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Airline checked gear nightmare.
Tareq Abdulla, Photographer
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Aljurf | Ajman | United Arab Emirates | Posted: 3:53 AM on 12.26.12 |
->> I need a talking dictionary so that it an read that subject a loud, but from few lines i did read i can imagine how nightmare it is when travel with gear, i always worry about it and my gear is not insured.
I don't know when will be the time when we can carry our gear and travel with no issues or nightmare at all, i was lucky i didn't have issues before, but i always feel worry anyway about it, and my gear getting bigger and i am thinking to carry more gear next time, means i'll be in more risky issues about it, oh my, when we will be done with it.
Thanks for the link. |
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Ting Shen, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Chicago | IL | U.S. | Posted: 4:22 AM on 12.26.12 |
| ->> Insurance insurance insurance. Redundancies, Redundancies, Redundancies. Backup plan, backup plan, backup plan. Least thats what I've been taught and ben doing. |
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Ting Shen, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Chicago | IL | U.S. | Posted: 4:24 AM on 12.26.12 |
| ->> Was going to make a joke, $1000 travel voucher? Yeah, fly them again and lose MORE gear. But, oh well. |
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Gene Boyars, Photographer
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Matawan | NJ | United States | Posted: 6:48 AM on 12.26.12 |
| ->> If you can't carry it on then ship it and insure it. If you ship it, take it to the shipper yourself. Your local UPS store is NOT UPS. If you ship something from one of those stores they are the shipper, not you, even though they are a UPS subsiderary. While you are at it, if you see a 12 year old Canon 600 F4 floating around American Airlines between DFW and EWR please let me know. It was in my locked case when I checked it in DFW early in 2011.....and yes, since then I have flown hundreds of thousands of miles on anyone but AA. |
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Mark Perlstein, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Plano | TX | USA | Posted: 9:13 AM on 12.26.12 |
| ->> Foolish. Insure for replacement cost, use TSA approved lock. He used no lock and did not have proper insurance. |
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Greg Kendall-Ball, Photographer, Assistant
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Jim Colburn, Photographer
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Omaha | NE | USA | Posted: 11:22 AM on 12.26.12 |
->> "Due to TSA requirements, I did not put a lock on my bag."
There's no TSA reg that bans locks, and if you check camera gear without having proper insurance then you're just being silly. |
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Michael Fischer, Photographer
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Spencer | Ia | USA | Posted: 12:14 PM on 12.26.12 |
->> Ting, a $1000 voucher isn't $1000 and that's where they catch people who don't understand the game. I read a couple of years ago on a frequent flyer forum that the actual average cost of a seat is $25 that they charge $300-$600. I don't know if that is totally accurate, and I know the airline industry really has to fight costs, but my point is simple: don't get taken in. By the way, if you are checking in and they offer $150 to take a later flight - $150 is too low. They'll pay $400 - $1000 depending how desperate they are.
Finally, SS.com has had several articles on shipping equipment over the years. Do a search if you need to. Make sure your equipment is properly insured. If you trust the airlines, you are just BEGGING to get an expensive education. |
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Debra L Rothenberg, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 12:31 PM on 12.26.12 |
->> I have a question about the TSA locks--they can still open your bag and steal your gear..and take the lock and claim there was never one on the bag, can't they?
I guess I am a NY'er..trust no one! Especially the airlines |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Denver | CO | USA | Posted: 1:02 PM on 12.26.12 |
->> "I was forced to check this equipment because I was already carrying on two other sets of camera equipment and could not fit these cameras in my carry on luggage."
