Securing Bags

I haven't flown in about 3 years, and am wondering what is the best way
to secure luggage. We're travelling to Latin America from the USA in
December. Should we use those wiring straps, and secure the bags after
they're inspected? WIll we have an opportunity to do so? Do the bags
get opened by TSA along the way, or just the beginning?

Thanks for any advice.

On Thu, 1 Dec 2005 08:35:59 -0500, "Buck Turgidson"
wrote:

I haven't flown in about 3 years, and am wondering what is the best way
to secure luggage. We're travelling to Latin America from the USA in
December. Should we use those wiring straps, and secure the bags after
they're inspected? WIll we have an opportunity to do so? Do the bags
get opened by TSA along the way, or just the beginning?

Thanks for any advice.

If you check your bags then that is the last you
see of them until the arrival carousel.
TSA will open them after you check them in.

In article ,
"Buck Turgidson" wrote:

I haven't flown in about 3 years, and am wondering what is the best way
to secure luggage. We're travelling to Latin America from the USA in
December. Should we use those wiring straps, and secure the bags after
they're inspected? WIll we have an opportunity to do so? Do the bags
get opened by TSA along the way, or just the beginning?

Just at the beginning by TSA, but the authorities in the country you
plan to visit might also do an inspection. I suggest you keep things
simple. Pack just the necessities in your checked luggage; nothing of
value. Bring a change of clothes with you in your carry-on luggage as
well as any prescription drugs, camera, valuables, etc.

Unless the clasps on your luggage are broken, just use those, but don't
lock them. If you do not carry valuables in your checked luggage, there
ought not to be a concern about lost valuables.

"Buck Turgidson" wrote in message
...
I haven't flown in about 3 years, and am wondering what is the best way
to secure luggage. We're travelling to Latin America from the USA in
December. Should we use those wiring straps, and secure the bags after
they're inspected? WIll we have an opportunity to do so? Do the bags
get opened by TSA along the way, or just the beginning?

Thanks for any advice.



We just traveled to Peru and Ecuador and used the TSA approved locks. Our
bags were never opened by TSA.

Coming back from Peru at the Lima airport, their inspectors wanted to
inspect one of my bags. All bags are checked just in front of the airline
checkin counters. The inspector ask me to the table where my bag was placed
and then asked me to open the TSA approved lock. I did and the inspector
only checks the area of the bag that came up in the x-ray machine. The
inspector did not dump out all the bag content as our TSA people do.

I like the Peru system better.

Be careful what you pack. I once had a bottle of makeup that had an
odd shape and contained some chemical that made a sensor go off. Drove
the new guy on the inspection line nuts. He was about to make me take
everything apart. The lady inspectors were hysterical; finally one of
them broke down and explained to him about makeup bottles and their
contents. Luckily I had gotten to the airport early so I could laugh
too.
Carol
Editor - Lowfares.com
http://www.lowfares.com