As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Learn more about this.
You might be wondering whether it’s possible for your luggage to get stolen from the carousel. Of course yes it’s possible, you should know that! And there are lots of factors behind this.
Initially, it’s expected that the airport is filled with adequate security but sincerely speaking some airports obviously do not have enough security that’s capable of inspecting every single bag.
For instance, this is why passenger luggages are manually searched less often like in the presence of a red flag.
The demand for security is way higher than the supply.
However, if your luggage does not appear on the carousel, we’ll be highlighting the next procedures to take to fish it out.
You’ll also be provided with additional information on how you can prevent Luggage theft issues like this from happening.
How to recover luggage stolen from carousel
To recover your stolen or missing luggage, there are a few things you need to do on time that can either increase your chances of getting your belongings recovered or not.
1. File a lost luggage report
Immediately you’re able to discover that your luggage is missing, it’s important that you report it to the airline immediately the incident occurrence.
Once the airline is aware of the reports, they’d instantly take action.
Most airlines take theft issues with high priority compared to other problems as they could be responsible for the stolen luggage.
Note that while filing a report, ensure that you provide information like your flight number, what your luggage looks like (the description), and most importantly a way to reach out to you when the luggage is found.
If you don’t include the above information, there’s no way you’re recovering your luggage even if the airport happens to find it for you.
Additionally, remember to hold a copy of the report you filed for reference in the future.
Sometimes if your reports came in on time, the airport can check for surveillance footage of where the theft might have occurred.
Meanwhile, all of these increase your chance of recovering your stolen luggage.
2. Return to the Airline
Now if it’s just a few hours since you arrived but you’ve left, a piece of good advice would be to return to the airport as fast as possible and do a detailed search.
You could let the airport officers know and they should offer some help. Who knows? Perhaps wasn’t stolen but just lost. Or maybe someone took it mistakenly thinking it’s their own.
And while you stay, you also want to double-check other carousels and overlooked areas.
It’s very possible for bags to end up on the wrong carousel, especially in busy airports. Give a quick scan around, including the oversized or special baggage area.
Returning to the airport, you also get a good chance to directly file a stolen luggage report and get your request answered promptly.
3. File A Report With The Tsa
It will really be of great advantage to you if you can report your stolen luggage to the TSA before leaving the airport.
In situations where your luggage got misplaced or mistakenly exchanged by another passenger. You might get home before you realize that.
You need to be aware that this is a totally different situation.
But if your luggage got stolen from the carousel, you might get settled if the luggage wasn’t found after filling a report with the TSA.
For most United States domestic flights, the maximum settlement amount you might get is $3,500 while it’s $1,545 for international flights.
Related: The Color of Luggage most likely to be stolen
4. Report To The Police
While reporting to the police, ensure that you provide enough description of your stolen luggage in order to ease the work of the cops.
The police immediately take action after your reports and get back to you regarding the status of your report.
Hopefully, you will be able to recover your missing luggage on time.
5. Contact your travel insurance
Sometimes travel insurance policies cover people’s stolen or missing Luggage.
In order to be sure of this, you need to check with your travel insurance company and their policies to know if they cover that.
Tips for preventing luggage theft at the airport
There are some things you can do to prevent your luggage from being stolen at the airport.
Although these tips don’t ensure your luggage won’t get into the hands of thieves, it certainly reduces the risks and possibility.
Have an identification on the luggage
Ensure that your luggage is well equipped with the necessary identification information it’s expected to have.
If this is really complete, it would be difficult for thieves to steal it because they know they might get caught due to the security identification on the luggage.
Also, consider using a tracking device to keep you close to your luggage.
Avoid packing Valuables in the luggage
To be on the safer side, you should avoid packing valuable items in your checked bags. Very important documents and files should be packed in carry-on luggage.
Most of these items are allowed in carry-on bags so you have nothing to worry about.
Don’t use expensive and flashy luggage
I know this might sound funny but it’s actually the truth. Flashy items will only attract potential thieves.
Whenever you want to buy a luggage or suitcase, you should go for a cheaper and less expensive one.
Even if you still want expensive luggage, at least avoid choosing flashy bags.
Flashy luggage are the target object for airport thieves because they literally assume the contents to also be shiny as the exterior is.
Always stay alert
Ensure to always keep an eye on your luggage at all times. Most of the time, security operatives might not be able to watch over a huge number of passenger’s luggage
Conclusion
It might not be easy but it’s certainly possible for someone to steal your luggage from the carousel.
Although these bags are really monitored closely, theft situations do occur sometimes.
Perhaps you find yourself in situations like this, do well to follow the aforementioned tips above.