If you're taking that much camera gear, I'm thinking the wise approach would be to ship at least some of it - or pay for an assistant who could carry-on the other sets of gear. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer, Photo Editor
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PLANET | EARTH | | Posted: 4:53 PM on 12.26.12 |
| ->> Sorry. I just read this. I don't travel near as much by air as a lot of you but I can categorically say I feel very sorry for this fellow for being....well...extremely stupid. No locks? Really? That much gear in a suitcase with your clothes? Seriously? First off there are literally HUNDREDS of horror stories on the internet about stuff being stolen from suitcases, everything from jewelry, prescription drugs, clothing and yes, most of all cameras. If you read the insurance claim forms cameras are not considered worth more than $500. period. And thinking you can't have any locks on a suitcase is just ignorant. Sure the TSA can unlock any of those locks but as with most thefts a lot of airline thefts are those of opportunity...finding an unlocked suitcase with cameras bodies and lenses must have been considered a gift from above to the crooks. It is certainly hard to feel even a little sorry for this guy. That might sound harsh but when you read his blog he looks ridiculous. |
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Thomas E. Witte, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Cincinnati | OH | USA | Posted: 12:45 AM on 12.27.12 |
->> TSA locks only work on rigid luggage. If you have a zipper on it then it's about as worthless as a screen door on a submarine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2MUgDeK3SE |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 2:56 AM on 12.27.12 |
->> What?
"Due to TSA requirements, I did not put a lock on my bag."
That's a bunch of nonsense. Buy a TSA lock and use it! You don't know what a TSA lock is? Seriously? It's a luggage lock that can be opened by TSA personnel using a key, and by the traveler using a combination. I use one all the time. How is it he didn't know about TSA locks? Some bags have them built in!
Debra asks "I have a question about the TSA locks--they can still open your bag and steal your gear..and take the lock and claim there was never one on the bag, can't they?"
If anything is stolen from a bag using a TSA lock then 99% chance it was stolen by TSA. Given that everything they do is monitored on cameras, it's not likely that would happen. A baggage handler trying to get in to a TSA lock is going to have to work real hard to get in to your stuff. Baggage handlers do not have TSA keys to open the lock. So, it's a real deterrent. There's too many other bags without locks to prey upon.
This is a result of really, really poor planning on his part. Not planning his baggage to allow for the "two carry on" rule and avoid being surprised at the airport, not using a TSA lock... WHAT was he thinking? Or not thinking, as the case may be. |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 2:57 AM on 12.27.12 |
| ->> Oh, and what Chuck said. |
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Juerg Schreiter, Photographer
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Fort Lauderdale | FL | USA | Posted: 7:50 AM on 12.27.12 |
->> Phil,
" A baggage handler trying to get in to a TSA lock is going to have to work real hard to get in to your stuff. Baggage handlers do not have TSA keys to open the lock. So, it's a real deterrent. There's too many other bags without locks to prey upon"
Every crook and their brother have keys to TSA locks, they stole them and they were also for sale online.
just sayin' |
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Paul Nelson, Photographer
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Toledo | OH | USA | Posted: 11:18 AM on 12.27.12 |
->> I've had luggage show up without the "TSA approved" lock at the destination when I had them on at check-in...
Best bet is to only check in what can be (potentially) lost if push comes to shove. |
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Philip Johnson, Photographer
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Victor Biro, Photographer
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Toronto | ON | Canada | Posted: 1:13 PM on 12.27.12 |
->> As has been pointed out, TSA locks are usually pretty flimsy and seem irrelevant when put on non-hardened luggage. That made me think of something from a few years ago.
A few years ago I was getting a tour of a *very* secure national security organisation. This was the era of file cabinets and paper records.
I was shocked at how flimsy the locks on the file cabinets were, and asked the person giving the tour about it. His answer was that since they already were in a very secure environment (like in a baggage handling area) their primary concern was to know that the cabinet had been violated. As a result the locks were designed to fall apart if there was any force applied to them.
There is always a way to break into something, regardless of how big the lock or hard the case is.
I suspect this may be the underlying principal with TSA locks, especially on canvas luggage.
The ThinkTank Airport bags have an integrated TSA lock: http://www.thinktankphoto.com/product-images/xlarge/Feature-Airport-Securit...
I would see a TSA lock as due diligence for the conversation I was going to have with the insurance company or airline. |
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Jim Colburn, Photographer
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Omaha | NE | USA | Posted: 4:37 PM on 12.27.12 |
| ->> It would not surprise me to find that there are a few baggage handlers out there with a set of keys for the TSA locks. |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 5:08 PM on 12.27.12 |
->> Juerg: "Every crook and their brother have keys to TSA locks, they stole them and they were also for sale online."
