Why is it that we don’t trust airlines to get our checked bags to their destination – the old saying is that “there are two kinds of luggage, carry on and lost” – but we totally trust fellow passengers not to take our bags from baggage claim?
- “Many bags look alike” and your bag could easily be taken by mistake, even assuming other passengers aren’t nefarious
- When you don’t find your bag on the belt at baggage claim, you assume the airline lost it, rather than someone stole it.
There are basically no precautions against theft, but we trust each other only to take luggage that belongs to us.
You can’t trust airlines to keep your bags, but you can trust other passengers not to take them. 🤓 https://t.co/nBKDxNVSRQ
— Bryan Caplan (@bryan_caplan) June 9, 2023
There used be people checking baggage claim tags at New York-area airports years ago. You’d have to show your claim check to leave with a bag. But I haven’t seen this since I was a kid.
In 2017 a man checked his gun, collected it at baggage claim in Fort Lauderdale, and then started shooting passengers. There was handwringing that someone could do this, and TSA on the scene ran away (they aren’t there to protect you). But checking guns as luggage isn’t necessary for this, anyone could come in off the street and do it – there’s no security screening to get to baggage claim. Just cameras.
There are cameras everywhere, and Sam Brinton eventually gets caught stealing luggage, but they have to do it over and over at multiple airports.
In Atlanta a man caught on camera stealing bags off of a carousel at baggage claim in 2021. He was caught because Atlanta’s airport police were already familiar with him from previous run-ins. Everyone returns to the scene of the crime.
A CNN camera man learned that when his checked camera equipment was stolen and listed on eBay. The TSA employee who took it forgot to remove the CNN stickers before posting the listing. Baggage handlers have even been caught on video stealing luggage.
American Airlines once had to reimburse a passenger after her clothing turned up for sale on Facebook Marketplace, listed by a baggage handler. A Delta passenger had their panties stolen from checked luggage and a United passenger had some rare whiskey drained from a bottle in their bag.
You should always carry your most valuable items on your person, or ideally in a bag that remains underneath the seat in front of you – and board early enough to get overhead bin space within eye shot of your seat so you’ll notice if something is being taken. Unfortunately you’re not allowed to bring the bottle of rare whiskey through security, so don’t be surprised when it isn’t there when you arrive at baggage claim.
Because most luggage has nothing of value in it. Do you really want to steal luggage filled with someone else’s clothes and toiletries? Maybe you’ll find a hardback book in checked luggage, but those are only worth $10 used. The most valuable thing in checked luggage is usually the luggage itself.
Good advice on keeping your valuables with you (carry-on), and also, yes, I, too, remember the checked baggage ‘verification’ at the old LGA, but that is no-more thanks to the sprawling, open-concept baggage areas of the new LGA; JFK T4 still has baggage claim in the secured area, but you’d have to trust your fellow passengers (and the baggage handlers, apparently) to be honorable.
Air tags. Period. Solves a lot of this.
@LS — Then what? Like, we each have to become our own Dog the Bounty Hunter and take our things back, by force, if necessary… which reminds me: “you can’t hide, from the Dog!” And, “if you run, you’ll only go to jail tired!”
The old LGA Delta terminal still had a person checking bag tags until approx. 2018-19. Haven’t seen anyone since the new terminal opened post-Covid.
I don’t trust anyone not to steal from baggage claim, that’s why I always try and be first off the plane and through immigration. I actually happened to me at Lima and I saw the woman take my bag. When I shouted across the airport at her she dropped it and ran.
There are places that still check your claim ticket before you leave, I’ve had it happen recently, in Ecuador.
And yes, US airports are insanely designed where anyone can wander in off the street to baggage claim. It’s not the norm anywhere else in the world.
Grabbing somebody else’s suitcase, possibly full of dirty clothes and likely as not these days to have at least one Airtag doesn’t seem like a particularly lucrative idea. The chances of hitting a jackpot aren’t all that high, which means doing this a lot to score a big win. That increases the likelihood of getting caught.
