7 ms·

Why Do 26 Million Checked Bags Go Missing Every Year?

60 points by bdz 14y ago

tzs 14y ago
From the numbers given for US carriers, it looks like US carriers lose about 0.5% of baggage. That's equal or higher to FedEx's loss rate, based on numbers I've seen inferred from their insurance rates and the assumption that the insurance rates are set to at least cover their costs. Given that checked bags cost money now, why not send your bags by FedEx to your hotel? You'll likely reduce your risk of losing them, and you won't have to deal with carrying them to and from the airport.
- eurleif 14y ago
  >Given that checked bags cost money now Not as much as FedEx. Checking a 50-pound bag with United from SFO to AUS costs $25. Shipping a 50-pound package via FedEx costs twice as much, and that's assuming you can afford to be without the things in your bag for up to 4 business days. If you can't, overnight shipping is $288.
  - personlurking 14y ago
    I often wish I could travel without a second suitcase. I recently paid a popular Brazilian airline R$230 (US$115) for a half-full second suitcase weighing 15kg. That price was also the price of the flight I was taking, btw.
    - bmelton 14y ago
      If you're willing to do laundry in your travels (lots of hotels offer drycleaning as a paid service also) then I see no reason you shouldn't be able to. I often travel for weeks at a time with no more than a Skyway 'carry-on' model bag and my laptop bag, both of which are carryable onto all US airlines at least. If I were somehow restricted to one bag, I could stow my laptop in my carryon if necessary, but I'd worry more about it getting banged up.
      - personlurking 14y ago
        oops, forgot to mention important detail. I move a lot, so everything (mostly clothes) fits into two suitcases.
- josefresco 14y ago
  Would rates be at all competitive? Most checked baggage is quite heavy, and the cost to ship something overnight, or even 1-2 day would most likely be quite higher than the fee your airline charges per bag (which unlike FedEx it travels with you). Maybe for a planned well in advance trip where you ship items you won't need for a couple days it might make sense but I can't see it working for the short 3-4 hour business trip.
  - nickbarnwell 14y ago
    The "large 50lb box" he's referring to is your baggage, and the rates of $25/$50 (int'l) the fares most carriers charge.
- bradleyland 14y ago
  Timing, cost, and marginal return on investment of effort. Timing: When you check your bag, it travels with you. As a result, it arrives at the same time as you. It also spends the minimum amount of time outside your possession. These two traits are desirable to travelers. Cost: If you were to ship your bag, most travelers would need overnight service, because travelers simply don't pack two or three days ahead. The cost of shipping your travel supplies overnight isn't going to offer a cost advantage to the $25 (estimated) it costs to check your bag. Marginal return: Yes, it would be possible to plan ahead and ship your bag through a parcel carrier's ground service, but depending upon where you're traveling to, that can take 5 days. That's a lot of planning, and the marginal increase in risk (of lost baggage) doesn't offset the time and effort required to "optimize" against this risk.
- mahyarm 14y ago
  $25/$50 international shipping for a large 50 pound box is hard to beat.
creativename 14y ago
The pilot, who’s been apprised of these developments, must now make the crucial call of whether to wait for the errant valises and risk a late departure I'm actually surprised that it comes down to the pilot's call - you'd think that their job is to just worry about flying the plane, not whether baggage has made it or not.
- autophil 14y ago
  And the fact pilots (in the U.S. anyway) make only slightly more money than a McDonalds employee.
  - blhack 14y ago
    I'm sorry, but no, this is bullshit. SOME pilots on regional flights make a really low salary, but that's because they experience requirements for them are incredibly low. Working those jobs is like a continuation of school, except you get paid just enough to buy food, instead of paying for the right to fly.
    - wtvanhest 14y ago
      It’s not total bullshit. Salaries for regional pilots are extremely low and their hours are terrible which is why I always avoid those planes when possible. Private jet pilots are almost as screwed. Most regional jet pilots barely make enough to survive after they have a 4 year degree and have qualified for a number of ratings (licenses). After becoming a regional pilot, they then have a shot (small percentage chance) of working for a major carrier making approximately $50k per year (this would be someone in their late 20s early 30s applying for that job in most cases). If they are lucky they will make captain 20 years down the road and make $150k. http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/pilot-salary-SRCH_KO0,5.htm http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/pilot-salary-SRCH_KO0,5.ht...
      - Wingman4l7 14y ago