How do you know that?
http://pacsafe.com/prosafe-750-tsa-approved-key-card-lock
Just googled "TSA master key" and "How to obtain a TSA key" and every response was from 2008, 2007, 2004.... nothing recent. Nor did I find any for sale. And I can only report that I've had no problem using them to Europe twice and for two cross-country trips. I'm sure no lock is 100% secure, but adding deterrent can do nothing but help the situation. |
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David A. Cantor, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Toledo | OH | USA | Posted: 5:15 PM on 12.27.12 |
| ->> Gee, this is where you really need a photographer/air travel web expert to definitively address this... |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 6:26 PM on 12.27.12 |
| ->> Fish? |
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Juerg Schreiter, Photographer
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Fort Lauderdale | FL | USA | Posted: 8:06 AM on 12.28.12 |
->> Phil,
oh, I agree that every deterrent is good. Just saying if they want to, they get around it.
My friend had a TV Camera stolen out of a locked case. The case arrived at the luggage claim empty but locked. He traveled with two cameras, could only carry on one. Even taking an attorney didn't help, he was out some serious money.
So far I have only lost a tripod and a bag with some small accessories like chargers and cables out of a locked suitcase.
J |
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Fred Brooks, Photographer
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Millington | TN | USA | Posted: 9:06 AM on 12.28.12 |
| ->> I do not fly much. Could he have put the lenes on the cameras, and put them around his neck/shoulder and boarded the plane? What about stuffing the lens/cameras in a photo vest. Would that have been allowed? |
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Nik Habicht, Photographer
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Levittown | PA | USA | Posted: 10:25 AM on 12.28.12 |
->> For those of you considering adding a starter pistol to your checked luggage to prevent theft -- be careful. You'll need to be aware of two things:
1. Is it legal for you to possess that starter pistol in every state and municipality where you will be spending time? Even if it's unintended time, as in you get to a connecting airport (or are diverted to a different airport), only to be bumped/run into an airport closure and have to spend the night in a hotel.
2. Do you have sufficient time in your schedule to deal with a police investigation, if the airline decides to notify airport security when you declare the "gun"? In some airports that might get you stopped and detained while they investigate -- and if you have a narrow window, you might miss a flight. |
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Stanley Leary, Photographer
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Roswell | GA | USA | Posted: 4:01 PM on 12.28.12 |
->> Years ago Kiwi airlines lost one of my smaller lighting kits. I had three vivitar 283 flashes, quantum power units in a pelican 1500 case.
I had insurance, but the deductable was about the same as what i lost. They were in the middle of their bankruptcy.
I ended up takng the loss.
This was before 9/11. Had locks and did everything right.
It can still go wrong.
I was carrying everything i could with me and still do onboard.
If the airline hadn't gone out of business i would have most likely gotten my money to cover the deductable. |
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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New England | | | Posted: 12:04 AM on 12.29.12 |
->> Nik,
You do not need to redeclare a checked firearm while in transit. The bag with the starter pistol can fly non-stop or 9 stops, as long as the bag remains in the post-security environment you do not need to deal with the police or TSA. The exception is if your bag is opened and then that is a whole other issue.
The sad fact is a number of firearms bags just go missing. The thieves see the locks, know what is inside and don't pop the bag, they just steal the whole bag. Starter pistol legalities is something I have seen the ATF bring up, but more often than not has to do with the blanks more than the actual pistol.
Also, never use a zipper bag. Any barely skilled thief can pop a zipper with a pen in a matter of seconds, even if locked, then fix the zipper just as quick as they broke it. |
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Nik Habicht, Photographer
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Levittown | PA | USA | Posted: 1:00 AM on 12.29.12 |
->> Steven,
in an ideal world you're right. Problems however can occur -- when flights are diverted, or connecting flights are delayed, and the airline declines to hang onto the baggage. A few people have been arrested at airports in the NY Metropolitan area for "being in possession of a firearm" after being stranded overnight....
I'm not suggesting not to do it -- I am suggesting being aware of the applicable laws in any jurisdiction, and in being prepared for potential delays. |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Steven E. Frischling, Photographer
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New England | | | Posted: 2:26 AM on 12.29.12 |
->> Mark,
That legal case is interesting because of one very important thing .... for years, until recently cancelled, the Continental (now United) non-stop service between Newark and Allentown has been operated not by a plane, but by a bus for years. The 67 mile journey along I-78 was faster and more economical with a bus than by turbo-prop regional plane.
