Items stolen from my luggage!

[GraemeC]

Hi all,

I have jsut returned from a weekend in Prague (which was great by the way) and found that some dirty little b'stard has been into my luggage and stolen 200 cigarettes and a brand new bottle of aftershave!

Does anyone know if i can receive compensation for this from the airline etc and or who to complain to?

in all honesty i'm not that fussed about the monetary element, i'd much prefer the airline to catch the little buggers so this kind of thing stopped happening.

[dzug2]

If you didn't report the loss at the airport on arrival your chances are slim.

[237SJ]

Find out the address of the airline`s asset protection department and write to them giving all the details. Copy into their customer service department. They`ll probably cop out and say you have to claim from your travel insurance if you have it but at least it will be reported.

[VHG]

Sounds like a good reason to get a lock for your suitcase !

In fact a good reminder for us all to get a lock for our suitcases.

[boxtops]

That's what I was going to ask, wasn't your case padlocked? You can certainly claim if the case was damaged to steal the stuff, but you need to report it at the airport as soon as you collected the bag. Worth trying your travel insurance though, but it'll be hard to prove, only your word for it (sorry) if your stuff was in an unlocked bag.

[McMouse]

Don't get a lock for your suitcase. Security are just as likely to break the case open.

[237SJ]

Makes no difference if you have a lock for your suitcase or not. The official line is that a lock stops your suitcase from opening accidently while it is in transit. US security are expert at opening suitcases as are some baggage handlers. If you have a hard suitcase they can open it by taking the hinge spine out and they don`t even have to touch the lock.

[Mosaic]

As others have said, customs and thieves are not deterred by padlocks - my padlocked case was returned to me open and missing items from an Alitalia flight from Milan - apparently renowned for theft. Not wishing to diss anyone in the trade but I think a combination of luggage appearance and interesting stuff showing on X-rays attracts the light-fingered brigade.

[237SJ]

You`re right Mosaic. My suitcase was "done" going into Mauritius last year. I had a miniature jewellery case with a couple of cheap bead-like necklaces in. I`m sure it was the x-ray people who raided it. Nothing else was touched. On the x ray the necklaces could have appeared as more expensive jewellery. The suitcase was a hard Delsey with a combination lock. It was all closed up and re-locked when I got it to my hotel room. I phoned the airline asset protection group but they tend not to deal with individual cases. I reported it because they can trace if there is a pattern involved ( a certain person on duty at a certain time). If it`s not reported they will never know and the thieving bar stewards won`t be caught.

[smurfchops]

I saw a programme where they opened a zip with a pencil and left the lock alone.

[jno]

dzug2, are you expected to check the contents of your suitcase at the airport? I know you need to report missing cases on the spot, but surely there's leeway in reporting the loss of contents you wouldn't normally notice until you got home?

[Trotbot]

I have seen Customs open a 2 combination and 1 padlocked case in less the 20 seconds.

We came back from Andorra via Toulouse, and those that have vodka and cigarettes in their cases lost them (Toulouse apparently is notorious for it). We reported it to the Police at Gatwick, and they did everything they could not to make a report. The main argument was it was over the duty free limit. Even when it was pointed out that going through the green channel was not a problem as it was obvious by the weight that things were missing.

Ancedotal experience suggests its baggage handlers, and they take mid-value items, as anything expensive is more likely to trigger an investigation

[what..the?]

I'm not getting all my knickers and sex toys out my case at the airport to check they haven't stolen anything....they can have the handcuffs but not the batteries

[Bigfellah]

Many airports now offer a service to wrap suitcases in a strong clingfilm. Does this deter the thieves?

[askyourgran]

My daughter had 400 cigarettes stolen from her suitcase either Spain or on landing at Luton airport, she didn't realise until she got home and opened her case several hours later. No proof of where they were taken from really, It is so upsetting.

[kloofnek]

I have had my suitcase opened and stuff missing whilst flying with Alitalia and opened another time,nothing gone.The airport officials are supposed to be trustworthy!!!!

Does anyone know if they do clingfilm wrapping at Manchester Airport.