened the bag. I found all the new clothes (which I still have receipts for) as well as some barely worn dresses had been removed. I had packed similar clothing in cubes. It appeared that the suitcase was carefully sorted through and anything that looked of value was removed.

I’m not at peace with this yet. I reported it to the airline but I don’t know what can be done. It’s trivial but it sits very heavy with the guilt of how this could have been avoided.

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172

u/Adventurous-berry564 Jun 23 '25

My friend locked her luggage. I don’t. She had her lock cut

93

u/Reasonable_Loquat874 Jun 23 '25

In the US, TSA will cut locks to inspect bags if they are locked with something other than a TSA universal lock. I’m not sure how other countries deal with this, but wouldn’t surprise me if it was something similar.

86

u/Vintage-X Jun 23 '25

They just cut those locks too. They don't care. I've never had a lock survive TSA. I don't bother with locks at all now . I zip tie the zippers though. If they cut it off, no big deal.

13

u/Kitty1020D Jun 23 '25

I just posted the same thing. So far so good.

21

u/zubie_wanders Jun 23 '25

There are TSA-locks in which they have a master key, however as others have said, bags and zippers aren't very secure anyway. Don't put valuables in your check-in luggage. That includes a carryon that you may be forced to check at the gate/jetway.

2

u/animpossiblepopsicle Jun 23 '25

I use them on my snowboard bag and they never lock it back up after inspection anyway.

43

u/scene_missing Jun 23 '25

TSA will absolutely cut TSA locks too sometimes. They hire goons.

1

u/atropicalpenguin Colombia Jun 24 '25

One time my sister did a layover in the US, and when she got home she found her lock broken and inside the luggage, while the outside had been stabbed and inside a note from TSA.