You go through the regular airport security procedures, then boarded a bus in the secure area. Connections at Newark between the bus and flights were treated as any other "flight" in the sterile area.
Has this person's flight been on time and had they made their connection, the service would have still been operated by a bus. |
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Paul Walsh, Photographer
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Meakstown | Dublin | Ireland | Posted: 7:37 AM on 12.31.12 |
->> I fly a good few times a year with my camera gear. I always make sure that I take it as carry-on. I will never check any camera gear.
Those TSA locks are practically worthless. I can pick one in seconds. I have bags with these locks, and know how useless they are, but they are a visible deterrant.
Insurance is also key. I have my gear insured for replacement cost, not it's current value.
If you are travelling by air, make sure you know the airline policy on baggage. If you can't carry what you need, make sure you can get it to your location.
Anyway, the blog poster made enough mistakes - no locks, too much baggage, not enough insurance, etc .... while I can feel sorry for him, I also see that he is, at least partially, to blame.
But, Jetblue shouldn't be allowed to get away with this blatant theft. It should have been reported to the police, as well as being reported as lost items from luggage. |
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Brian Blanco, Photographer
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Tampa / Sarasota | FL | USA | Posted: 9:26 AM on 12.31.12 |
->> I'd rather set fire to my own face than check my camera gear, but we all know that, from time to time, we're forced to gate check our gear despite the fact that we have a Think Tank bag small enough to be compliant with the airline's carry-on policy for that particular aircraft. That's life.
I travel pretty light so since the invention of the iPhone I've only had to gate check my gear twice and what I did both times, right there outside the door to the aircraft next to the strollers and wheelchairs where they make you gate check stuff, was use my phone to shoot a video of me opening my bag and shooting video of the contents therein, then I pan and shoot the door to the aircraft and even the name badge of the airline employee making me gate check the stuff, pan to show my watch, my ticket and then shoot video as I use the useless TSA locks on the bag to lock my stuff, shoot the gate-check tag, and then shoot video as I hand my bag over.
After I've shot the video, when I get to my seat, I email that video to myself, my lawyer (dad), and my insurance agent (which is why you need an agent and not some website). I then shoot video as I go to retrieve my bag and check the contents.
If the bag or the contents come up missing or damaged I have two videos, with time-stamps.
Lawyers for insurance agencies (even your own) and airlines generally have an unwritten "just say no" policy. It makes sense for them to deny everything at the first sign of a complaint or claim. A video like this shows them that you're not the "low-hanging fruit" and tells them to pay up quickly and appropriately. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer, Photo Editor
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PLANET | EARTH | | Posted: 10:42 AM on 12.31.12 |
| ->> Brian, that is brilliant. Thanks |
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Armando Solares, Photographer
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Englewood | FL | USA | Posted: 11:07 AM on 12.31.12 |
| ->> That is a great idea Brian. |
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Larry W. Smith, Photographer
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Dallas | TX | USA | Posted: 11:17 AM on 12.31.12 |
->> I have to say I know a lot of people that check gear and I am one of them. When covering events in different cities you sometimes have to check gear shipping is not an option when a game finishes at midnight and you fly out 1st thing next day for a game that night in different city so you have to check extra cameras lenses and remote gear. You use TSA locks which anyone can buy a key for but it's still a good idea and you just take the risk it's part of doing business and a risk you have to take. I've done it when I was a freelancer and I do it now as a staffer. But calling all people who check gear an idiot is ridiculous.
Larry |
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Jim Colburn, Photographer
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Omaha | NE | USA | Posted: 4:57 PM on 12.31.12 |
->> "That is a great idea Brian"
+1 on that. |
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Marvin Gentry, Photographer
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Birmingham | AL | USA | Posted: 8:20 PM on 12.31.12 |
| ->> I dont fly alot , but it seems that the airports/TSA should have a specific gate that you can go to with a Pelican/ lockable case and they check it just like it is being carried on. Then after it is checked they put a serial numbered seal tag like trucking companies use when merchandise is loaded on a truck and then you hand them the padlock and they put it on for you and take then bag and take it to its respectable destination plane. Just a thought. |
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