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Luggage to USA

Travelling to the USA soon and our suitcases have combination as well as key locks built into the cases, will it be okay to lock these as none of them are TSA locks.
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Comments

  • Murphy_The_Cat
    Murphy_The_Cat Posts: 20,968 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It will be absolutely fine to use those locks. Just be prepared for the TSA 'force' them to gain access if they choose to look into your bags.
  • photome
    photome Posts: 16,686 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Bake Off Boss!
    As above , be prepared for them to force them open, alternatively dont lock them and use cable ties to secure or just leave unlocked
  • bikeit
    bikeit Posts: 159 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Cable ties are not an option as there is nowhere to thread them through, i don't really fancy leaving them unlocked as there will be clothes for a wedding i am going to.
  • Murphy_The_Cat
    Murphy_The_Cat Posts: 20,968 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    bikeit wrote: »
    Cable ties are not an option as there is nowhere to thread them through, i don't really fancy leaving them unlocked as there will be clothes for a wedding i am going to.

    Then you're between a rock and hard place !

    As long as you accept that your luggage may be broken in to by the TSA, you're set.
  • Out of the last approx 15 trips to the US I have had my bag opened and checked 3 times. I would not have been able to tell, as I don't lock my cases and nothing looked disturbed, except they left a yellow slip inside telling me. Up to you to work out whether you mind those odds.
  • Icequeen99
    Icequeen99 Posts: 3,775 Forumite
    Then you're between a rock and hard place !

    As long as you accept that your luggage may be broken in to by the TSA, you're set.

    What MurphytheCat said. If you lock them, and they are not TSA approved, they will break them open.

    Can you put an external lock on, you can buy TSA approved ones, and just leave the combination ones open.

    It really is pot luck. I travel back and forth to the US about 5-6 times a year and have had my bags checked on the last 4 trips in a row.

    IQ
  • bikeit
    bikeit Posts: 159 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    When they check the cases do they do this at the desk or behind the scenes?
  • Murphy_The_Cat
    Murphy_The_Cat Posts: 20,968 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    bikeit wrote: »
    When they check the cases do they do this at the desk or behind the scenes?

    Mine have been opened 'behind the scenes'
  • As I just said, the first I knew about it was finding the slip when I opened my case. If they want to look in when you are present, they will just ask you to open it!
  • bikeit
    bikeit Posts: 159 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    My head is wrecked now?
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