Stolen items from checked bag
 

I travel frequently and this week I had to fly American (my second choice in flying). I had a set of Bose QC15 Headphones and IPOD in a case that I put in my suitcase during the week so I always know where it's at. This week I was running late to the airport and barely made boarding. As I was rushed, I forgot to grab my headphone case out of my bag and it got checked. As soon as I got my luggage, I opened my bag and come to find out that someone stole my case, headphones and IPOD. I was beyond livid. I made a claim with American who of course sent me on a wild goose chase to "speak" to a human, which I have yet to do. I filed a claim online and their response was a list of items they are not liable for (which is anything and everything you may want to pack). The best part is on the lost baggage claim form (which I also filled out) there is a section to identify your bag and there is a guitar case. So American is trying to tell me that if I checked a guitar and it was stolen, they are not liable. Bunch of BS! I was just starting to enjoy flying American again and now I am choosing flights that avoid them completely. So ridiculous that I can't even have my personal items "safe" when I check them. Too bad American doesn't have customer service. . . . . . I am beyond upset with this airline

unfortunatly its true that NO airline is responsible for electronics and such checked. You should also file a complaint with the TSA since they are the ones that open your luggage to inspect it. everybody (and i can understand why) always blames the airlines first but never expects that it could be the TSA. file a lost item complaint with them as well

The bigger issue is why airlines excludes valuable items from their luggage reimbursement. It is tantamount to admitting that their employees are a bunch of thieves and they cannot control them.

The most galling aspect is that they appear more concerned with denying liability that the fact they have thieving employees.

The DOT needs to create a regulation that requires every airline to report every single instance of items reported missing from luggage by passengers to the police. Furthermore, the airline should be required to publish annually the total reported thefts by airport, so passengers can get a sense of which airline employs the most thieves.

The airlines should also have all baggage handling areas under CCTV surveillance and digital records kept for a period of 1 year. This would help the police, if patterns emerge.

TSA should also be required to CCTV every single search. When thefts occur, these should be examined.

Perhaps then, they might take the fact that they employ a bunch of thieves and liars a bit more seriously.

jimworcs:

The reason for those exclusions is that if they did not exist some unscrupulous persons would take advantage and claim that items which were never in the checked baggage were stolen. What's to stop me from traveling and when I get to my destination claiming my expensive watch is missing when I know that i left it at home?

The exact same argument applies to insurance..but your insurance company can't say we are not paying for your wide screen tv when your house burns down.

I would have no problem with having to declare the items, FedEx style... who managed to transport millions of packages and don't exclude high value items.

My real beef it that the thieves that airlines employ have been getting away with it for years, notwithstanding 60 Minutes or some other TV expose periodically. The reason they get away with it, is because the airlines refuse to take seriously the systematic theft going on under their noses.

I actually have been talking with TSA (because I had a slip letting me know they were in my bag). The TSA manager at the airport I checked my bag into verified my items were in the bag and that I now need to file with the airlines. And yes you guessed it, they are not very helpful.. . yet. I completely agree with you jimworcs, employees should be held accountable just as in every other position in the business world. Less things would be stolen if they knew there was repercussion for their actions.

Again, why don't people use TSA locks on their checked bags? This way if something is missing, you can narrow down who was responsible. Available in any travel store or travel section at places like Target or Wally world.

Customers buy locks and airlines stop employing thieves....maybe that would help, but would there be any baggage handlers and other employees left if you sacked the thieves and liars?

Stolen laptop
 

My son travelling from SFO to SAV on American, 08/08/15, came home and found his laptop missing from his locked case. The case was opened by the TSA. The video shows perfectly that the agent opened the case, inspected the computer, put the laptop back into the case, and again locked the luggage. This means that between the time that the agent handled the bag and when it came back to Savannah another person with a key ,who had the knowledge that a expensive computer was in this bag, removed it. This knowledge was only known by those observing this search procedure. It seems evident that this knowledge was passed on directly or indirectly to others having access to opening locked luggage. It remains evident that knowledge of this bags contents was somehow transferred within the baggage staging area in San Francisco. Or, possibly the TSA agent circled back for it before it was placed on the plane. We now have initiated a full police investigation. This type of thief must be uncovered.