TIPS for safeguarding your luggage
June 1, 2008
It’s summer vacation and you’re off to the airport where you have to hand over your suitcases to someone else — or carry them through the screening checkpoints — and hope everything arrives at the other end.
But you know as well as we do that stuff disappears. What to do? We have the behind-the-scenes scoop.
How much stuff goes MIA from Logan?
We made public-records requests and found passengers last year put in hundreds of claims. The total value: more than a quarter of a million dollars in missing items.
What are the most popular items that are swiped?
We found laptops, cameras and electronics were most often reported stolen from checked and carry-on bags. But watch your wallets and purses at the airport — and even on the plane! As in any public place, thieves are poised to strike while you’re distracted.
It’s a high-security airport. Isn’t anyone watching?
Big brother is indeed on the lookout. Logan is one of the few airports with cameras covering 100 percent of areas controlled by the Transportation Security Administration. (The TSA is the federal agency charged with screening checked and carry-on luggage.) The TSA says every bag search is videotaped. Massachusetts State Police also has cameras rolling and officers patrolling the airport. Airline companies handle your baggage as well; an industry spokesman told us they “monitor” their employees, but he was secretive about details.
What do I do if something is gone?
Tell every agency you can. The more places you report the loss to, the more likely it is to turn up. Something missing from your luggage? Notify the TSA and the airlines. If your wallet is snatched while you’re at the food court, tell the State Police. They’ll investigate just about any loss, anywhere at the airport.
What happens then?
Each agency handles it a bit differently:
The TSA will review the actual security footage of the screeners who handled your carry-on or checked bag. If they can’t prove they’re not responsible, they may pay your claim. Although the feds paid out $11,000 last year, they insist that no Logan employee has ever been caught stealing.
The airlines say if you report a loss to them, they’ll also investigate. The big difference here: They may pay if they lose your bag, but they make it very clear they aren’t responsible for valuables packed inside.
The State Police will search the airport for your missing stuff and investigate alleged thefts, even if that means they have a little chat with airline or TSA employees.
Should I assume my stuff was lifted?
While we were deep behind the scenes at Logan, we found both the TSA and State Police have crowded lost-and-found departments. The police told us many items reported taken were actually just left behind. We saw the stash: orphaned Prada purses, designer tote bags, tennis rackets and lots more, waiting for their rightful owners.
What can I do to keep my stuff safe?
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: NEVER check anything that’s valuable! No electronics, no family heirlooms, nothing you can’t replace. Carry it on. And watch it pass through the checkpoint. {EXA}
Award-winning investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan is on the air at Boston’s NBC affiliate where she has broken big stories for the past 22 years. She has won 24 Emmys as well as dozens of other regional, national and international honors for her work. She is also a best-selling mystery novelist http://www.hankphillippiryan.com). Mary Schwager has worked with Ryan as an investigative producer for eight years and has her own shelf of prestigious journalism awards. A 16-year television veteran, she has been a writer, producer and reporter. They can be contacted at hryan at whdh.com and
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