Make Your Holidays a Little Happier

It has made the news again.  Luggage handlers are stealing items such as jewelry, money, and electronics right out of your luggage¹.  One handler was seen walking away with a backpack with thousands of dollars of electronic equipment inside. With millions of people flying this holiday season and all the strict rules airlines have put in place about carry-on luggage, let us make the thieves work a little harder this year. We all know that if someone is going to steal, there is not much we can do about it. They will find a way regardless of the precautions we take.  The luggage handlers have just seconds to get into your luggage and steal whatever they are going to steal so by employing one of the simple solutions below, you may hopefully give them pause and make them bypass your luggage and choose someone else’s. Use some type of locking device.  Because of the TSA rules, there are only certain locks that are allowed on your luggage.  These are easily opened by TSA agents if they have to get into your luggage. Nelco Products recommends that instead of locks, you use our Security Seals.  These specialized cable ties provide a secure locking mechanism on your luggage that is not so easily removed even with scissors. You can use a standard cable tie which is easier to cut than the Security Seals but still provides a secure lock on your luggage. When you are using a zip tie, pull it tight through your zipper pull tabs and then cut off the tail. This way it will not get caught in any of the conveyor equipment employed by the airport.  You should initial it with permanent marker to be able to tell if someone has tampered with your luggage or not. Do not use the zip ties on a zipper pull you have added to the luggage. Only put the zip ties through the original zipper pull tabs. When using a Security Seals, the same logic applies as the zip ties with one exception. Do not pull it really tight through the zipper tags. Leave some play so you can get the wire cutters through the loop to remove the seal. Other Travel Tips

• Send your presents through the USPS or another carrier.  This way, you do not have to worry about getting them on a plane and them getting stolen.  You can insure your package and with delivery confirmation, you know when your package is going to arrive.
• Do not put jewelry, wallets, and/or electronics in luggage that you are going to check in.  This may be harder than it sounds.  Check your airline’s rules about carry-on luggage and the TSA site before you pack for the trip that way you can plan on what electronics and items you are going to bring for carry-on and what you have to pack. If you know you are not going to need that laptop, leave it at home, it is one less thing you have to worry about.

Nelco Products wishes you and yours a Very Merry Christmas or a Happy Chanukah and we wish you a very Prosperous New Year.  We look forward to working with you in 2015. ¹ https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/baggage-handlers-accused-stealing-electronics-jewelry-worth-20k-27352022