A Survey: Has any UHH member had a piece of photo equipment stolen from checked luggage? (Page 2): Yes, they had me itemize everything (with values) and submit it to them. The...

Nature_Shooter Loc: Chesterfield Missouri

mcveed wrote:

How did the airline handle that? Insurance?

Yes, they had me itemize everything (with values) and submit it to them. The compensation maxes out somewhere around $3K and you need receipts for expensive items or other proof. I would suggest photographing with your cellphone the most expensive things in your bag before you travel. Have them next to the bag when you take the pic. It will be time and date stamped too. You can delete it after you retrieve your bag at your final destination.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Nature_Shooter wrote:

Yes, they had me itemize everything (with values) and submit it to them. The compensation maxes out somewhere around $3K and you need receipts or other proof. I would suggest photographing with your cellphone the most expensive things in your bag before you travel. Have them next to the bag when you take the pic. It will be time and date stamped too. You can delete it after you retrieve your bag at your final destination.

Simple enough if one is truly concerned.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

mcveed wrote:

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

I have never had anything stolen from luggage. I have from my car though.
I carry all my photo gear on when outbound but often check some of it in on return since if it did go missing or wind up in another city it won't ruin a trip!
SS

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

SharpShooter wrote:

I have never had anything stolen from luggage. I have from my car though.
I carry all my photo gear on when outbound but often check some of it in on return since if it did go missing or wind up in another city it won't ruin a trip!
SS

Pretty much sums up my practice. I only fly three or four times a year with equipment.

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

Always carry on. Camera bag and roller carryon suitcase. Photo equip in both.
Checked bag carrys my clothes.
My lens is big enough to wear in case the checked luggage is lost... :-)

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

I always carry my equipment, including tripod onto the aircraft.

photocat Loc: Atlanta, Ga

Yes. A $1300 gitzo carbon fiber tripod

That was in the days when you couldn't lock the luggage.

I had traveled all over the world with it in my unlocked luggage and then one trip going from Atlanta to santafe I had to stop over in Denver and some where along that trip it disappeared

Never traveled with that airline since as when I discussed the issue and filed the proper paper work they indicated they took these things seriously I received a form letter a month or so later indicated if the found my lost "luggage" they would let me know,

Imho this was not a serious reply more we are sorry someone stole your equipment and are taking steps to improve

L

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nothing stolen, lost, or damaged - except the luggage itself.

Larz

I've never had anything stolen but I gave up bringing expensive tripods on vacation after the number of busted ones reached seven. I now buy cheap ones at my destinations.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

mcveed wrote:

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

NO, I never check my equipment. It is always carry on.

muysabio Loc: Mexico DF

My wife had a couple of watches stolen (Houston). There was no way to prove that the watches were in the suitcase. The best advise is to carry on valuable items.

If you can't carry it on the plane with you, I don't know how you can prove that you actually packed the item that was stolen. Maybe other members have an idea.

Nevertheless, it always help that you have proof of purchase and value of the item.

Larz

I've never had anything stolen but I gave up bringing expensive tripods on vacation after the number of busted ones reached seven. I now buy cheap ones at my destinations.

dhultsman

Don't just worry about theft, although that is assuredly the most devastating thing which can happen. Some responses above bring back memories of seeing a bag sitting on the tarmac in Chicago, pointing it out to my wife, and realizing hours later (in London, UK) that the bag was mine! I arrived in London at midnight on Sunday and my bag arrived on Wednesday morning. It was time consuming to buy clothing and toiletries, it would have been impossible to replace my gear had it not been with me on the plane.
One mistake I will never make again with my gear- I will never leave a single item in a rental car even if I have to carry two backpacks and a tripod into an overcrowded Waffle House. I learned a $16K lesson during breakfast in an IHOP in Miami. Thieves will cruise parking lots looking for rentals knowing that there is a high probability there is luggage inside. In my case they found what to me was a treasure and to them was some drug money.

dhultsman

Nature_Shooter wrote:

Yes, they had me itemize everything (with values) and submit it to them. The compensation maxes out somewhere around $3K and you need receipts for expensive items or other proof. I would suggest photographing with your cellphone the most expensive things in your bag before you travel. Have them next to the bag when you take the pic. It will be time and date stamped too. You can delete it after you retrieve your bag at your final destination.

I ALWAYS carry receipts for every piece of photography gear when travelling from the US to Canada or Mexico by car. I have been asked more than once for proof of ownership and it can happen both going or returning.

Linckinn Loc: Okatie, SC and Edgartown, MA

I had a good point and shoot stolen several years ago. The camera was only worth a few hundred bucks, but it left me with no pictures for that trip, which made me quite angry. I’m also guessing that it was easier for someone to pocket the small camera than it would be to steal a dslr.