Theft at airports

[gleno1]

Travellers beware.A few days ago a relation of mine had his hand luggage stolen from Alicante Airport whilst him and his wife were waiting for their cases to come off the carousel.They lost their mobile phone,spending money and all their medication.Luckily their passports were on them.Obviousley it has spoiled their holiday,you cannot take any chance's, can you?

[bednobs]

no you can't

[Davethedog]

That applies to any Airport, train/coach station or indeed any large gathering of people.

Though I have to ask how were they able to get it, when we travell the hand luggage/ flight bags never leave our bodies, except in the plane.

[pusskin]

thats a shame gleno1.

We dont take our eyes off any of our hand luggage, untill were happily settled in the car on the way to where were going. One big lesson learned hopefully

[237SJ]

Davethedog, it`s quite easy to lose your case at the carousel. You line up at the line ready to collect it with your cabin bag next to you. You go forward to pick up your case as it comes around. You grab it, turn around and hey presto, your cabin bag`s gone.

[redcrx]

our cabins bags are always on shoulder straps across body, openings facing inwards.
Its too easy to take your eye off them if you have to carry in hand.

[bednobs]

trouble is you dont even need a large gathering - my frriend had her handbag in the childseat bit of her shopping trolley and leant accross the freezer to get some pickled onions and had it pinched

[Davethedog]

237 not if its strapped across your chest while you do the leaning, its not.

[VHG]

My daughter flew to Australia for a year with her boyfriend just before Christmas.

I warned her about keeping her stuff close to her and not getting it stolen.

Anyway we went to see them off at the airport, and while they were checking in she left her hand luggage behind her totally unguarded.

I noticed this from afar, so to teach her a lesson I crept up behind her and "stole" the bag while she and her boyfriend were dealing with check in. It took me just seconds and nobody noticed.

When she turned round and noticed her bag had gone she was horrified.

I then showed her I had it and she had a look of huge relief on her face.

Hopefully it taught her a lesson.

I am afraid like others have said I NEVER let my bags out my sight. If I have to stand for long periods with them I put my foot through the handle if the handle is big enough (like on a rucksack).

Theives can act in seconds.

[VHG]

I also keep my passports, money, credit card etc in a neck wallet under my shirt. I keep nothing but loose change in my normal wallet in my back pocket.

That way if I am ever mugged or my bag is stolen I still have the important things like passport, credit cards.

In fact I have now got into the habit of wearing my neck wallet even when not on holiday with my various credit / debit cards in it, and any large bank notes (£10 and £20).

I feel it is much more secure in a wallet round my neck than in a wallet in my back pocket.

[jno]

if your friends were travelling as a couple, one should look for the cases while the other looks out for the hand baggage. Always split the duties, and always watch each other's backs.

Tougher if you're travelling alone.

[boxtops]

Very hard lesson - but as jno suggests, one of us holds the trolley with hand luggage and coats, while the other one forages on the carousel. Is it covered by travel insurance?

[jamesnan]

I was in Barcelona a couple of years ago and had been warned about thieving from bags, etc. I walked around all day with my hand on top of my shoulder bag zip except when I had to use 2 hands to climb onto the train to get back to the hotel. My bag was unzipped and zipped again then, my large bright pink purse taken out without me knowing a thing about it. The purse was as wide as the bag so not an easy job. Apparently this is a very common event at the station.
Now, my new replacement purse has a chain on it, and permanently fixed to the bag.
I learned my lesson!!!

[Andyvon]

My father spent his life in the airlines and I was brought up with the industry. It's common knowledge in the airlines that many thefts from luggage happen in the baggage handling areas. One of the easiest ways to open a suitcase with a zip around the outside is with a ballpoint pen. There are clips on YouTube that show how to open the case by pressing the point of the pen into the zip which then parts so the zipper can be run around. It then zips up again without causing any damage or sign that the case has been opened. Locks don't matter as it's the zip that's opened and closed again. Some cases that can't be opened or have been damaged just disappear and three cases disappear per flight on average.

Baggage handling is a closed shop and the handlers get their jobs by knowing friends and relatives. The airlines occasionally try to crack down on theft but the baggage handlers threaten to go on strike so the airlines back off. It's gone on for years.

[tamborine]

Perhaps they can invest in clothes with pockets for mobile & money. Medicines can be purchased at destination if they're barred in hand luggage.

[sandyRoe]

Not so long ago Heathrow was nicknamed Thiefrow.

[what..the?]

there was also this post recently about airport safety but the baggage handlers have sticky fingers this time:

http://www.theanswerb...l/Question983712.html

[boxtops]

jamesnan - I had exactly the same, getting of a bus and crossing a road in Torremolinos some years back. Shoulder bag zipped, still zipped by the time I crossed the road, but the purse had gone. I try harder now!

[chrissa1]

When my husband and I flew with the children I always stayed with the hand luggage while he got the luggage off the carousel.

[237SJ]

Sorry Andy. Not true. Three suitcases don`t go missing per flight. If they do it is because the airline has lost them (quite common). The baggage handlers don`t get the job because of who they know. If the airline is onto them because they are nicking stuff they put fibre optic camers in the hold and everywhere else. When they get enough of them (they tend to work in teams) they nick them. I remember a copper telling me how they watched baggage handlers via camers going through people`s suitcases, stealing shoes, jumpers etc. When they arrested one of them he was wearing the clothes they had filmed him stealing. He still tried to deny it.

[Andyvon]

Sandy - the biggest airline to use Heathrow is also known for having the handlers with the stickiest fingers. Some apparently spend much of their time going through baggage and even smash cases open if they want to get in. Some even go straight back to work there after coming out of jail having been sacked for theft! (all allegedly of course!).The airline won't have the handlers go on strike as it would cost millions.

My father was flight crew but they always complained about the handlers, then said there was nothing the airline could do. I remember that as a kid! It's only worse now as the volume of travellers has increased so much.