        Check out http://www.salon.com/topic/ask_the_pilot/ http://www.salon.com/topic/ask_the_pilot/ -- he's done at least one good piece on the myth of the overpaid pilot.
stevencorona 14y ago
It's amazing to me that they even make it at all. There are so many bags coming in that have to be unloaded, scanned, sorted, transfered (sometimes cross-airline), and reloaded in such a short period of time with so much possibility of human error. I make some pretty tight connections and my bags always seem to make it (knock on wood).
- jack-r-abbit 14y ago
  Well... I don't find it any more amazing than the fact that they can keep most of their planes in the air. Why? Because that is the job they have agreed to do for the money I have agreed to pay. Sadly, they fail at their job... apparently 26 million times a year. Sometimes I wonder if my luggage is even on the same flight as me. We have to check in so early these days, it would not surprise me if they chucked my bag onto any next flight that will get it to my final destination before I do. Probably not... but maybe.
  - mgkimsal 14y ago
    Some UK friends of mine were shocked several years ago when we found out our bags were not on the same plane as us. Don't know if it's still a requirement in the UK or not (they seemed to indicate it was several years ago, re: terrorism).
    - objclxt 14y ago
      If a passenger is off loaded or doesn't show up at the gate their bags would typically be removed for security reasons. That doesn't mean bags can't travel unaccompanied - just that if a passenger voluntarily offloads themselves their bags can't stay on.
      - jack-r-abbit 14y ago
        Pre-9/11, I curb checked my bag but I was running a little late so got bumped off my flight before I made it to the gate. My bag made it on though. But that was before 9/11, so I imagine that would not happen today. Additional funny bit about that: The flight I got bumped from was from Seattle to San Jose with a layover in San Francisco (don't ask). I was able to get onto another flight to SFO a couple hours later but was going to be on Stand-By for the SFO-to-SJC leg. So I just arranged to have some one pick me up at SFO rather than stand-by for that last (short) leg. They picked me up at SFO and we drove straight to SJC to get my bag. Only... my original flight had been severely delayed so I actually made it to SJC before my bag... which left SEA a good 2 hours before me. o_0
stephengillie 14y ago
Mueller confirms that airlines see the TSA as a big part of the problem: “After the TSA took over back in 2001, my pilferage claims quadrupled,” he says. Before the TSA came into the game, passengers’ bags could be opened by another party only if a law-enforcement officer was present. His counterparts at other carriers have reported similar findings, he says, and in a 2002 meeting in Washington, D.C., they demanded that the TSA crack down on rogue employees. It is not clear what the agency has done since that time to solve the problem, but it has agreed to investigate and settle any claims that arise.
- Shivetya 14y ago
  I guess we could not criminalize until you federalize. Play on "You can't professionalize unless you federalize," agreed Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
  - jbooth 14y ago
    Let's leave the 1-dimensional partisan politics out of this please, there are plenty of real-world reasons why the TSA sucks. The air traffic controllers are federalized and they do a great job.
- onwardly 14y ago
  The article also notes another reason why the arrival of the TSA coincided with an increase: "The arrival of the TSA, which should have heightened security throughout airports, actually created an opportunity for petty thievery, he says. “When you have the TSA and local law enforcement watching for terrorists, this takes the priority off of thieves stealing luggage from the carousel.”
tolos 14y ago
Benefits of losing baggage: http://unclaimedbaggage.com/p/store/about_store http://unclaimedbaggage.com/p/store/about_store I live just close enough to make infrequent trips. I'm sure if I had to fly more I'd feel differently about the matter.
- MattSayar 14y ago
  I like how the article don't mention the final destination for all the unclaimed bags. I got a great pair of sunglasses from this place once. Then I lost them.
MarlonPro 14y ago
Just so we can keep watching "Baggage Battles"?
mindslight 14y ago
I think people can understand that mishaps occur, and can forgive their property going missing/damaged/delayed. What is unforgivable is how airlines delay and refuse reimbursing the traveler for losses incurred instead of simply accepting their responsibility and making the disruption as painless as possible.
- alexqgb 14y ago
