Police Nab LAX Baggage Handlers For Theft- How To Keep Your Bags Safe

Though I've yet to have anything stolen from my suitcase, many people have. I learned long ago not to put anything in my checked baggage that I don't mind parting with, so perhaps that's why they've left my luggage alone. But in spite of numerous stories about TSA and baggage handlers pilfering from travelers, people still put items of value inside their suitcases. I had a friend who lost his laptop that way.

The latest case is out of Los Angeles' LAX, the third worst airport for luggage theft. After too many complaints about theft, LAPD went undercover to nab the thieves. After months of undercover work, they have detained a slew of baggage handlers. They were stealing from bags in all areas of the airport, from the planes, to runways, to the terminals themselves. The police focused mostly on the Tom Bradley International Terminal and Terminal 4, home of American Airlines, and a few Qantas flights.

Police captain Ray Maltez told local station KABC-TV: "We believe that there has been a culture of being able to take property that wasn't theirs, and that's what we want to be able to put a stop to."

It was not clear exactly how many have been arrested.

Police said they had served warrants, raided airport terminals and seized property at 25 different locations in Los Angeles-area cities.

Those arrested were primarily employees or ex-employees of contracting companies hired to handle luggage and do not work for the airport itself, police said.

According to ABC News, there were 25 search warrants, six arrests and 14 people detained.

As of 2012, Miami International Airport topped the list of 20 worst airports for luggage theft, followed by New York's JFK International Airport. Then comes LAX in the number 3 spot. The rest:

4. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

5. Las Vegas-McCarren International Airport

6. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and New York-Laguardia Airport

8. Newark Liberty, Philadelphia International, and Seattle-Tacoma International airports

11. Orlando International Airport

12. Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport

14. Washington Dulles International Airport

15. Detroit Metro Airport and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

17. Boston-Logan International, Denver International and San Diego International airports

20. Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Although you will never totally prevent theft, there are ways to make sure you minimize the possibility:

A. Put anything of value (jewelry, cash, camera, laptop, iPad) in your carry-on bag, and keep a close eye on the bag as it goes through security. TSA employees have been caught stealing, too.

B. Lock your carry-on bag while on the plane. How often does your bag wind up in an overhead bin seats away from where you are. And you can't trust flight attendants either, they've been known to pocket items left on board.

C. Those TSA locks won't help, so don't think it's safe to stash valuables in checked baggage.

D. Right before you are told to fasten seat belts, and prepare for landing, make sure you have put away all your possessions. Check again in the seat pocket in front of you, under your chair, and in the overhead bins before you de-board.

E. ABC News advises to take photos of your packed bag before you zip it shut, and buy insurance. This will add to the average $3,400 the airlines will reimburse you for delayed, damaged or lost luggage. Not sure how photographing the packed suitcase prior to zipping is proof enough of everything you've packed layers down, but it can't hurt. I would also suggest taking a photo of the zipped up bag in case of damage. I've had many bags damaged along the way. And no proof they were not damaged pre-flight. If you've ever seen baggage handlers, they're pretty rough with other people's property.

Sources: Yahoo News, ABC News,

Compare Fees and Perks On Major U.S. Airlines

For years the airlines have been nickel and diming us to death. You never really know until you've booked the flight and you realize all the extras you'll wind up paying, above and beyond the air fare itself.


We used to be able to check our first bag free. That has all changed



Bankrate has put together a comparison list of additional fees that some of the major airlines charge, so you can make an educated choice.


The first choice you  have is to compare baggage fees. Most of the airlines charge about the same for checked baggage and nothing for carry on, except for Spirit Airlines which wins top award for best price gouger.  Spirit charges a whopping $35.00 for a carry-on, $30.00 for the first checked bag, $40.00 for the second and $85.00 for the third. While most carriers don't charge for the 1st international bound checked bag, Spirit charges $35.00 for the carry on, $30.00 for the first checked bag and $40.00 for the second. All airlines except Spirit also start charging fees for overweight luggage at 50-lbs, whereas Spirit starts at 41-lbs. And you'd better pay those fees online or you'll pay more at the airport.


