TSA Locks

[Chrislovesdisney]

I’m not sure if I cast my vote correctly (it was yes/no, but the verbiage in the post was love ‘‘em or hate ‘em). I use them because even though I don’t put valuables in my luggage, I fly in and out of busy NY airports with 2 small kids and just figure it’s an easy deterrent from a passer-by quietly unzipping my bag to grab somethjng (even if not valuable - who’s to say an Elsa bathing suit isn’t valuable?). Plus I appreciate that there’s an indicator that tells you of someone did use the master key to open it, so I can do a more thorough look through of my bag once I’m at the destination.

eta: oh, now I see the question in the header…why is it appearing white on a light grey background?”

 

[DCLMP]

It depends a ton of the individual airport and airline. At a lot of outstations (smaller airports) none of the airport employees are actually employees of the airline. Corrupt airline employees are surprisingly common, although the truth is that it happens in any sufficiently large population of people. Like this: https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01...ing-ring-that-used-corrupt-airline-employees/


It'll help prevent crimes of opportunity but not a lot else. I personally have a full set of master keys for TSA locks. They're trivially easy to find and 3D print. I do tend to lock my luggage to help keep the zipper closed though.

Of course there are corrupt people in every profession but honestly anyone that travels sees how people pack and the poor condition of a lot of bags. People also leave tons of stuff on planes that they will never get back due to their own carelessness. I have no doubt a lot of that stuff gets sold on eBay.

 

[LeggoMyMeggo87]

I’m not sure if I cast my vote correctly (it was yes/no, but the verbiage in the post was love ‘‘em or hate ‘em). I use them because even though I don’t put valuables in my luggage, I fly in and out of busy NY airports with 2 small kids and just figure it’s an easy deterrent from a passer-by quietly unzipping my bag to grab somethjng (even if not valuable - who’s to say an Elsa bathing suit isn’t valuable?). Plus I appreciate that there’s an indicator that tells you of someone did use the master key to open it, so I can do a more thorough look through of my bag once I’m at the destination.

eta: oh, now I see the question in the header…why is it appearing white on a light grey background?”

Love them or hate them wasn’t the best phrasing on my part. I changed it to ‘worth the purchase or unnecessary buy’?
And mine appears normal in the header…

We just don’t travel that often so I have no idea what’s the “norm” these days. Lol.

 

[hrhdhd]

I am surprised at how many people are saying they have nothing of value in a checked bag. All of my belongings are valuable to me, which is why I've packed them, and if someone swipes my bag, that's a loss of a few hundred bucks in clothes, shoes, and other items. Even swiping one thing is no bueno: A good travel hair dryer ain't cheap!

 

[mab2012]

I am surprised at how many people are saying they have nothing of value in a checked bag. All of my belongings are valuable to me, which is why I've packed them, and if someone swipes my bag, that's a loss of a few hundred bucks in clothes, shoes, and other items. Even swiping one thing is no bueno: A good travel hair dryer ain't cheap!

We'll, it's not so much that your clothes don't have value to you, as they probably don't have much value to anyone else.

What is a would-be thief going to do? Open a suitcase, rifle around, and hope they find something they like in their size? Just how much time/opportunity will they have?

It's not like there's much resale value in the used clothes market. Seems like a lot of effort for not much payoff. And if someone who has the opportunity is really serious about taking your stuff, they're probably just going to take the whole bag, locks or not.

 

[soniam]

I am surprised at how many people are saying they have nothing of value in a checked bag. All of my belongings are valuable to me, which is why I've packed them, and if someone swipes my bag, that's a loss of a few hundred bucks in clothes, shoes, and other items. Even swiping one thing is no bueno: A good travel hair dryer ain't cheap!

I think people are thinking higher value than a few hundred dollars. Most electronics are more than that. My camera tripod cost more than that, and it is middle of the road in price. I do check it sometimes though, because lugging the important camera equipment and other carry-on necessities by myself can be a real pain in the back.

 

[MomOTwins]

I used to us them all time without issue but sometime around 2018 TSA stopped unlocking them and instead started breaking the zippers to get in and left notes. This happened three times in a row and then I just gave up. Suitcases are expensive, and it sucked when I had to throw one away because they damaged the zipper so much it wouldn’t close.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

I used to us them all time without issue but sometime around 2018 TSA stopped unlocking them and instead started breaking the zippers to get in and left notes. This happened three times in a row and then I just gave up. Suitcases are expensive, and it sucked when I had to throw one away because they damaged the zipper so much it wouldn’t close.