  Jet Fucking Blue I recently landed at SFO, near midnight, and found that their handlers had completely sheered a wheel of my suitcase. The pull handle was also busted. And this was a bag tough enough to survive 15 years of use without trouble. Exhausted, I went home, thinking I could deal with it in the morning. JetBlue told me that they weren't taking responsibility for anything reported more than four hours after the fact "to reduce fraud", they said. Here's the thing. They know how many bags they ruin. They also know that the likelihood of a person buying an airline ticket in order to get a "free" suitcase is vanishingly small. So they can tell that while it's possible I'm hustling them, it's also very unlikely. Chances are good that they simply destroyed my bag. But instead of paying for it, they added insult to injury by stating "we have no idea whether or not you're a criminal" before telling me the four hour rule was written in stone. That's got nothing to do with avoiding fraud, and everything to do with avoiding responsibility. I suspect I'd have gotten the same treatment (or worse) elsewhere, but still, Jet Fucking Blue.
  - trapexit 14y ago
    Replace it with a Briggs and Riley bag. It won't be cheap, but they will repair it for free, for life, even if the damage was the airline's fault.
    - alexqgb 14y ago
      Wow, that's fantastic. Many thanks.
droithomme 14y ago
Q: Why Do 26 Million Checked Bags Go Missing Every Year? My answer: Because they contain valuable things. When I used to travel with checked baggage, it almost always got stolen or lost. Bad luck? No. I would pack expensive cameras. I now only put cheap clothing and nothing metal in checked baggage. Everything valuable comes with me by hand, and when that isn't possible is shipped using a more secure carrier like FedEx. Since not packing valuables, I've never had a single bag lost. The fact is that baggage handlers at airports are criminals who make money stealing things. There are exceptions, I am sure a few are honest. Not many though.
- alister 14y ago
  > When I used to travel with checked baggage, it almost always got stolen or lost. Your experiences seem to be exceptionally bad. I'd be interested to hear what airline and routes you traveled. And did you have connections? Also, do you mean that some objects were stolen or the whole bad disappeared? I regularly traveled internationally with lots of expensive gear in my checked luggage and never had it lost or stolen. But usually I travel on direct flights with no connection.
- ZenzerNet 14y ago
  Sorry, but you're wrong. 26 million bags were not lost - most were delayed in connection. Which means you ran to your next flight and made it just in time, but your bag travels slower than you do. In any case, you got it back a few hours or a day later, all contents intact (or did you cheat the insurance? haa? :) Few (although some) baggage handlers have the time to ruffle through your bag ni the short time they strive to load, unload, and transfer hundreds of bags from one flight to the next twenty. The fact is that most baggage handlers are honest, while a few are not. Like in any business. Sorry, but you're wrong. 26 million bags were not lost - most were delayed in connection. Which means you ran to your next flight and made it just in time, but your bag travels slower than you do. In any case, you got it back a few hours or a day later, all contents intact (or did you cheat the insurance? haa? :) Few (although some) baggage handlers have the time to ruffle through your bag ni the short time they strive to load, unload, and transfer hundreds of bags from one flight to the next twenty. The fact is that most baggage handlers are honest, while a few are not. Like in any business. Edit: Thanks for the downvotes. Lovely. For refuting the OPs ridiculous claim that: "The fact is that baggage handlers at airports are criminals who make money stealing things. There are exceptions, I am sure a few are honest. Not many though." I worked in baggage handling for 10 years. I never saw anyone steal anything from any bags. Nobody opened any bags without witnesses (supervisors). I saw delayed bags due to - in order by reason - 1.) misconnection due to delayed flights, 2.) baggage airport system failures 3.) Weather (indirectly causing point 1, 2 and 4) 4.) Human error (rare).
alister 14y ago
"A good part of the baggage process is in a part of the airport that is physically quite complex and, in many areas, dark." He adds: "Your bag may be traveling for several miles" in this maze, and watching it at every step along the way just isn’t feasible. That's a ridiculous excuse. The police, FBI, or whatever law enforcement agency could put hidden cameras and microphones in various luggage--packed with expensive things that are worth stealing--as part of a sting operation. If there's a serious problem (keeping in mind that the average loss is 0.5%), then they'd be able to nab the crooked TSA agents or baggage handlers after just a couple dozen runs. The reason this is not done is because this is boring to police. It is not a glamorous or interesting kind of crime to solve, and nor does it make money like speeding tickets or parking tickets.
- PotatoEngineer 14y ago
  Part of the trouble is that the victims often aren't local. Police departments, humanly enough, care more about solving local crimes that hurt local people, rather than crimes that hurt people "somewhere else." I agree that the FBI and other such agencies would be interested, but it's still a non-violent crime, and their resources might be better spent elsewhere.