Then comes Frontier Airlines which charges $25.00 for an oversized carry on bag.


FIRST CHECKED BAG:


No Cost: Jet Blue and Southwest
$20.00: Frontier Airlines
$25.00: Alaska Air, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, US Airway. United Airlines charges $25.00 but it depends on the destination.


SECOND CHECKED BAG:


No Cost:  Southwest
$25.00:  Alaska Air
$30.00:  Frontier
$35.00: American, Delta,  Hawaiian, United, US Airway
$40.00: Jet Blue


THIRD CHECKED BAG:


$75.00:  Alaska, Frontier, Jet Blue, Southwest
$100.00: Hawaiian
$125.00: Delta, United, US Airways
$150.00:  American


OVERWEIGHT BAGGAGE:


Can vary widely, but ranges from $75.00 all the way up to $200.00


You can also comparison shop on fees charged for:


Credit card breaks, Menu options, Seating, Priority boarding, Entertainment, Military discounts. Children, Blanket and pillows, Loyalty programs, and pets.


Check it out here.


Looks like I'll be checking out Southwest more often. I crossed Spirit off my check list a long time ago. 


Be aware, that most airlines charge less for these fees if you pay for them online.

Worst Hotels and Motels In The U.S.

I'm on the road a lot, and finding decent accommodations can be hit or miss if you don't pre-plan. But if you're on a road trip that's not always ideal. I don't want to have to rush to get someplace because I made a reservation at a specific hotel in a specific location. However, that sometimes leaves you stuck with a potential dump. Believe me, I've stayed at plenty of those over the years. The places that smell of mildew, riddled with bugs, moldy bathrooms, where you sleep in your clothes on top of the bed.  In some cases, you can't really tell what the interior will look like until you check the room out. I have, on occasion, opted not to stay, so the only alternative is to either drive to another motel or  the next town up.  Sometimes, though, just looking at the exterior is a major indication of what might be lying in wait for you.  Only once or twice have I ever driven around a motel property and promptly left- I value my life. But most of the time I would just wind up staying in a sub-par motel.


If you have a large budget that's no problem (not that the luxury hotels can't have bed bug problems), but if you want a mid-range hotel I find sticking with the La Quintas, Hampton Inns or Holiday Inns the best choice, although I've stayed in a few duds.  That's the problem with franchised ventures. But there are some you might want to stay away from, and the Fiscal Times has a list of those.


Based on surveys from Consumer Reports and J.D. Powers and Associates the 10 worst motels in the U.S. are, with photos:


Baymont Inn and Suites
Quality Inn
Clarion
Red Roof Inns
Super 8
Ramada
Days Inn
Motel 6
Econo Lodge
America's Best Value Inn

I've stayed at most of the above, and they most definitely deserve being in the top ten.  I would also add Knight's Inn and Travel Lodge.  I recall staying at a Travel Lodge in Montreal, Canada, the room was not inexpensive and I was treated to a room that had a bed that was more akin to an army cot with a layer of plastic covering the mattress pad, and the bathroom grout was moldy black.

If you don't care where you stay, by all means choose the above. But I know I stay away from those chains.

Virgin Atlantic's Hip Safety Music Video Wows #VXsafetydance

Wow. Virgin America has come up with a five minute slick and hip pre-flight  'safety' music video to replace those boring safety speeches we get  prior to take off.

Directed by Jon M Chu, choreographed by Jamal Sims and Christopher Scott, and composed and produced by Jean-yves "Jeeve" Ducornet it features a bunch of talented dancer/singers including Todrick Hall and Madd Chadd and some fantastic young ones.

What an innovative and fun way to capture people's attention on something we all have a tendency to ignore.

Makes me want to fly Virgin.

Underwater Hotel Room At conrad Maldives Rangali Island

For a mere $1,353 or more per night you too could sleep underwater at the exclusive Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Hotel.  It's normally a 12 seat dining area that can be turned into a bedroom suite for two for special occasions, like honeymoons. It's not listed on their website so you have to ask for it, and give at least a 14 day notice. However, it may no longer be available.

