Does Wrapping Your Baggage in Plastic Really Make It Extra Safe? We Requested TSA

There are loads of odd airport jobs. The “chook guys” preserve birds at bay, toilet crews empty the loos, and at last, there are individuals who receives a commission to wrap baggage in plastic. The primary two jobs make sense—it’s vital to maintain the runways clear and the planes clear— however most vacationers aren’t positive in regards to the third. That mentioned, luggage-wrapping stations have been a mainstay at main U.S. worldwide airports for the reason that early 90s. They’re much more widespread overseas; one Miami-based firm, Safe Wrap, has greater than 500 workers wrapping baggage at airports throughout 17 totally different nations. 

Why do passengers wrap their baggage? 

Passengers wrap their baggage for an array of causes. Some vacationers get their baggage wrapped to guard the outside of the baggage from scratches and marks, whereas others get it wrapped to guard the contents inside the baggage. Some vacationers might imagine that if a suitcase is wrapped in plastic, it’s much less more likely to be inspected by TSA or interfered with by nefarious characters who could also be inclined to steal or maybe worse, plant one thing incriminating inside.

And a few vacationers, particularly these going to the Maldives, Australia, and different nations that spray insecticide and disinfectant on arriving flights, wrap their baggage in plastic to guard their contents from the chemical compounds. “Lots of people did this on my flight arriving in China due to how a lot they spray and ‘disinfect’ your bag upon arrival,” wrote one traveler on Reddit who mentioned they regretted not wrapping their bag prematurely as a result of their garments acquired saturated. Lastly, there are at all times vacationers who must get their baggage wrapped as a result of their suitcase is falling aside or they’ve been cursed with a rogue zipper. Paying $15—what Safe Wrap expenses at Miami Worldwide Airport—to wrap a damaged bag is so much cheaper than shopping for a brand new suitcase on the airport. 

What does the TSA do with wrapped baggage? 

TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers tells Journey + Leisure that baggage wrapped in plastic is handled the identical as baggage that’s not wrapped in plastic. All checked luggage are topic to screening earlier than they’re handed on to airline baggage handlers who load them onto the airplane. Within the U.S., that’s roughly 1.3 million checked luggage per day. TSA and its counterparts overseas use X-ray machines that use a 3D scanner to search for objects that resemble explosives or different hazardous supplies. Some airports additionally depend on Ok-9s that may detect every thing from bullets to bombs. Wrapping your baggage in plastic doesn’t have an effect on how the X-Ray machines scan the bag, nor does it deter the canines. 

Most luggage, roughly 95 p.c, go this screening and don’t must be bodily inspected by a TSA officer. Baggage which are flagged, get opened—this implies plastic wrapping can be minimize, and locks can be damaged in the event that they’re not TSA-approved. Within the U.S. at the least, the TSA examines baggage in a managed surroundings monitored by CCTV. This ensures that nobody is tempted to tamper (in an pointless approach) with a passenger’s property. Whereas the TSA agent who examines the bag will repack it and embrace a paper slip indicating that the bag was inspected so the passenger is aware of why somebody rifled by way of their baggage, they won’t rewrap the bag in plastic. 

Nonetheless, some luggage-wrapping firms, together with Safe Wrap, supply complimentary rewrapping if the plastic wrapping is minimize by TSA. Additionally they embrace a assure that matches the airways’ compensation for misplaced baggage or injury. Be aware: These kind of ensures are topic to many phrases and circumstances. 

What else are you able to do to maintain baggage safe? 

Whereas some luggage-wrapping firms declare they solely use one hundred pc recyclable plastic, many airports are beginning to take into account banning plastic baggage wrapping resulting from environmental issues. Luckily, if you wish to preserve your baggage safe, you could have different choices. For starters, you should utilize TSA-approved locks or baggage straps. You can too put money into a reusable baggage cowl in the event you’re involved with aesthetics.