Travel money stolen from luggage

dickydonkin

eDicky wrote: »

It's well known that all airport baggage handlers are potential thieves

So no generalisation there then.

What a ridiculous comment to make.

The majority of baggage handlers are hard working - probably earning little more than an hourly living wage and very likely in some countries, they will earn a pittance.

The OP will have learned from making an expensive mistake, however, tarring ALL baggage handlers with the same brush is unfair in my opinion.

There are 'potential thieves' in all walks of life - you just have to ensure you don't provide them with the opportunity to make you a victim.

bigadaj

dickydonkin wrote: »

So no generalisation there then.

What a ridiculous comment to make.

The majority of baggage handlers are hard working - probably earning little more than an hourly living wage and very likely in some countries, they will earn a pittance.

The OP will have learned from making an expensive mistake, however, tarring ALL baggage handlers with the same brush is unfair in my opinion.

There are 'potential thieves' in all walks of life - you just have to ensure you don't provide them with the opportunity to make you a victim.

Missus relatives have been doing it for years, things go missing all the time and no one knows anything about it........

Gloomendoom

bigadaj wrote: »

Missus relatives have been doing it for years,

What? Nicking stuff from suitcases?

parking_question_chap

I do think there is a wider issue here, its that of hand luggage size.

I travelled long haul recently and the amount of people who carry on mini suitcases is unreal and many people had nowhere for their carry ons. Hand luggage should just be for personal valuables, medication and a few other small items. Whilst it doesnt help the OP, I think the airlines as a group need to restrict the sie of hand luggage in order to address this problem.

If people want to take more clothes and such, they should have to put in their suitcase and pay the extra expense.

boliston

It's a pity each seat does not have it's own locker designed to be just big enough for a small cabin bag - this would at least make taking a suitcase onboard impossible

bigadaj

Gloomendoom wrote: »

What? Nicking stuff from suitcases?

Yup, it's never them of course, always their mates, and you can never report your mates.

Ganga

parking_question_chap wrote: »

I do think there is a wider issue here, its that of hand luggage size.

I travelled long haul recently and the amount of people who carry on mini suitcases is unreal and many people had nowhere for their carry ons. Hand luggage should just be for personal valuables, medication and a few other small items. Whilst it doesnt help the OP, I think the airlines as a group need to restrict the sie of hand luggage in order to address this problem.

If people want to take more clothes and such, they should have to put in their suitcase and pay the extra expense.

I could not agree more,the size of some of the so called hand luggage that i have seen beign forced into the overhead lockers is unbelievable.
The problem is some airlines charge for hold luggage but not for hand luggage,so people going away for a long weekend take everything they need in the biggest cabin bag they can get away with.
Have the airlines stopped checking these now? i can remember them having a frame that the hand luggage had to fit in or else it was classed as hold luggage

eDicky

dickydonkin wrote: »

The majority of baggage handlers are hard working - probably earning little more than an hourly living wage and very likely in some countries, they will earn a pittance.

So, not everyone knows, it seems, but I maintain that my generalisation is no less valid than yours. Airport baggage handlers make a decent wage in general and it's a sought after job, often requiring the right connections and perhaps a bribe, if you're thinking internationally.

The majority, if not all, are potential thieves, given the opportunity. The strictly honest are not likely to last long, if they are ever actually hired - there's usually some degree of organisation. Some locations have effective controls in place, but the UK is not one.

Sorry about that, those who don't like the idea. But as we've seen, none of us would take a risk similar to that of the OP.

shaun_from_Africa

parking_question_chap wrote: »

Whilst it doesnt help the OP, I think the airlines as a group need to restrict the sie of hand luggage in order to address this problem

As far as the airlines are concerned, it makes both financial and operational sense to allow passengers to take as much as possible into the cabin.
Airlines have to employ handling agents to deal with baggage at the airport and it's these agents that take control of the bags once they have gone on the belts at the check in desks.
The airlines are normally charged a fee for each bag so if a passenger takes all of their stuff into the cabin, the airline saves a bit of money.

Fewer bags checked in also means a quicker turnover of passengers at the check in desks so another win for the airlines.

eDicky

Ganga wrote: »

everything they need in the biggest cabin bag they can get away with.
Have the airlines stopped checking these now?

No, budget airlines with restricted cabin bag sizes often, but not always, make checks with the size frame at the boarding gate. But if the flight is full there is still not room to accommodate all legitimate full sized cases in the overhead bins, so the last ones are tagged and put in the hold.

This is where unwary passengers such as the OP can come unstuck - the guy stacking them in the hold is ready to do the 'final check'. I have often heard staff warning passengers to make sure no valuables are left in bags that are being diverted to the hold, but perhaps this was not done in the OP's case.