When your checked luggage is out of your hands during a flight, you probably worry about it. Bags get lost sometimes or are put on the wrong flight. Other times, your things are damaged when they reach you, or you may believe something is missing. While it’s always a good idea to keep any valuables on your person or in your carry-on bags, your things still matter. For some people, the solution is wrapping their luggage in plastic. The idea is to keep it from being damaged or prevent anyone from getting into it. There are even companies like Secure Wrap or True Star that will do it for you at the airport. You have to pay, of course, but it might give you some peace of mind. You may wonder if this is okay to do, and if the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has an issue with it.
While it is okay to wrap your luggage in plastic, if it’s selected for secondary screening, you may have an issue. The TSA screens checked baggage for explosives, and if it’s flagged and opened for inspection, the wrapping that you paid for is going to be cut open to do so. According to the TSA website, officers will try to repack items as closely as they can to the way they were originally packed, but they’re not going to rewrap it for you. It may be taped back up or the wrapping may be thrown away — either way, it’s not going to be as secure as it was when you had it done.
What to know about wrapping up your luggage
The possibility of your bag being opened may deter you from wrapping your luggage. But TSA only physically inspects about 5% of the 1.4 million bags they check each day. It simply means that your bag may not stay as secure as you wished if it’s one of the chosen few. You may be wrapping it for other reasons, as well, like when you’re visiting a rainy country and you know the baggage will be outside on the tarmac. However, if it’s security that’s driving you to wrap your luggage, there are other ways to keep your bag safe.
First, getting a TSA-friendly luggage lock can keep you from worrying about theft. Plus, you can switch it over to your backpack when you’re out sightseeing, as well. It can be opened by security with a master key if something needs to be inspected. Bag inspections are done in front of closed-circuit cameras, so you don’t need to worry about things being taken during a search. You can also use kitchen staples like cable or twist ties to secure the zippers. This is great for added worries about a zipper getting caught on something and causing it to open.
Of course, there is one more reason that you may have wrapped your suitcase, and that’s to keep one together that’s falling apart. If one like that gets the plastic cut off for inspection, and it isn’t in good enough shape to travel, you’ll be contacted about how to get your things back. If you happen to be starting your vacation and this happens, many airports have luggage stores inside for this very reason.
