Plastic Wrap for Luggage in Airports?

[Looking4Wife]

Anyone have any experience using the plastic wrap for luggage in airports?

The only thing I know about it, is that if the baggage handlers in Miami (when returning from Colombia) can't "get inside your bag if they need to" (i.e you have a lock on your bag, or its encapsulated in plastic), then you have to wait in the seemingly endless "line of doom" while they x-ray your stuff.

I have no idea at point you can get the luggage plastic wrapped (i.e. before/after the first security check)?

I do know that on my last trip, I brought a suitcase of my wife's stuff back with me.  At some point between Colombia/USA, either they saw fit to dispose of the lock on my wife's suitcase... or it just happened...

That's unacceptable... especially if I'm (legally) bringing back a lot of medicines that could be confiscated by unscrupulous/opportunistic baggage handlers...

[Christopher]

I had this happen to me as well.  I was taken out of line and subjected to the luggage searchers because I had a pump sprayer of suntan lotion.

A guy going to Hawaii with suntan lotion.  What are the odds?

What especially makes it all stupid, from my point of view, is that the terrorists aren't complete morons.  They can certainly wrap anything in baggies themselves, so the requirement that we wrap stuff in baggies is for what, again?

I didn't have to go through again or anything.  After they berated me verbally for a while, they threw away the pump sprayer and I went on my way (of course, the deoderant, despite being a solid, was also suspicious, as was the shaving cream that was below the legal limit of carry on spray items (which also had been purchased at the airport minutes earlier).

[papi]

your best bet is to buy some TSA approved locks which any decent luggage store has in the mall or google. They have a master key to open if need be. No wait, no hassles. Papi once again to the rescue...lol

[soltero]

your best bet is to buy some TSA approved locks which any decent luggage store has in the mall or google. They have a master key to open if need be. No wait, no hassles. Papi once again to the rescue...lol

I second that. TSA locks are the way to go.

[Parlay Rey]

I always use plastic cable ties and keep an ordinary fingernail clipper in an easily accessible compartment on the bag to cut them if necessary.

Have traveled extensively post 9/11 like that and have never had a problem.

[Looking4Wife]

Thanks for the good info so far... but I'm still curious...

Nobody on this board uses, or has used, the plastic wrap? 

Man, when I go thru airports, sometimes I feel like I'm the ONLY person NOT using the stuff...!

[soltero]

Thanks for the good info so far... but I'm still curious...

Nobody on this board uses, or has used, the plastic wrap? 

Man, when I go thru airports, sometimes I feel like I'm the ONLY person NOT using the stuff...!

I see many (most) returning Colombianos that use that method, but as long as clicking that TSA lock causes no stress, it's all good for me to go that route.

[bundy_138]

At the airport in Cali, guys run around and ask you if they can wrap them for you (for a fee of course).  I think it would be a hassle because in most cases, your bags are checked.  If you get checked, you would have to cut all the plastic off so they can rummage thru them. 

A waste of money if you ask me.

Bundy

[papi]

i used the plastic once cause my bag was falling apart. no problems..but i use the TSA locks