And paying to have the zipper replaced can cost as much as a new suitcase, assuming you can find a service to do the repair. I had a sports bag of some sentimental value where the zipper finally gave up the ghost. The luggage repairer offered to sell me a new bag of similar size for what he charged to replace the zipper. But, sentiment won out, so I’m still using the original bag.

 

[spiders]

I have a friend that works on the ramp. He says bags pop open all the time and stuff falls out or people don't zip-up side pockets, or they get stuck on the belts. The people that work out on the ramp go through thorough background checks, are well paid, and have great benefits. Most of them are union and lifers with the airlines. The TSA on the other hand.... the opposite story, but they can go through your bag at will. I wouldn't trust them. It's better just to not pack anything of value in a checked bag.

I would venture to say the overwhelming majority of ramp agents make less money than TSA. You really think TSA isn’t background checked and unionized? Many at the outstations are contracted. Benefits? Flight benefits aren’t what they used to be. Everyone has seen flights…they’re packed. There isn’t any room left for a non-rev — congratulations, you’re #20 on the list for 2 available seats — 49B and 57B. Woohoo.

What people should worry about is just their bag and their contents getting damaged. Don’t bother with a fragile sticker. There is no such thing as a fragile, big bag. That big bag is getting thrown and tossed. You are on your hands and knees in the belly. Those giant bags are going on the bottom and everything else is getting thrown on top of it. Pack accordingly.

 

[DCLMP]

I would venture to say the overwhelming majority of ramp agents make less money than TSA. You really think TSA isn’t background checked and unionized? Many at the outstations are contracted. Benefits? Flight benefits aren’t what they used to be. Everyone has seen flights…they’re packed. There isn’t any room left for a non-rev — congratulations, you’re #20 on the list for 2 available seats — 49B and 57B. Woohoo.

What people should worry about is just their bag and their contents getting damaged. Don’t bother with a fragile sticker. There is no such thing as a fragile, big bag. That big bag is getting thrown and tossed. You are on your hands and knees in the belly. Those giant bags are going on the bottom and everything else is getting thrown on top of it. Pack accordingly.

Of course if your contract worker VS a benefited employee for a major airline there’s going to be a difference in salary, but that holds true for most professions excluding maybe healthcare. It’s really a silly argument. I don’t really see your point. Anybody in a secure area of an airport is thoroughly vetted. I’ve had my checked bags opened a few times by TSA so the locks seem useless. I have no fear of anything getting stolen that being said I’m not packing cash or expensive jewels in a checked bag.
I agree bags get trashed. They get trashed by the cruiselines too. I’m buying new bags every two years. It’s too bad you’ve had a bad experience trying to non- rev. It must vary by airlines.

 

[spiders]

Of course if your contract worker VS a benefited employee for a major airline there’s going to be a difference in salary, but that holds true for most professions excluding maybe healthcare. It’s really a silly argument. I don’t really see your point. Anybody in a secure area of an airport is thoroughly vetted. I’ve had my checked bags opened a few times by TSA so the locks seem useless. I have no fear of anything getting stolen that being said I’m not packing cash or expensive jewels in a checked bag.
I agree bags get trashed. They get trashed by the cruiselines too. I’m buying new bags every two years. It’s too bad you’ve had a bad experience trying to non- rev. It must vary by airlines.

You suggested that most ramp agents make more money than TSA which I’m saying the majority do not. You specifically said that ramp agents are background checked, unionized, well paid and then you said the TSA on the other hand.

 

[Sykes]

Anybody in a secure area of an airport is thoroughly vetted.

As someone who holds a SIDA badge for a major airport I can tell you that isn't really true. There's a criminal record check, but the list of disqualifying convictions is relatively short. There's a reason that airport security training has an extensive module on insider threats. Heck, the conviction rate of TSA agents is higher than that of the general population. And they have a bad habit of stealing stuff. Having said that, theft still isn't something I'm particularly worried about. Even though airport workers aren't more trustworthy than the general population, the limited access means that relatively few people come in contact with your bag anyway, and the chances that one of them is willing to risk their career and their freedom to swipe something in one of the most heavily surveilled places in the world is low.

 

[DCLMP]

You suggested that most ramp agents make more money than TSA which I’m saying the majority do not. You specifically said that ramp agents are background checked, unionized, well paid and then you said the TSA on the other hand.

I think I clarified that in my previous post. How many times are we going to go around in circles.