Baggage tampered with at airport

[Ashcroft]

We flew to Malaga a few days ago and had to wait an age at the carousel for one of our cases.

When it eventually arrived the lock had been cut off from a small outside compartment and the zip was undone. We can't honestly remember if anything was in it, but probably not. The combination lock for the main compartment had been changed to 000 - it had started its journey at 555. Thankfully neither of these were the correct numbers so the blighter didn't manage to get into the case.

We started our journey at Luton, so it could have happened at either end but I just thought I'd post this as a word of warning.

[tjtops]

Friend of mine had his bag go missing completely (and permanently) while travelling from Malaga in May...he flew with Jet2 and the sum total of their 'interest' -- despite numerous phone calls and some extremely 'spirited' emails from myself!! -- was that he should have been insured.....food for thought there. Obviously we cannot trust the baggage handlers any more.....are they all on commission to the airlines' insurance companies???
PS. Malaga has ahd some very serious problems in the past...arrests are made and they seem to clear up and then hey presto, it all starts again!

[deb]

Ihave had things taken from my case at malaga airport, so now never have anything of value in them.

[tjtops]

Neither do I, but wouldn;t it be a whole lot easier if the authorities would force the commonly-used airlines to standardise their baggage policies -- bothe size (carry-on) and weight?? It drives me nuts trying to plan what to put where when I have to use two or more different airlines in the course of one trip...!!!!

[mijas bound]

My O/H had a pair of earrings stolen from our luggage in June and we believe it happened at Malaga. They left the box but took the earrings, i suppose they are easier to hide like that.

SCUM

[tjtops]

As far as I can remember, the last time Malaga cleaned its act up, a number of Policia Locale and Guardia personnel were involved as well so what hope have we!!!
What I can't work out is whether the baggage is more at risk on outbound or inbound flights....common sense would tell me it should be the former, since it is a>X rayed here and b>then has to hang around for anything up to 2 hours before being loaded onto the aircraft...bags (ooh, what an awful pun ) of time for 'someone' to be tipped off about contents etc etc.
So what puzzles me is how and why INBOUND bags are targetted....how on earth do they know if there is something worth nicking in the bag??? Are they Xrayed before going onto the carousel? I wouldn't have thought there was time, apart from anything else....so....anyone got any ideas??

[wagon ropes]

I had a lot of gold jewelery stolen on a flight between Heathrow and Sydney Aus. About a year later I heard that a collection of baggage handlers in Sydney had been arrested so that was definately inbound.

The experience taught me 2 things; one, never look for compensation as the airlines are not interested and two, do not put anything of value in the hold

[Beachcomber]

The nineteen Guardia Civil were arrested for bribery in connection with customs but it doesn't bode well for the honesty of the baggage handlers:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2006/02/1 ... 49876.html