# [2006] TSA Luggage Locks?



## wheaties (Jan 23, 2006)

Has anyone used the new TSA-approved luggage locks?  Are they worth using?  Can they be used going out of the country (i.e. Mexico)?  Our son had items stolen from his luggage and thought this may help.  Any feedback's appreciated!


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## lvhmbh (Jan 23, 2006)

I hate to say this but there have been a number of reports of items stolen from luggage by TSA AGENTS!  We just try not to put anything important in our luggage and put the important stuff in our carry-on.  Linda


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## w.bob (Jan 23, 2006)

We have used them for a couple of years now. We never had anything stolen and I am not sure if the locks would help. Using the TSA locks only puts my mind at ease knowing that I can have my luggage locked and know that the lock will not be cut off. I always carry on my important papers and other items of value.


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## ouaifer (Jan 23, 2006)

The TSA locks are fine in the US...the folks we have talked to at TSA have indicated that they all have the keys...however they are only good in the US.  They will difinitely be breached in another country...if they want to get into your luggage, the TSA locks will be cut off.


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## davhu1 (Jan 23, 2006)

Waste of money.  Some TSA are so poorly trained, they do not know what a TSA lock is.  I got 2 cut by them.  One on a ski bag going to Colorado.  The other one was cut on a suitcase with snorkel gears coming back from Hawaii.  Cheaper and easier to put on a  plastic electrical wire tie.


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## Keitht (Jan 23, 2006)

I also use cable ties.  They are reasonably secure but can be cut off easily if the security people want to get in.  We used them on 6 flights in the US and they were not removed once.
I put a pair of nail clippers in the side pocket of one of the cases so that I could cut them off at our destination.


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## JoAnn (Jan 23, 2006)

I lost one on a flight (or somewhere) from Bariloche Argentina to Buenos Aires. 

When DH & DS went hunting last October, DH had to unlock the TSA lock for the TSA person to look in his luggage    Apparently the TSA agent had no idea how to open it!  On the return trip, there was a paper in the luggage stating they had looked inside. (nothing was missing). 

At least with the locks in place the zipper can't slip open.


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## ZCar (Jan 23, 2006)

Hey Keitht,
We do exactly the same thing as you. No problems and a lot less money!
(Even when we flew to London).


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## dougp26364 (Jan 23, 2006)

I've been using the TSA locks since last October. So far, no problems. I purchased them because we were going out of the county and I wanted to be able to lock my bags. The twist ties aren't much of a deterent to criminal hands. Granted any luggage lock won't keep a determined thief out of your luggage but it will deter the simple sneak thiefs if there's easier pickings around.

We also cruise once or twice a year and it makes us feel better about setting our luggage out in the hallways for pick up on the last night of the cruise. 

There is no lock that will protect your possesions in transit but it might deter them enough to pick on another bag. Perhaps one that only has a twist tie or nothing at all. NEVER put anything of value in checked luggage unless you don't mind having it stolen.


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## ZCar (Jan 24, 2006)

Doug,
Keitht and I are talking about the plastic tie-wraps, not twist-ties. One would usually need snips or a finger nail clipper to cut them. They come in various widths (and colors) and the bigger, the tougher to cut.


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## kter (Jan 24, 2006)

*cable locks*

cable ties is a good idea....  they lock down and must be cut to remove.  To me, this is a much better and less expensive alternative to the TSA locks. At least you know when your bags have been snooped. You can pick up about 100 tie downs for $10.00


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## cotraveller (Jan 24, 2006)

We have TSA locks and have used them on both domestic and international flights.  There was one case where they were definitely opened by TSA since we could tell that the contents of the suitcases had been rearranged.  The locks are about $6 from AAA or $10 for ones that indicate if they have been opened.  I don't consider the locks much of a theft deterrent.  I see them mainly as preventing the suitcase from opening accidently for whatever reason.


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## 2hokies (Jan 24, 2006)

My brother used a TSA lock and his bag was searched.  No biggie.  Unfortunately, they did NOT replace the lock on his bag, nor did they put it inside the bag   .  I think I'll stick with the cable ties.


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## jimbiggs (Jan 31, 2006)

You can't stop a thief, but a lock will help keep the honest people honest.  The locks are inexpensive.  I bought several, but have not used them.  We're still using our old non-TSA approved locks.  In the last three trips, they have not been cut.  Once they get cut off, I'll start using the TSA approved locks.