60 points by bdz 14y ago

tzs 14y ago

From the numbers given for US carriers, it looks like US carriers lose about 0.5% of baggage. That's equal or higher to FedEx's loss rate, based on numbers I've seen inferred from their insurance rates and the assumption that the insurance rates are set to at least cover their costs. Given that checked bags cost money now, why not send your bags by FedEx to your hotel? You'll likely reduce your risk of losing them, and you won't have to deal with carrying them to and from the airport.

eurleif 14y ago
>Given that checked bags cost money now Not as much as FedEx. Checking a 50-pound bag with United from SFO to AUS costs $25. Shipping a 50-pound package via FedEx costs twice as much, and that's assuming you can afford to be without the things in your bag for up to 4 business days. If you can't, overnight shipping is $288.
- personlurking 14y ago
  I often wish I could travel without a second suitcase. I recently paid a popular Brazilian airline R$230 (US$115) for a half-full second suitcase weighing 15kg. That price was also the price of the flight I was taking, btw.
  - bmelton 14y ago
    If you're willing to do laundry in your travels (lots of hotels offer drycleaning as a paid service also) then I see no reason you shouldn't be able to. I often travel for weeks at a time with no more than a Skyway 'carry-on' model bag and my laptop bag, both of which are carryable onto all US airlines at least. If I were somehow restricted to one bag, I could stow my laptop in my carryon if necessary, but I'd worry more about it getting banged up.
    - personlurking 14y ago
      oops, forgot to mention important detail. I move a lot, so everything (mostly clothes) fits into two suitcases.
josefresco 14y ago
Would rates be at all competitive? Most checked baggage is quite heavy, and the cost to ship something overnight, or even 1-2 day would most likely be quite higher than the fee your airline charges per bag (which unlike FedEx it travels with you). Maybe for a planned well in advance trip where you ship items you won't need for a couple days it might make sense but I can't see it working for the short 3-4 hour business trip.
- nickbarnwell 14y ago
  The "large 50lb box" he's referring to is your baggage, and the rates of $25/$50 (int'l) the fares most carriers charge.
bradleyland 14y ago
Timing, cost, and marginal return on investment of effort. Timing: When you check your bag, it travels with you. As a result, it arrives at the same time as you. It also spends the minimum amount of time outside your possession. These two traits are desirable to travelers. Cost: If you were to ship your bag, most travelers would need overnight service, because travelers simply don't pack two or three days ahead. The cost of shipping your travel supplies overnight isn't going to offer a cost advantage to the $25 (estimated) it costs to check your bag. Marginal return: Yes, it would be possible to plan ahead and ship your bag through a parcel carrier's ground service, but depending upon where you're traveling to, that can take 5 days. That's a lot of planning, and the marginal increase in risk (of lost baggage) doesn't offset the time and effort required to "optimize" against this risk.
mahyarm 14y ago
$25/$50 international shipping for a large 50 pound box is hard to beat.

creativename 14y ago

The pilot, who’s been apprised of these developments, must now make the crucial call of whether to wait for the errant valises and risk a late departure I'm actually surprised that it comes down to the pilot's call - you'd think that their job is to just worry about flying the plane, not whether baggage has made it or not.

autophil 14y ago
And the fact pilots (in the U.S. anyway) make only slightly more money than a McDonalds employee.
- blhack 14y ago
  I'm sorry, but no, this is bullshit. SOME pilots on regional flights make a really low salary, but that's because they experience requirements for them are incredibly low. Working those jobs is like a continuation of school, except you get paid just enough to buy food, instead of paying for the right to fly.
  - wtvanhest 14y ago
    It’s not total bullshit. Salaries for regional pilots are extremely low and their hours are terrible which is why I always avoid those planes when possible. Private jet pilots are almost as screwed. Most regional jet pilots barely make enough to survive after they have a 4 year degree and have qualified for a number of ratings (licenses). After becoming a regional pilot, they then have a shot (small percentage chance) of working for a major carrier making approximately $50k per year (this would be someone in their late 20s early 30s applying for that job in most cases). If they are lucky they will make captain 20 years down the road and make $150k. http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/pilot-salary-SRCH_KO0,5.htm http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/pilot-salary-SRCH_KO0,5.ht...
    - Wingman4l7 14y ago
      Check out http://www.salon.com/topic/ask_the_pilot/ http://www.salon.com/topic/ask_the_pilot/ -- he's done at least one good piece on the myth of the overpaid pilot.