This is precisely why checking high-end luggage is a gamble I’m no longer willing to take. Sam Brinton reportedly targeted more upscale bags when stealing from baggage carousels, including the one that held Asya Khamsin’s dress. As for me, the fanciest bag I’ll ever check is a Samsonite, and even that only happens when there’s truly no alternative.
Yeah, I’ve some expensive whiskey drained, full when it went into the suitcase, empty when I picked it up.
I remember way back when that San Diego checked boarding passes against your luggage, it was a pain, but maybe a good thing
Yeah the luggage might be the most valuable, but not after I ( or my kids) started painting it. Got the idea from AOC tax the rich dress, nobody can fence luggage that is fuguly painted. It’s not like Tumi will deny the warranty for repair if necessary. Also we use airtags on well everything.
Why is the US so allergic to good ideas from around the world? The practice in the US of domestic baggage claims that are openly accessible by everyone dates back to the era when checked baggage screening wasn’t required so unscreened bags being left unattended on the carousel wasn’t considered a security risk.
The UK required checked baggage screening years before the US did – coincidentally (or not), most if not all domestic baggage claim areas in the UK have one-way exits (similar to exiting an international baggage claim area, but no customs). Passengers can exit freely, but people can’t enter the baggage claim area from the public area. (The information desk in the public area can arrange to escort a passenger back in if they forgot their bags.)
To put one-way exits onto an existing domestic baggage claim area could be doable or it could be extremely difficult, depending on the layout needed to support the passenger flows. These things would need to be the case:
> All arriving passengers exit into the baggage claim area. (in other words, not into the check-in area as is the case in many US airports)
> The baggage claim area is capable of being easily separated from the public area. (sometimes this isn’t the case in the US, for example, Orlando terminal A/B, where doing so would be basically impossible)
The easiest way, of course, would be to build a one-way exit from the domestic baggage claim area when designing/reconstructing a terminal so there’s no need for retrofit.
Anyone know of any US airports where a retrofit would be feasible and/or there is major reconstruction planned? Perhaps it’s time for someone to start a petition to those airports – and try to get their design team to take a trip to the UK and see how one-way exits from domestic baggage claim can be done.
And to follow up on my previous comment: maybe state legislatures should enact laws to require all new/reconstructed airport terminals to have one-way exits from all baggage claim areas.
@Samus Aran — I applaud your ‘idealism’ that we in the USA, 2025, would expect our government to do anything but more tax cuts for the super rich and corporations, general de-regulation, and harm ‘the poors,’ while blaming whatever boogeyman they can come up with (immigrants, LGQBTQ, etc.) So, yes, once the adults are back in charge, copying UK’s 261 would also be good, too.
A great question! In April of 2023 , my wife had her suitcase stolen from the baggage carousel at Denver International Airport. We never got it back. United paid us for the loss – but it took getting the Denver police involved to finally figure out who stole it ( A group working to sell drugs and stole bags to finance the endeavor). We submitted statements to the prosecutor- never did find out if they were convicted or not.
Because people basically are honest. I remember my father’s boss whom we called Uncle Gerald A”H and a lovely friend to us telling me that when I was a kid
I once grabbed the wrong bag at JFK on an international arrival. I had a can of duck confit I was declaring and the inspector asked to see it. Such inspections took place right near the carousels then. I opened the bag, which to my surprise it seemed I forgot to lock. That’s when I caught my mistake. It was the same model and color suitcase. When I saw it was destined for my airport, I assumed it was mine. I’ve been more careful every since.
@1990, State legislatures could still act even in the absence of federal action, as most US airports are owned by state/local governments.
(Side note: Some people seem to believe that all US airports are “federal property”. Perhaps Gary should do a “travel legal mythbusters” article series?)
It’s all about cost. Airlines won’t pay for the staffing and infrastructure needed to have the claim checks inspected. They don’t care if people steal your luggage. It’s a cost of doing business to them. Just like they don’t care if planes are properly cleaned. They don’t want to pay.
