Hello- I will be traveling to Cancun end of Aug and wondering if should put lock in my luggage? Has anyone have any expierence at the airport security searching your luggage when flying international? Thanks for you help!
We usually find the inspection slip in at least on piece of our luggage each trip...sometimes on arrival and sometimes when we get home....usually it is the bag with our bathroom stuff in it, so I am assuming something maybe did not look right when it was scanned and they are just double checking. If you lock your luggage be sure it is TSA approved lock. Also, I would carry on any valuables just as a precaution.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/locks.shtm Be sure to have the approved locks. Check the link.
Where ever you fly and whether your bags are locked or not, the security has the right to open you bag. There is nothing you can do about it. If you put a lock on your bag they can't open they till cut it open, then tape your bag closed. Even in america.
Cancun has a fancy new bag security system which I think involves x-raying all bags. I've had them search my bags in front of me but have never known for sure if my bags were searched in Cancun outside of my presence. In the states when they search your bag they leave a notice in it. But I don't know if they do the same in Mexico, I doubt it. The bag handlers in Cancun make next to nothing. And I've repeatedly heard that they often steal from luggage. You should never put anything of value in a checked bag.
I always lock my bags, but in Ft Lauderdale, I stand by the X-Ray machine and watch my bags go through, until they are placed on the conveyor that goes to the plane. That way, I am there with the key if they want to open my bag. In Cancun, you get your bag before customs, so there is no problem. I used to travel a lot to go fishing, and I think 95% of thefts take place via the baggage handlers who are well out of sight on the tarmac....and not from people inside the terminal.
If your bag has a zipper, as most soft-sided bags do, then it can usually be opened even if it's locked. You can try it by zipping your bag closed and then sticking the pointy end of a pen into the zipper. It will open and then you can reseal it by moving the zipper head over the open area of the zipper. It won't work with some metal zippers but it works with all the plastic zippers I've tried it on. Bag handlers in Cancun make less than $400 USD per month. Being able to steal from luggage is one of the "perks" of their job. When bag handlers are busy they won't have time to steal from too many bags. But theft is common, so don't put valuables in checked luggage.
