Notable quote from the report: “A rarely release Transportation Security Administration database reveals that in a three-year period nearly 42,000 travelers have reported items as lost from their luggage at an estimated value of more than $31 million. We are not talking lost for a couple of days. We are talking lost for good.”
A link to the database is provided in the article (huge files on a slow server, though). The TSA is quoted as saying they take the thefts very seriously. Not in my experience, however. The response I got regarding my lost items was an automatically generated responses telling me to file a claim.
The lesson? Don’t pack anything you can’t easily and cheaply replace at your destination. Even though your bag is locked, anyone can have the TSA passkey.
4 months ago