How do I make sure no one steals my luggage?

12 Ways to Prevent Luggage Theft and Minimize Hassles If It Happens
  1. Carry Your Bag on Instead of Checking It. ...
  2. Pack Extra Things in Your Carry-On. ...
  3. Make Checked Luggage Easy to Identify. ...
  4. Never Pack Valuable Items in Checked Luggage. ...
  5. Invest in an Apple AirTag. ...
  6. Lock Checked Luggage.




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Across the board, the chance of an airline losing a suitcase — at least for a little while — is around 0.4%, according to LuggageHero. That's about one in every 250 bags. Meena Thiruvengadam is a Travel + Leisure contributor who has visited 50 countries on six continents and 47 U.S. states.

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7 Ways to Keep Your Luggage More Secure During Travel
  1. Invest in Locks. ...
  2. Keep Valuable Items Out of Sight. ...
  3. Use Plastic Wrapping. ...
  4. Avoid Keeping All Your Valuables in Your Bag. ...
  5. Divide Your Luggage. ...
  6. Tie a Ribbon around Your Luggage Zippers. ...
  7. Anticipate Any Potential Thefts.


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According to the Department of Transportation, luggage theft is a common problem. U.S. airlines reported more than three mishandled bags for every thousand in March. More than 1 million bags were stolen in 2018. It resulted in $1.2 billion in missing valuables.

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According to Luggage Hero, there were more than 684,000 lost and mishandled bags at major US airlines in the first quarter of 2022 alone. The Points Guy notes that this equated to approximately seven bags out of every 1,000, or 0.7%. American Airlines' average came in slightly higher, at nine per 1,000 or 0.9%.

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New video surveillance footage has just been released, which shows three TSA agents allegedly acting together to steal from passengers' bags while screening them through a security checkpoint at Miami International Airport.

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“Of all national airlines, American Airlines lost the most bags in 2022, losing 850 bags per 100,000. That was followed by JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines,” Travel and Leisure magazine reported in a recent article published before the holiday meltdown.

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However, having a luggage cover won't prevent security from getting into your stuff. If they're nice, they'll unzip it or peel off the Velcro. If not, they'll slice right through.

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Airlines are legally required to compensate you for lost items and any baggage fees you paid.

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Travelers who suspect they were a victim of stolen luggage should immediately notify their airline of the situation. A stolen luggage report can also be filed with the airport police, in the event your property is recovered on baggage handlers or other employees.

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Airline check-in staff are trained to recognize the Travel Sentry? mark so they understand that baggage with this special mark is permitted to remain locked. The TSA screeners have access to special tools that allow them to open TSA-Approved locks in the event that your bags must be opened for inspection.

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The most common luggage mishaps Mishandling during transfer is one of the primary reasons why luggage may be delayed or lost. This can occur when handlers do not have adequate time to transfer bags between flights.

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Allegiant Air Allegiant is also the U.S. airline least likely to mishandle your luggage, according to the 2021 Air Travel Consumer Report. Over the 12-month period studied, Allegiant handled 446,862 bags and just 877 were mishandled. The airline only mishandled 1.96 bags out of 1,000.

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According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, you are entitled to compensation for reasonable incidental expenses you incur because of your delayed baggage, up to the maximum liability limits, set by statute. For U.S. domestic flights, this is $3,800 per passenger.

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Yes, you're allowed to put your AirTag in your checked luggage.

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Bag Wrap, just one company that will sheath your luggage in cling film, with locations in airports all around Europe, states five: that it protects your luggage from damage, deters thieves, weather-proofs it, makes it easily identifiable, and reduces the risk of someone slipping illicit goods into your bag.

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Consider filing a lawsuit against the airline in small claims court. Small claims courts handle a wide variety of property-related lawsuits which include lawsuits for lost luggage by an airline. Small claims court is also an affordable and user-friendly way for you to sue an airline for lost or delayed luggage.

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