Why padlock on your suitcase during travels puts your luggage at risk

A baggage handler has explained the common mistake passengers make thinking it will protect their luggage when it could be putting it at risk of theft

With airline hand luggage rules become increasingly strict, checked luggage is fast becoming the answer for holidaymakers who can’t fit a week’s worth of items into a handbag.

However, there can be something uneasy about your packed suitcase being sent into the deep dark depths of the airport once check-in is done, and not seeing your bags for hours.

Then of course there are added worries such as lost or damaged bags, or even worse, missing items.

Some passengers choose to lock their bags for peace of mind by clipping a padlock to the zip, but one baggage handler has revealed this could flag your bag as one to have a look through.

On a Reddit forum where airline workers were asked to share their secrets, one employee revealed that a padlock on a suitcase can suggest that it’s worth opening for a look.

They wrote: “It’s literally not even a deterrent. Some might take it as a sign that the bag is worth searching.”

Other members of the forum agreed, with another user adding: “Locks on zippered bags are useless. You can pop a zipper with a pen and drag the locked zipper pulls around the bag to close them back up.

“I’ve done this many times to identify bags that are tagless and locked.”

If you are worried about your belongings, there are plenty of ways to keep your items safe.

For a start, keep any valuable or sentimental items with you in your hand luggage; that way if your bag does go missing or turns up opened on the carousel, it will be frustrating, but it might help ease some of the stress.

Nowadays you can also buy suitcases with padlocks built in for the zips, which can only be released if you know the four-number code.