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Just read on virgin website that the USA advises you leave your baggage unlocked so they can check it.? |
Travel Info Virgin doesn't agree with this, should i purchase the TSA luggage locks which apparently the Americans can open with a special key or will normal locks be ok? surely if they open my bags it will just be lock they damage? not sure i like the idea of these tsa locks that if someone has a key they can open my luggage Travel Tips Hi, I work for Virgin at Gatwick and what we say is that you can lock your cases but if the US authorities need to get into it for any reason they will break the lock. If they do have to break the lock to get into your case then they will tie it together with some cable ties and put a letter in the top of your case explaining what they have done. There is no problem with locking it though and I would advise it as it stops anyone getting into it who shouldn't be. If you are flying anytime soon then I also recommend that you check-in on line. Nearly every flight is overbooked at the moment, especially the flights to the US. This is really easy, you just type in your reference number in the Virgin website then you can choose your seats. This just guarantees that you sit together. We had a honeymoon couple a few days ago who were sat at opposite ends of the plane, and they weren't even late, they arrived 2 hours before the flight! It also saves you lots of time in the queue as you have your own little queue where you just need to drop of your cases. Have a great flight! x x Others i ended up not locking mine at all and it was fine. my boyfriend purchased the TSA lock and they did just open it. however on the way back, they asked everyone to remove the locks before they were even checked in, and then they searched through your suitcase in front of you basically. To be honest when I and my boyfriend travelled in the states for 3 months late last year we flew 7 times and we were advised not to lock the luggage either. We worried about it but in the end we didn't lock our luggage, it was searched pretty much every time we flew and nothing went missing, but we made sure all real valuables were in our hand luggage or on our person. Our bags got very bashed around as is wont to happen at airports but they're still intact and going strong, and it is easiest just to leave it unlocked. If you have a problem with this though, I would go with the TSA locks as you don't want your bags to get damaged. If you use an ordinary lock they will cut it off, even if it's built into the case, so never use a case with a combination lock, even if you think it's not been set. The only option is to leave it fully unsecure or use one of the approved locks. Buy the special locks - that way your stuff is safe from the general public getting in, but wont get damaged if they search it. And we kept money etc on us anyway. But make sure you have shoes that are easy to get on and off - we got frisked down at every airport travelling around America. The airport people have keys to open any lock anyway. They can open combination locks too. I have a combination lock on my suitcase and when I get home I quite frequently find my things had been rummaged through. I sometimes use TSA locks. If you use normal locks, it attracts attention and it's almost like they feel they have to cut up your non-TSA lock just to teach you a lesson. You shouldn't have valuables in your baggage anyway because they get lost. Sometimes I just use a twisty-tie to keep the zipper loops together. |
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