What To Do if Something Gets Stolen

from Your Luggage at the Airport

Thehipmunk

A TSA agent at New York’s JFK International Airport made headlines  this

week for stealing a $7,000 luxury watch that a passenger accidentally left in
security. This isn’t the first time the TSA has been charged with theft. A 2012
ABC News investigation revealed that hundreds of TSA employees have been
fired for swiping items from travelers’ bags. And a CNN report  found that
passengers incurred over $2.5 million in property losses between 2010 and
2014—to the tune of more than 30,000 reported losses.
While these might seem like small sums relative to the number of travelers
passing through the world’s airports every day, that’s no comfort to the
passengers who have lost precious goods. A good rule of thumb when it
comes to luggage theft is to think for the best and prepare for the worst.
Here’s how to respond when property goes missing from your luggage in the
airport.
Photo: Flickr user Kathryn Greenhill via Wikimedia Commons
1. If your luggage is gone entirely, report it to your airline .
2. If you’re missing a specific item, start by checking with the airport’s  lost
and found department.
3. If the item isn’t in lost and found, it’s time to file a claim  with the TSA.
When filing, include as much information as possible—receipts, appraisals,
and the information for your flight will all help your claim to be processed in
a timelier manner.
4 .File a claim with the airline . Each airline has its own regulations for
processing reports of missing items. Contact the airline’s customer
service department to learn about your options.
5. If you think an expensive item (such as electronics or jewelry) was
stolen, call the law enforcement office  at both your departure and arrival
airports and file a report for stolen goods. Be sure to request a copy of
the police report; this might come in handy as the TSA processes your
claim.
6. If your missing item doesn’t turn up during the TSA’s
investigation, check with your insurance company  to see if it will cover the
loss. Many homeowner’s or renter’s insurance plans will cover theft.
Some credit card companies may also provide coverage .
Once you’ve filed a claim, you’ll receive a letter detailing next steps.
Note that it can take up to six months for a claim to be investigated,
and claims involving law enforcement will typically take longer.

Also be aware that screening at some airports  is carried out by private
companies instead of the TSA. In those cases, you’ll need to contact the
airport directly in order to file a claim.
Still have questions? Contact TSA  to learn more.

Photo: Flickr user eyeliam

Tips for Preventing Theft
It’s great to respond proactively if a theft occurs. And it’s even better to
prevent one in the first place. The following tips can help prevent theft and
better empower you to process a claim.  
 Take pictures  of everything in your luggage and photocopy receipts for
those items when possible. This will prove you were in possession of
the item(s) prior to any theft. Make duplicates of the photos, then
prepare two envelopes containing the photos and receipts. Give one
envelope to a trusted friend who won’t be traveling and keep the other
one on hand.
 Don’t check valuables . Jewelry, electronics, and cash are all easy
targets in checked baggage. Keep these items in your carry-on or on
your person at all times.
 Pack light. What’s better than keeping your valuables nearby?
Keeping all  of your luggage on hand. Learn how to pack light  and you
just might be able to fit everything you need into a carry-on . This will
eliminate any worry about your luggage being in somebody else’s
hands.
 Use distinctive luggage . Thieves will be less willing to abscond with a
tie-dye print bag covered in glitter stickers than yet another plain black
suitcase.
 Review the contents of your carry-on post-screening  to be sure that
you have everything you were carrying prior to moving through
security.
 If you’re traveling with a companion, keep a few people in between
you while going through security. That way you can watch out for each
other’s belongings while you take turns going through the body
scanner.
While you can never be 100 percent prepared against theft, taking a few
precautions and understanding the claims process can help you respond
quickly and effectively should the worst actually happen. Now that you’ve
been given the 411 on protecting your luggage, go find a cheap flight on
Hipmunk to put that knowledge to good use!