Padlock removed from Checked-in bag Domestic Flight from Perth to Brisbane

[power71]

I returned from a weekend in Perth to Brisbane on Aust Day afternoon. The day earlier at Perth's domestic airport, the terminal was evacuated after the screened that a bag which was being transferred from an Emirates flight from Dubai and bound for Sydney appeared to have contained four glass bottles with a clear liquid inside, taped together.

Upon my arrival in Brisbane, i noticed my TSA approved combination lock had been removed and was no where to be found inside my bag, nor a note from any security services to suggest they had removed the lock. I totally accept that security might have been tighter after the incident the day earlier, but am just bummed that I need to buy another TSA lock for 20 bucks!

Anyone have any suggestions why this may have happened, and in particular why no notice was left by security staff on or in my bag?

 

[straitman]

I returned from a weekend in Perth to Brisbane on Aust Day afternoon. The day earlier at Perth's domestic airport, the terminal was evacuated after the screened that a bag which was being transferred from an Emirates flight from Dubai and bound for Sydney appeared to have contained four glass bottles with a clear liquid inside, taped together.

Upon my arrival in Brisbane, i noticed my TSA approved combination lock had been removed and was no where to be found inside my bag, nor a note from any security services to suggest they had removed the lock. I totally accept that security might have been tighter after the incident the day earlier, but am just bummed that I need to buy another TSA lock for 20 bucks!

Anyone have any suggestions why this may have happened, and in particular why no notice was left by security staff on or in my bag?

My understanding is that the TSA lock system is exactly that. A TSA lock system :!:

Do security in Oz ever use the TSA unlock facility and put notes in bags :?: Maybe someone really knows. If they do not use the facility they may simply have broken the lock to get in for a look.

Another possibility is that the lock was simply broken and as the bag was loaded or unloaded.

 

[BlueAU]

I thought only TSA had keys to the TSA locks, so I am guessing it either broke off from a harsh belt handling system, or someone broke it off to peek?

 

[mannej]

The lock could have simply been broken off somewhere along the line.

It does happen.

 

[notmensa]

OP says they were travelling on a domestic flight within Australia, therefore TSA has no juristiction. Here's a link to the Australian Domestic Travel information:
Checked Baggage Screening

There is no requirement for screeners in Australia to put a nice note in your luggage or open TSA locks using TSA tools.

 

[MelUser]

I imagine everyone at Perth airport is a bit jumpy at the moment but things will settle in a few months time.

This is similar to how everyone in the US is a bit jumpy.

All travellers to US are now double searched at the gate to the plane (with the usual allowance/wave on of Business and First passengers NOT occurring).

A friend who is a CSM with QF says that for flights from originating from LA, everyone including crew have had to line up with their cabin bags (outside the aircraft) and be sniffed by dogs trained in detecting explosives.

NO doubt all due to the Christmas shennanigans but again give it a few months and everyone will calm down again.

 

[clifford]

NO doubt all due to the Christmas shennanigans but again give it a few months and everyone will calm down again.

Unless of course there is another incident...

 

[james4321]

thought only TSA had keys to the TSA locks,
​

I think you are being a little naieve - there would be thousands of key holders by now, many of whom will be crims. Dont bother with these locks, waste of time.

 

[qake]

An ex used to work for customs at SYD. Had a special keyring with a collection of padlock keys of various sizes, and laughed that most padlocks used on baggage could be openned in 30 seconds using this key collection.
Padlocks are mostly to help prevent the bag coming open while being thrown around and to make yours less enticing to the opportunistic than the unlocked. There are numbered cable ties which are more security designed to prove tampering.

 

[straitman]

thought only TSA had keys to the TSA locks,
​

I think you are being a little naieve - there would be thousands of key holders by now, many of whom will be crims. Dont bother with these locks, waste of time.

An ex used to work for customs at SYD. Had a special keyring with a collection of padlock keys of various sizes, and laughed that most padlocks used on baggage could be openned in 30 seconds using this key collection.
Padlocks are mostly to help prevent the bag coming open while being thrown around and to make yours less enticing to the opportunistic than the unlocked. There are numbered cable ties which are more security designed to prove tampering.

james4321,

As pointed out by qake the TSA locks (or something similar) are useful as they simply make my bag a harder target to get into than your bag without them :!:

 

[james4321]

Straitman

So what? The OP was about keys to these locks, implication being that they are somehow "secure". My point is that TSA locks, locks that change colour, locks that whistle tunes maybe are all totally useless in terms of security.

 

[drron]

Maybe the problem is PER.Mid November we flew SYD-BNE on QF but our bags went SYD-PER-BNE and one of them arrived without the TSA lock.nothing was missing.Perhaps as I said the common factor is PER-must be pretty rough in the west.

 

[2muchplastic]

....must be pretty rough in the west.

Maybe a TSA lock is an offensive weapon there too?

 

[k_sheep]

I've had my locks cut off numerous times domestically, both here and overseas (including one in Malaysia where they also cut my zippers!! Grrr). The US was the only time a note was included.

Now I just use cable ties for international flights, and nothing for domestic. I've got nothing worth stealing in there (clothes and toiletries, maybe a book only).