stevencorona 14y ago

It's amazing to me that they even make it at all. There are so many bags coming in that have to be unloaded, scanned, sorted, transfered (sometimes cross-airline), and reloaded in such a short period of time with so much possibility of human error. I make some pretty tight connections and my bags always seem to make it (knock on wood).

jack-r-abbit 14y ago
Well... I don't find it any more amazing than the fact that they can keep most of their planes in the air. Why? Because that is the job they have agreed to do for the money I have agreed to pay. Sadly, they fail at their job... apparently 26 million times a year. Sometimes I wonder if my luggage is even on the same flight as me. We have to check in so early these days, it would not surprise me if they chucked my bag onto any next flight that will get it to my final destination before I do. Probably not... but maybe.
- mgkimsal 14y ago
  Some UK friends of mine were shocked several years ago when we found out our bags were not on the same plane as us. Don't know if it's still a requirement in the UK or not (they seemed to indicate it was several years ago, re: terrorism).
  - objclxt 14y ago
    If a passenger is off loaded or doesn't show up at the gate their bags would typically be removed for security reasons. That doesn't mean bags can't travel unaccompanied - just that if a passenger voluntarily offloads themselves their bags can't stay on.
    - jack-r-abbit 14y ago
      Pre-9/11, I curb checked my bag but I was running a little late so got bumped off my flight before I made it to the gate. My bag made it on though. But that was before 9/11, so I imagine that would not happen today. Additional funny bit about that: The flight I got bumped from was from Seattle to San Jose with a layover in San Francisco (don't ask). I was able to get onto another flight to SFO a couple hours later but was going to be on Stand-By for the SFO-to-SJC leg. So I just arranged to have some one pick me up at SFO rather than stand-by for that last (short) leg. They picked me up at SFO and we drove straight to SJC to get my bag. Only... my original flight had been severely delayed so I actually made it to SJC before my bag... which left SEA a good 2 hours before me. o_0

stephengillie 14y ago

Mueller confirms that airlines see the TSA as a big part of the problem: “After the TSA took over back in 2001, my pilferage claims quadrupled,” he says. Before the TSA came into the game, passengers’ bags could be opened by another party only if a law-enforcement officer was present. His counterparts at other carriers have reported similar findings, he says, and in a 2002 meeting in Washington, D.C., they demanded that the TSA crack down on rogue employees. It is not clear what the agency has done since that time to solve the problem, but it has agreed to investigate and settle any claims that arise.

Shivetya 14y ago
I guess we could not criminalize until you federalize. Play on "You can't professionalize unless you federalize," agreed Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
- jbooth 14y ago
  Let's leave the 1-dimensional partisan politics out of this please, there are plenty of real-world reasons why the TSA sucks. The air traffic controllers are federalized and they do a great job.
onwardly 14y ago
The article also notes another reason why the arrival of the TSA coincided with an increase: "The arrival of the TSA, which should have heightened security throughout airports, actually created an opportunity for petty thievery, he says. “When you have the TSA and local law enforcement watching for terrorists, this takes the priority off of thieves stealing luggage from the carousel.”

tolos 14y ago

Benefits of losing baggage: http://unclaimedbaggage.com/p/store/about_store http://unclaimedbaggage.com/p/store/about_store I live just close enough to make infrequent trips. I'm sure if I had to fly more I'd feel differently about the matter.

MattSayar 14y ago
I like how the article don't mention the final destination for all the unclaimed bags. I got a great pair of sunglasses from this place once. Then I lost them.

MarlonPro 14y ago

Just so we can keep watching "Baggage Battles"?

mindslight 14y ago

I think people can understand that mishaps occur, and can forgive their property going missing/damaged/delayed. What is unforgivable is how airlines delay and refuse reimbursing the traveler for losses incurred instead of simply accepting their responsibility and making the disruption as painless as possible.