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## dougp26364 (Jan 31, 2006)

The problem with ties is when the TSA cuts them off, they don't always replace them or replace them with less expensive ties.

It is a correct statment that the tougher it is to get off, the lower the chances your bag with be broken into. The TSA locks are tougher than any cable tie I know of. It takes more than nail clippers or small scissors to cut off a TSA lock.

Unfortunately, depsite the fact they've been around for some time, some TSA employee's haven't seemed to get the message. George Carlin said it best once when he complained about people with double digit IQ's and triple digit incomes rooting around in his bags. Most TSA employee's I've come in contact with have been fine but there are just enough of them without the good common sense that God gave to a goose to make you cringe every time you have to navigate airport security.


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## Htoo0 (Jan 31, 2006)

We've used both TSA and wire ties with no problems and sometimes we get notes that the bag(s) was inspected.  As far as cheaper wire ties, I don't reuse them anyway once they're cut.  Biggest problem I've had with them is figuring out how to cut them upon arrival when I couldn't carry a pocket knife or nail clippers, etc.


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## Keitht (Jan 31, 2006)

At Las Vegas airport the security people were actually checking locks as we handed our cases in.  They asked one person to remove the lock (non TSA) or risk it being broken off.  Security was the cable ties we had used and said they were a good idea.


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## Elli (Jan 31, 2006)

Keitht said:
			
		

> I also use cable ties.  They are reasonably secure but can be cut off easily if the security people want to get in.  We used them on 6 flights in the US and they were not removed once.
> I put a pair of nail clippers in the side pocket of one of the cases so that I could cut them off at our destination.


Dave, here is your answer how to cut the cable ties.


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## ZCar (Jan 31, 2006)

If you pull the cable ties really tight, even pointed snips have a problem cutting them. I usually leave a small loop to give the nail clipper edge a bit of a grip. Why spend dollars for locks?


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## Htoo0 (Jan 31, 2006)

Yeah, I figured both the above points out at my timeshare the 1st time I used ties.     But I was so used to having my Swiss knife with me I just didn't think about it. Now I have my knife or clippers in one of the bags with a TSA lock.


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## Jim C (Feb 1, 2006)

*No Problem w/TSA locks*

We've been using them since they were first authorized;  both for domestic and international travel.  The last two times we flew back from PV, one bag was opened for inspection.  It was relocked(??) with the red alert button displayed.  Nothing missing.  As stated above, if nothing else the locks secure the bags against casual pilfering or thefts.  Someone mentioned dishonest TSA employees as being a major problem.  Don't know about that, but have the baggage handlers all of a sudden become honest and trustworthy??


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## sultan_sfo (Feb 1, 2006)

*Make Searching Easy for TSA*

Just a personal observation:
Imagine the TSA inspector opening your bags and then not being able to close it because you had packed it so tightly.  My guess is some of your items will not get back  when your bags are closed! On the cruise boards, there is always a discussion of using the large (2-gal to 3 gal) ziplock bags to place items and a separate zip lock bag for "suspicious" items such as clocks, chargers, extension cords, etc. The easier you make it for the TSA inspector to go through your luggage, the less likely your luggage will be damaged. /Sultan


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## Keitht (Feb 1, 2006)

ZCar said:
			
		

> If you pull the cable ties really tight, even pointed snips have a problem cutting them. I usually leave a small loop to give the nail clipper edge a bit of a grip. Why spend dollars for locks?



Agreed.  I pulled one a bit tight and it took me about 5 minutes of snipping a tiny section at a time to get it unlocked


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## Dollie (Apr 1, 2006)

*TSA Locks: Left with 4, Arrived with 1*

Conclusion:  The locks are a waste of money.

We had four locks on our suitcases.  At checkin at the airport, the counter person asked us to unlock them to make it easier for TSA.  We did.  TSA is right behind the counter.  It should have been easy for TSA, all they had to do was lock them when they were done.  When we picked our luggage up in Hawai`i, only one lock was on the suitcases.  The other 3 were totally gone.


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## dougp26364 (Apr 1, 2006)

Dollie said:
			
		

> Conclusion:  The locks are a waste of money.
> 
> We had four locks on our suitcases.  At checkin at the airport, the counter person asked us to unlock them to make it easier for TSA.  We did.  TSA is right behind the counter.  It should have been easy for TSA, all they had to do was lock them when they were done.  When we picked our luggage up in Hawai`i, only one lock was on the suitcases.  The other 3 were totally gone.