One reason is its a unwritten code in life. Most of the people on a plane share something in common…flying sucks, Airlines suck, the staff sucks, they nickel and dime you to death. When we get to luggage claim we just grab our luggage and want to be done with the misery. Shared commonality often builds bonds and trusts.
Its like in the military certain things people do certain things people do not. When I was in the Marines if I had lost my wallet on base 95% chance someone would pick it up and be it 500 dollars in it I would of received it with everything in it..shared commonality among us. List goes on but flying is one of the.
The staff on the other hand for luggage are often contracted out to the lowest bidder so the miserable CEO of United can get his bonus then insult passengers saying how great United is when he probably does not even like to fly it. I am betting he flies around on a United Gulfstream with a ratio of 1-2 attendant’s for just him.
When I flew VietJet on internal flights, there was a member of staff by the departure doors checking bags. I’m one of those that likes to stick the labels on the back of my passport, and everytime it was peeled off and compared to the barcode on my suitcase before I could leave the airport.
Bit annoying, but I guess it’s there for a reason.
@Samus Aran — Just saying, I don’t expect the current folks in power to do anything, so if you want something done right, may have to do it ourselves. Whether it’s a municipal ordinance, a state or federal law, a DOT-FAA ‘directive,’ or literally the company managing/operating the airport just decides to adopt it as a ‘best practice’ or ‘risk mitigation’ effort, I’m in-favor of the baggage claim being a quasi-secured area, and for some sort of verification before exiting with a checked bag (it could even be automated with gates, scan bag, scan boarding pass, prevent randos from entering, etc.)
At most airports, especially large cities, they used to have an agent checking tags as you leave so you had to prove the bags were yours. That was at least 20 years ago.
One reason airports are trying to avoid becoming homeless shelters for drug addicts, that will steal anything to support their habits. The best way to avoid your bag being stolen is to be at the belt when bags start to come out. Or better yet avoid checking a bag.
@George Romey — Yeah, no one here supports vandalism, trespassing, or petty theft. That said, do you have a rral solution for the age-old ‘homelessness’ problem? Like, other than throw them all in jail, because ‘drugs,’ or whatever. And it doesn’t seem like our society really cares about mental health much; as in, cares enough to actually invest in treatment and rehabilitation. Maybe build some more houses? No, NIMBY! Or jobs? Psh, AI will automate those. Or… He’s just gonna send them to ‘the camps,’ isn’t he? One day, the rest of us are gonna be like ‘huh, where’d all the homeless go?’ Anyway, off to praise our Dear Leader!
*real
(I swear, I proofread, but wowza..)
There obviously is a cost-benefit return to the airlines not employing someone to check bag tags. But it would be nice if airports at least made baggage claims only accessible to exiting passengers.
I just started wondering based on @Samus Aran’s comments on one-way access to baggage claim, something I’ve experienced internationally. So now I’m wondering, PIT is about to open a new terminal. Did they use that design?
I still remember when they “checked” tags. There was either long lines or the checker just waved you through.
@This comes to mind
Unfortunately, from what I can see in the renderings, it seems like they didn’t do so – such a missed opportunity.
Maybe time for US airports to do the same as some airports in SouthAm – nobody allowed into the terminal except passengers with a ticket. Concession operators will protest of course, but who cares except the people buying their overpriced products.
“There used be people checking baggage claim tags at New York-area airports years ago. You’d have to show your claim check to leave with a bag. But I haven’t seen this since I was a kid.”
Oh I remember this well, especially at JFK … that one specific lady at PanAm and you did not mess with her. She checked the tags and if you did not have that tag you were not getting out of there without her ensuring that was absolutely your luggage.
“When you don’t find your bag on the belt at baggage claim, you assume the airline lost it, rather than someone stole it.”
An airport baggage claim area would have surveillance cameras everywhere. This should be very easy to prove or disprove.
And for the question of why luggage isn’t stolen? Well, does the thief want a pile of your dirty socks and toothpaste, and if they’re lucky maybe a few knicknacks from a local tourist shop where you were traveling? I would think not. Anything valuable — or even resellable — is unlikely to wind up in checked luggage.