It's 16 feet below water, and you get to sleep with the fishies.

I think I'd feel way too naked sleeping in a glass enclosed bedroom, but obviously there are people who don't.

Here's a video of the resort with some photos of the underwater dining room. Looks gorgeous.

Seven Terrifying Scenic Roads- Smarter Travel

There's nothing like a good road trip, the more scenic the better. The Blue Ridge Parkway, for example, is glorious. At a nice leisurely 35 mph speed limit, and plenty of stops to take photographs, a 90 mile drive from Blowing Rock to Asheville, NC took me all day. No complaints, though.

So I was fascinated when I saw a list of seven of the most terrifying scenic roads posted on Smartertravel.com along with videos to enjoy vicariously. I know I won't be adding any of them to my bucket list, but enjoyed watching from the safety of my laptop.

1. Bolivia: They start off with North Yungas Road aka 'Death Road' near La Paz, Bolivia, which is a mountainous, winding gravel road with no guard rails, that apparently claims around 300 drivers every year. The road is now mostly used by crazy tourist mountain bikers.

2. Japan: Irohazaka Road is located near Nikko, Japan. Another winding, mountain road with 48 "hairpin turns" and one 120-degree bend. But this road is paved and has small guardrails. I could only watch a little of it, because I started feeling motion sick.

3. Germany:  Spreuerhofstrasse, in Reutlingen, Baden-Wurttemberg doesn't really qualify as a road, it's more of an oddity, a paper-thin street measuring 12.2 inches at its narrowest. You can only walk it sideways, that is, if you're not pregnant or overweight. It's considered the narrowest street in the world. It was built in the 18th century. Not sure why Smarter Travel  included it, but there it was.

4. China:  Guoliang Tunnel in Henan province, is a 3/4 mile tunnel that was carved through and alongside another winding mountain road. Very rustic.

5. China: The National Highway 110 from Beijing to Yinchuan is a perpetual traffic jam. Apparently in 2010 a jam lasted 12 days. Not sure why this one was included either under 'scenic'.

 Back in 2010, a two-mile-per-day pace on this highway was attributed to an influx of vehicles on a single road. Ironically enough, the main cause of the congestion was a large number of trucks transporting building materials to be used for highway expansion. Stranded drivers took to card playing and reading to keep entertained. For nearly two weeks.

6. USA: The lonely James Dalton Highway in Alaska is around 400 miles long, with only three tiny towns (population 60) scattered the length of it. Mostly used by truckers, the video on Smarter Travel shows a trucker driving in the dead of winter.

And last but not least:

7. Norway: In the north west coast of Norway, the 5.2 miles of Atlantic Ocean Road crosses the Norwegian sea over some pretty spectacular bridges (8 of them), and is the stuff of nightmares (at least mine) during or right after a storm.

The Atlantic Ocean Road runs across a partially inhabited archipelago and connects Averoy with the mainland at Eide.

The video below was taken the day after the storm  "Dagmar" caused damage in the general area.

The Rampant Theft By TSA Airport Security

This is a sobering look into how easy it is for TSA security officers to steal our belongings. This former agent, Pythius Brown, spent 3 years in jail for stealing around $800,000 worth of other people's property over a 4 year period at the Newark New Jersey Airport. In the span of 10 years, around 400 TSA agents have been fired for theft.  That's a heck of a lot of people. Brown worked behind the ticket counters, alone, screening baggage.

In spite of the fact that we are told not to put anything of value in our checked luggage, you would be surprised how many people still do.

Keep anything of value with you, and be hyper vigilant as you go through the security check point.  When I am being screened, I always have an eye on my carry-on baggage, and I remove any metal that I might have on my body prior to going through the check point.

Sad that TSA is so careless in its screening of potential employees, but as Brown explains, it was just so easy he fell into it without much trouble.

Of course it's not just TSA, you also have flight attendants, and baggage handlers that can steal your belongings.

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