How To Protect Your Stuff at The Baggage Claim

Protecting your Baggage

While living amongst “towers and towers” of stolen luggage taken from the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport must have been (insert sarcasm font) without a doubt a truly glamorous life (end sarcasm font), luggage thieves Keith and Stacy King will now have to answer to 45 different counts theft, burglary and trafficking in stolen property.

The good news is that Sky Harbor has begun doing random luggage checks as well as increase video surveillance and patrols in the baggage claim area. Still, here are some quick common sense tips to help you protect your luggage from airport thieves. You may think this is a bit of overkill but then again, you probably paid at least $15 to check your bag, so why not see that it gets to you safely?

1. Try not to check a bag. Tim Gunn would say, “Make it work.” We say, “Make it work in an approved carry-on bag.”

2. Go directly to the baggage claim. Don’t dillydally after getting off the plane, no matter how badly you want a taste of Pinkberry. Go downstairs and wait for your bag to arrive.

3. Sew a piece of identification inside your bag. Thieves will rip the ID tags off the handle of your suitcase right away but if you can somehow mark the inside of your bag as your property, then you will have an easier time identifying it if it does get stolen.

4. Leave the LV trunk at home. Don’t use your Louis Vuitton or fancy Alexander McQueen luggage if you have to check bags. Yes, we know you want to impress your fellow passengers but potential thieves might take your expensive luggage tastes to mean that there are expensive items inside as well.

5. Keep those you love close to you. If you’re traveling with VIPs–Very Important Possessions–such as jewelry, iPods, laptops, cameras, etc., do not check them. Make sure these valuables are in your carry-on or on your person.

6. Always doublecheck your baggage claim ticket. This way you can spot a mistake on your luggage route before you land at your destination. If the airport can’t change the bag around in time, you can at least make them aware that the bag needs to be rerouted so it’s not circling the baggage carousel alone in a different airport from yours. Also, if more airports start beefing up their baggage claim security and begin doing random luggage checks, you’ll need this piece of paper to take your suitcase with you.

-Jaunted