How Do You Lock Your Suitcase?

It is nice to be able to bring your suitcase on board,. Then you don't have to worry about it getting mislaid or lost. Of course, you have to carry it with you to the buffet which is a pain.

Just an FYI on those nylon suitcase zippers... basically they are useless and so locking the tabs together is pointless. Check out this video and you might want to reconsider whether locking this type of baggage is worth the effort... https://youtu.be/wpIJVWXsBBI

Those included locks were not that strong anyway and probably deterred no one. I use the TSA locks myself but may switch over to the plastic ties.

TSA is, Transportation Security Administration, an agency within the cabinet level US Department of Homeland Security. Previous to 9/11 this agency was the Civil Aviation Security Division within the Federal Aviation Agency of the Dept of Transportation. After 9/11 quite a number of agencies and services were incorporated into the new DHS. They were U.S. Coast Guard, Secret Service, Transporation Security, Border Protection, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Immigrations and Customs, Citizenship and Immigration Services.

"TSA locks" were created as a standard lock since security representatives need access to all items of luggage, therefore rendering all luggage manufacture's locks obsolete. All TSA agents and all thieves have keys to these locks.

Off subject a little is the Travel Luggage Security Straps, we have found these to be great. If the zipper or some other part of a suitcase should fail these will keep your bag intact and your stuff from pouring out onto the tarmac. Extremely durable, they resist even efforts by the strongest of ramp rats to break your baggage. Also, we have found these Samsonite suitcases to be very tough, we have four and have been using two of them now for years. Used to be that a suitcase was only good for one trip.

We don't lock ours. At the end of the day, the locks only keep the honest people honest. If someone wanted in your suitcase, that flimsy little lock is not going to stop anyone

The TSA is the American Transportation Security -- the folk in charge of searching through your underwear at the airport. They sell a lock with a generic passkey that TSA can open easily without cutting it. This type lock is easily forced open -- probably less effective than a zip-tie. For people travelling completely outside the US, it would probably not be worth the (small amount of) money required for purchase.

No good for a European cruise then ?

"Gentle" handling of the baggage handlers. How funny! I think that they take pride in throwing suitcases around. I know that the TSA locks aren't any safer than using nothing but it makes me feel better using them. Sometimes they are missing on my bags when they arrive at my destination. I think perhaps that they also have fun knocking them off as well. I am thinking about using plastic ties instead now.

Yes, the airport personnel should have keys to open them if they need to do so. But, this is only for US airports.