A Survey: Has any UHH member had a piece of photo equipment stolen from checked luggage? I have never packed a camera body or lens in checked luggage on a flight. But I have packed an...

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

I have never packed a camera body or lens in checked luggage on a flight. But I have packed an expensive ($1500) pair of binoculars, a nearly $1800 Glitzo tripod and a number of computer accessories. And nothing has ever been stolen. Come to think of it I don't know anyone who has had anything stolen from their luggage. I have had U.S. TSA inspectors open my bag twice and leave little cards telling me about it, but they never removed anything. So why is this the most common piece of advice given on the subject of air travel?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

mcveed wrote:

I have never packed a camera body or lens in check... (show quote)

Same here - nothing ever lost/stolen.

Keldon Loc: Yukon, B.C.

Traveled to and all over Europe many times including a couple times into Eastern Europe before reunification , been to various locations in the Caribbean including Haiti and Jamaica, also South Africa, Kenya and Egypt. Never a problem, never anything missing.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

The reason why there is advice to not leave valuable electronics in checked luggage is simply because it is sometimes stolen or damaged. Simple as that.

ELNikkor

I had a brand new rifle scope "appropriated" because it was considered forbidden contraband. (Never knew anyone who got injured by a scope...) Never got the scope back, don't know if it was taken because I was flying to a foreign country and they knew it would be awhile before I came back.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I haven’t had anything stolen because as a former frequent airline traveler, I NEVER check anything. But I have sat on the taxiway, watched a suitcase fall off a baggage cart onto the tarmac, and sit there, in the rain, for over an hour before anyone bothered to come out and pick it up. ‘Nuff said.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

No

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

ELNikkor wrote:

I had a brand new rifle scope "appropriated" because it was considered forbidden contraband. (Never knew anyone who got injured by a scope...) Never got the scope back, don't know if it was taken because I was flying to a foreign country and they knew it would be awhile before I came back.

That's very interesting. I would be interested to hear who it was who "appropriated" it - TSA, Customs, U.S. or foreign authority? Did you have contact with the person who seized it? or did it just turn up missing?

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Mark Sturtevant wrote:

The reason why there is advice to not leave valuable electronics in checked luggage is simply because it is sometimes stolen or damaged. Simple as that.

Damaged I can agree with, but that can be remedied by intelligent packing. I'm interested to find if the "sometimes stolen" is fact or assumption.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

TriX wrote:

I haven’t had anything stolen because as a former frequent airline traveler, I NEVER check anything. But I have sat on the taxiway, watched a suitcase fall off a baggage cart onto the tarmac, and sit there, in the rain, for over an hour before anyone bothered to come out and pick it up. ‘Nuff said.

That's what you get when you pay baggage handlers minimum wage, and supervisors only slightly more. A well packed lens would have survived. I'm really more interested in the stolen question. When I travel on a photo trip my carry-on limit is filled with my photo gear and I check my clothing and other items. When I travelled on short trips for duty I never checked anything either, but that was years ago. How do you handle your stuff now with baggage and carry-on limits?

Nature_Shooter Loc: Chesterfield Missouri

I never check anything expensive but have never had anything stolen from my luggage. I have had a bag get permanently "lost" by the airline though.

mcveed Loc: Kelowna, British Columbia (between trips)

Nature_Shooter wrote:

I never check anything expensive but have never had anything stolen from my luggage. I have had a bag get permanently "lost" by the airline though.

How did the airline handle that? Insurance?

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

mcveed wrote:

That's what you get when you pay baggage handlers minimum wage, and supervisors only slightly more. A well packed lens would have survived. I'm really more interested in the stolen question. When I travel on a photo trip my carry-on limit is filled with my photo gear and I check my clothing and other items. When I travelled on short trips for duty I never checked anything either, but that was years ago. How do you handle your stuff now with baggage and carry-on limits?

When I traveled for business, I carried on one rollerbag that would fit in any overhead except a commuter aircraft (where you checked and picked up at the plane) plus a briefcase. When I traveled internationally for pleasure, I used lightweight, wheeled fiberglass cases that were waterproof (o-ringed) with pressure relief valves and locked with TSA locks. They were originally used to ship pro TV cameras - excellent solution if you can find one.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

I fly overseas every year and have never had anything stolen from my check-in luggage. My primary, more valuable camera always travels with me as carry-on, but I oftentimes put a pocket digital camera, a rangefinder film camera, tripod or flash unit into the check-in luggage. Should I ever travel to/from a Third World country, I'd probably be more reluctant to put any sort of photo equipment into check in luggage.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Not since 1973 when I went through LAX returning from my overseas tour. No issues since and I have insurance for anything the airlines won't cover. Cheap enough.