In this case, I'd say it was the TSA that was worthless and not the locks.


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## fnewman (Apr 1, 2006)

wheaties said:
			
		

> Has anyone used the new TSA-approved luggage locks? Are they worth using? Can they be used going out of the country (i.e. Mexico)? Our son had items stolen from his luggage and thought this may help. Any feedback's appreciated!


 
I'm not going to say it hasn't happened as you describe, but remember there are other people in the baggage handling process who have access to your luggage.  The only time I have had items stolen from my luggage was when traveling to third-world countries; I would bet on someone other than TSA most of the time.  Same problem -differnt culprits.


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## geoffb (Apr 1, 2006)

I'll add a vote for cable ties. The bright colors make it easier to identify our bags on the carousel and if TSA cuts them off they replace them with a plastic TSA seal.


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## JanB (Apr 1, 2006)

A bit more expensive than the generic electric style ties, but I purchase from www.Magellans.com and purchase the red numbered plastic locks.  My thought is if TSA cuts it off they'll leave a note, but seeing a "number" on it might deter a thief to move on.  They're about $7 for 20.  I also use the yellow retriever/id tags in multiple languages that hold my itinerary in case luggage is lost.  After having golf clubs lost for 4 days in Hawaii, I'm very careful about putting itineraries on both the outside and inside of all my checked luggage.  I also put our name,  home city and telephone number, but never our address.


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## mjs (Apr 2, 2006)

I have hard suitcases with TSA locks built in to the suitcase.  I have not had any problems so far.


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## voyager1 (Apr 9, 2006)

*Not necessarily TSA theft...*

Although it is not impossible that a TSA inspector stole from the luggage, it gis far more likely that subsequent baggage handlers were responsible.  TSA screeners undergo a very stringent background and security check and are also in very well monitored working areas.  Conversely, no less than 6 other people handle each bag after it leaves the TSA area and few of them have had more than a cursory (if any) security check.  Baggage theft was common before the TSA was formed and, sadly, will continue long after the TSA disappears.

The tip regarding not overfilling a suitcase is a very good idea.  The turnaround time from arrival of your bag in a screening area to the departure of your bag is very brief and overflowing contents are more to fall out unnoticed.

The turnover rate for TSA screeners is quite high, due to a number of factors, but they should be properly trained in the handling of approved locks.  As we all know incompetence can be found in most workplaces.

I don't work for the TSA, but I have several friends who do and have developed a better tolerance for checkin procedures after hearing their stories.


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## CharlesS (Aug 30, 2006)

*TSA Locks Revisited*



			
				wheaties said:
			
		

> Has anyone used the new TSA-approved luggage locks?  Are they worth using?



Earlier this year there did not appear to be a consensus on TSA Locks.  In view of recent changes requiring more stuff to be placed in checked luggage, I am wondering if people are still of the same opinions or if anything has happended to make TSA locks more or less valuable.

Charles


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## Ann-Marie (Aug 30, 2006)

The only input I will add it that I purchased TSA approved locks for about $10.00 a piece.  The airlines (2 different ones), bent the heck out of them.  The second one needed to be bent back with a pair of pliers.  God only knows how sturdy that lock is now.


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## Kay H (Oct 6, 2009)

I always use tsa locks on my checked luggage.  Once found a note inside that they opened my luggage, but the lock was secure.  Seems most problems are with foreign travel.


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## davhu1 (Oct 6, 2009)

another vote for cable tie.  had two locks cut by TSA on separate trips.


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## UWSurfer (Oct 6, 2009)

We ship electronic equipment for work now and again both as air freight and as checked baggaged and have had several TSA locks cut off.  I've never been sure why, and our equipment so far has always arrived but it's pretty silly that we invest in a system that doesn't appear to be utilized.


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## model4tees (Oct 7, 2009)

If you have costly things in your luggage and it is very important to you then make sure you have effective luggage security.  Locks don’t work and can be tamper easily.
A point to note if you’re checking in luggage is that many of the travel accessories that are sold as luggage security items (locks, cable ties, security seals, etc) do not actually work to protect your luggage. You’d think for the money spent on these things it would take time to break into a bag, but it’s as simple as several seconds with a paperclip or even a pen. And people wonder why there is a problem with luggage theft.


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