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Stolen electronics out checked bag

Brashyej
Explorer C

My Laptop Was In My Checked Bag Because I Didn’t Want To Carry It On Due To Me Having Two Full Bags Already. I Didn’t Feel The Need To Take It Out My Luggage So I Left It . I Checked In At Pittsburgh International At 5 Am Flight Was Taking Off At 6 . I Made Sure Before I Handed My Bag Off To The Ticket Agent That Everything Was Safe And Secured . I’m On Camera Clear As Day . I Land At Fll And I’m At Baggage Claim And I See My Luggage Unzipped . I Pick It Up To Examine It And The First Thing I Thought Of Was My Laptop . I Seen It Was Missing And I Immediately Went To The Baggage Claim Center . The Southwest Employee Told Me Southwest Doesn’t Cover Electronics And There Is Nothing I Can Do, That Me Filing A Claim Is Pointless. I Left And Contacted Pittsburgh And They Said Nobody Returned A Laptop . Southwest You Guys Have To Do Better. I Will Never Fly With You Guys Again And I Will Make Sure I Tell Everyone My Experience And Tell Them To Choose Another Airline 

7 REPLIES 7

Re: Stolen electronics out checked bag

TheMiddleSeat
Aviator A

TSA screens and goes through checked bags so you would be wise to start with them instead of blaming Southwest

 

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support/claims

 

--TheMiddleSeat

 

Re: Stolen electronics out checked bag

jksobonya
Aviator A

@Brashyej wrote:

My Laptop Was In My Checked Bag Because I Didn’t Want To Carry It On Due To Me Having Two Full Bags Already. I Didn’t Feel The Need To Take It Out My Luggage So I Left It . 


Well, I hate to say it, but this is entirely on you. Never put valuables in your checked luggage. This is Basic Flying 101. This is very likely not Southwest's fault at all, but someone at the airport who saw/inspected your bag en route to the plane. 

 

For the future, the correct thing to do would be put make room in one of your carryons for your laptop. 

 

--Jessica

Re: Stolen electronics out checked bag

dfwskier
Aviator A

As said above, TSA could be responsible.

 

Also, non southwest employees at both the departure and arrival airports would have had access to your bag. Who took it? Who knows. There are potential culprits other than Southwest employees.

 

Also, Southwest's contract with you (the contract of carriage) clearly states that Southwest will not assume responsibility for items of value in checked bags.

Re: Stolen electronics out checked bag

ChrisA
Explorer C

It's not all that helpful to scold someone who's just had the the difficult experience of a stolen laptop. While putting valuable items in a checked bag carries risk, people do so for various reasons, and the fault for the theft lies with the thief. 

 

It's not necessarily unsafe to put a laptop in a checked bag, though it should be powered off. 

 

Re: Stolen electronics out checked bag

floridaguy
Aviator C

I regularly pack an extra laptop in a checked bag.  Each time there is an insert from TSA that they inspected my bag.  No big deal.

 

If yours was left out of your bag, I would contact TSA.  

Re: Stolen electronics out checked bag

SWAnotherWokeCo
Adventurer C

There are many documented cases of TSA employees stealing from luggage. You should probably start with TSA.

Re: Stolen electronics out checked bag

floridaguy
Aviator C

I feel like this is Southwest's problem.  They checked the bags, not TSA.  Let Southwest fish it out with TSA.  (good luck with that)