alexqgb 14y ago
Jet Fucking Blue I recently landed at SFO, near midnight, and found that their handlers had completely sheered a wheel of my suitcase. The pull handle was also busted. And this was a bag tough enough to survive 15 years of use without trouble. Exhausted, I went home, thinking I could deal with it in the morning. JetBlue told me that they weren't taking responsibility for anything reported more than four hours after the fact "to reduce fraud", they said. Here's the thing. They know how many bags they ruin. They also know that the likelihood of a person buying an airline ticket in order to get a "free" suitcase is vanishingly small. So they can tell that while it's possible I'm hustling them, it's also very unlikely. Chances are good that they simply destroyed my bag. But instead of paying for it, they added insult to injury by stating "we have no idea whether or not you're a criminal" before telling me the four hour rule was written in stone. That's got nothing to do with avoiding fraud, and everything to do with avoiding responsibility. I suspect I'd have gotten the same treatment (or worse) elsewhere, but still, Jet Fucking Blue.
- trapexit 14y ago
  Replace it with a Briggs and Riley bag. It won't be cheap, but they will repair it for free, for life, even if the damage was the airline's fault.
  - alexqgb 14y ago
    Wow, that's fantastic. Many thanks.

droithomme 14y ago

Q: Why Do 26 Million Checked Bags Go Missing Every Year? My answer: Because they contain valuable things. When I used to travel with checked baggage, it almost always got stolen or lost. Bad luck? No. I would pack expensive cameras. I now only put cheap clothing and nothing metal in checked baggage. Everything valuable comes with me by hand, and when that isn't possible is shipped using a more secure carrier like FedEx. Since not packing valuables, I've never had a single bag lost. The fact is that baggage handlers at airports are criminals who make money stealing things. There are exceptions, I am sure a few are honest. Not many though.

alister 14y ago
> When I used to travel with checked baggage, it almost always got stolen or lost. Your experiences seem to be exceptionally bad. I'd be interested to hear what airline and routes you traveled. And did you have connections? Also, do you mean that some objects were stolen or the whole bad disappeared? I regularly traveled internationally with lots of expensive gear in my checked luggage and never had it lost or stolen. But usually I travel on direct flights with no connection.
ZenzerNet 14y ago
Sorry, but you're wrong. 26 million bags were not lost - most were delayed in connection. Which means you ran to your next flight and made it just in time, but your bag travels slower than you do. In any case, you got it back a few hours or a day later, all contents intact (or did you cheat the insurance? haa? :) Few (although some) baggage handlers have the time to ruffle through your bag ni the short time they strive to load, unload, and transfer hundreds of bags from one flight to the next twenty. The fact is that most baggage handlers are honest, while a few are not. Like in any business. Sorry, but you're wrong. 26 million bags were not lost - most were delayed in connection. Which means you ran to your next flight and made it just in time, but your bag travels slower than you do. In any case, you got it back a few hours or a day later, all contents intact (or did you cheat the insurance? haa? :) Few (although some) baggage handlers have the time to ruffle through your bag ni the short time they strive to load, unload, and transfer hundreds of bags from one flight to the next twenty. The fact is that most baggage handlers are honest, while a few are not. Like in any business. Edit: Thanks for the downvotes. Lovely. For refuting the OPs ridiculous claim that: "The fact is that baggage handlers at airports are criminals who make money stealing things. There are exceptions, I am sure a few are honest. Not many though." I worked in baggage handling for 10 years. I never saw anyone steal anything from any bags. Nobody opened any bags without witnesses (supervisors). I saw delayed bags due to - in order by reason - 1.) misconnection due to delayed flights, 2.) baggage airport system failures 3.) Weather (indirectly causing point 1, 2 and 4) 4.) Human error (rare).

alister 14y ago

"A good part of the baggage process is in a part of the airport that is physically quite complex and, in many areas, dark." He adds: "Your bag may be traveling for several miles" in this maze, and watching it at every step along the way just isn’t feasible. That's a ridiculous excuse. The police, FBI, or whatever law enforcement agency could put hidden cameras and microphones in various luggage--packed with expensive things that are worth stealing--as part of a sting operation. If there's a serious problem (keeping in mind that the average loss is 0.5%), then they'd be able to nab the crooked TSA agents or baggage handlers after just a couple dozen runs. The reason this is not done is because this is boring to police. It is not a glamorous or interesting kind of crime to solve, and nor does it make money like speeding tickets or parking tickets.

PotatoEngineer 14y ago
Part of the trouble is that the victims often aren't local. Police departments, humanly enough, care more about solving local crimes that hurt local people, rather than crimes that hurt people "somewhere else." I agree that the FBI and other such agencies would be interested, but it's still a non-violent crime, and their resources might be better spent elsewhere.