To prevent your belongings from being stolen or misplaced, we suggest for you to lock your luggage. It's important to protect your bags when traveling and to always keep an eye on them, especially if there is no lock on your luggage.
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TSA agents have a master key to open TSA-approved locks, including multiple-digit combination locks. If they're unable to open your bag's lock with their master key, they will end up cutting the lock to gain access to your bag. Only use TSA-approved locks to avoid this happening.
Putting a lock on your bag is not obligatory, but you might still consider getting it. These locks won't stop the thief from stealing your suitcase or bag, but they might prevent them from stealing the things you have inside. Most thieves don't really like to complicate their life and deal with lock picking.
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.
The Benefits of Locking Your LuggageUsing a suitcase lock makes it more difficult for baggage handlers or strangers to riffle through your goods at the airport. Not to mention, luggage locks are a great way to ensure your personal belongings won't fall out because the zippers are held together.
Sometimes it's best to go with an old-fashioned lock and key, especially if you don't trust yourself to remember a combination at the end of a long-haul flight.
While it's understandable that travelers want to lock their baggage to protect their personal belongings, it's also important to understand that TSA officers must be able to inspect baggage and contents when the need arises. That's where TSA recognized locks come in.
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), yes, you can zip-tie your luggage shut so no one would be able to simply unzip your luggage and go through it.
Many travelers take time to add a luggage tag to the suitcases they plan to check-in. However, it's just as important to add a luggage tag to carry-on bags. In the event an airline overbooks a flight, there's a chance a carry-on will have to be checked at the gate and already having a tag in place helps with tracking.
Most people with bags wrapped in plastic have it done by a company at the airport but it is possible to do it at home. Be aware that while you can do it yourself, there is a chance it will be removed by security before your bag gets loaded onto your plane.
A TSA lock is one to which only TSA officials have a key. You set the combination yourself and, if a TSA agent has to look inside your bag because they see something suspicious on the scanner, it can be easily opened with their master key.
“People who get their carry-on stolen usually board late,” said Kevin Coffey, a police detective and travel-security consultant in Los Angeles. “They're sitting in Row 44, their bag is above Row 19, and when the plane lands, a crook grabs the bag and he's gone.”
Most people tend to buy black or navy suitcases, says Phil Dengler, co-founder of the travel site The Vacationer. It can hide normal wear and tear—such as scratches—better than a light-colored one, and let's face it, darker tones can be a simple choice to default to when shopping for baggage.
Once an airline determines that your bag is lost, the airline is responsible for compensating you for your bags' contents - subject to depreciation and maximum liability limits.
Travel Sentry® Approved locks are approved and recognized by the TSA. Look for the Travel Sentry® symbol when shopping for these TSA-Approved products. Master Lock has joined together with TSA and Travel Sentry® to use the special Travel Sentry® mark on luggage locks that meet the requirements of the TSA.