I flew out to work today and checked my bag in at the airport – coming to somewhere with little/no food/facilities so I took a george foreman , chopping board, an inexpensive knife (a paring knife so nothing massive or exciting) a cup , plate , bowl and a set of cutlery.

I arrived here and fine that first up my bags open about an inch and my padlocks only through one eye of the zip.

and when I unpack I find no knife – and they were looking for it as it was taped to the inside of a box.

A quick google says apparently its quite common for this to happen.

How come ?

No idea.

But I thought only something like 30% of checked luggage was x-rayed…

I must have got unlucky then ! annoying none the less – although at least I still have my George foreman

Could have come out on the x-ray, they’re bound to open and remove it.

Could you not buy a knife when at your destination?

I can but not till the weekend + assorted hassle of west African supermarkets

But really why go to the hassle of removing ? its in the hold so what risk does it pose ?

Why do they care whether people have a kitchen knife in their checked luggage? I don’t understand…

BA website seems to say knives are OK in checked baggage.

You can only take objects with a sharp point/edge which can be used to cause serious injury in your checked baggage (not on your person or in your hand baggage). Examples include:

items designed for chopping, such as axes, hatchets and cleavers
ice axes and ice picks
razor blades
box cutters
knives with blades of more than 6cm
scissors with blades of more than 6cm as measured from the fulcrum
martial arts equipment with a sharp point or sharp edge
swords and sabres

http://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/liquids-and-restrictions

How was the padlock opened? Someone has half inched it most likely.

It should have been allowed, assuming it was safely packed. CBA to check all carriers, but Ryanair certainly allows them:

https://www.ryanair.com/gb/en/useful-info/help-centre/terms-and-conditions/termsandconditionsar_696869348 (see 8.10.3)

Someone has half inched it most likely.

This

Put a damaged / lost luggage claim into the airline?

I took a 12 inch kukri to utah for a camping holiday. flew to BA, and AA (?) inside the US. No issues, still with me.

I was a little shocked in the 1st place that my wife got it back Nepal. I’d expected that would be trickier.

Anyway, you can travel with guns, so what’s the issue?

Anyway, you can travel with guns, so what’s the issue?

That’s a God given right!

Maybe the baggage handlers/x-ray artists have similar issues with weekends and the assorted hassle of west African supermarkets?

it was a 5 pound knife.

TSA Padlock so they probably stuck their key in to check it.

was far more valuable stuff in the bag so quite odd really.

when did knifes start getting removed from checked luggage ?

probably since a few days ago when 5 people in an airport were killed with a weapon taken out of checked luggage

probably since a few days ago when 5 people in an airport were killed with a weapon taken out of checked luggage

So it’s been taken for safety, or because someone inside an airport wanted a knife?

Probably worth reporting as presumably it’ll be recorded / checked in somewhere if removed legitimately.

or because someone inside an airport wanted a knife?

Or wanted a knife with someone else’s finger prints all over it!

I dont think I’ll bother reporting it…..Be lucky to find that desk in the airport 🙂

I had a nice, (really small) custom knife that disappeared from my luggage coming to the UK from the US. I was quite upset, but I guess now we just accept that stuff will get stolen from our checked luggage.

Could you not just buy the cooking stuff at the other end? A George Foreman must have bumped the weight of the bag a lot anyway.

phinbob – Member 
I had a nice, (really small) custom knife that disappeared from my luggage coming to the UK from the US. I was quite upset, but I guess now we just accept that stuff will get stolen from our checked luggage.

Heathrow? There’s a reason why it used to be known as Theifrow

Out of interest, is it a requirement to use a TSA padlock when not flying to the US it being a strictly US institution?

Does make you worry about putting a quality multitool like a Gerber or Leatherman into your checked baggage in case some thieving scumbag takes a shine to it…

“Could you not just buy the cooking stuff at the other end? A George Foreman must have bumped the weight of the bag a lot anyway”

A 2 portion grill weighs next to sod all. I normally fly with a bag weighing 10kg. Which left 14kg for food and cooking shit brought in from where food and cooking shit is easy to get and cheap

Last time I flew to the USA I had the TSA padlocks nicked off the luggage 😉

Wasn’t really that bothered, only 3 quid eBay jobs, but why would anyone want them?

Only ever had the TSA padlocks opened on going to US. They have an indicator showing they have been. EU flights they don’t seem to give a crap and never touched them.

Though the padlocks are hardly secure. Just need the TSA key which must be dead simple to get a copy and would open all TSA padlocks.

I mainly use the padlocks just to encourage the bag to stay shut rather than bust open on the tarmac or luggage belt. That and ensuring I’ve locked it for insurance purposes.

It’s very easy to open bag zip using a pen.

Just insert the pen into the zip then pry it opens then zip back.

The padlock is just a padlock cos it is not at all secured.

The weakest link in a zip bag is the zip.

That’s why I only use zip tie for all my bags.

If they want to open it they just cut the zip tie so I know it has been opened.

Just for clarity, checked luggage means suitcases, large duffel bags that you hand over at check in. Hand luggage is what you carry on the plane and put in your overhead locker.

I have carried various knives, mulit-tools as checked in luggage and never had a problem. (Even as carry on once, in this day and age!!!!).

Did you actually pack the knife or is there a chance that you forgot it?

If the authorities took your knife then they would have given you a receipt and questioned you.

24kg is a bit much for carry on no ?

I taped it to the inside of a box holding other stuff so that the knife didnt get bent inside my soft duffle.

My padlock had been removed and the box had been opened as the tape on the box had been removed and the knife was missing- you wouldnt have “happened upon it” just searching my bag,

The other stuff in the box was still there though.

Probably heathrow as i had a short transfer at schipol with bags straight through and then got off in luanda.

A paring knife shouldn’t bend though, even in transit. May puncture However, taping it to the underside of a box could arouse some doubt?

To the iInside of a box. Containting a chopping board a set of cutlery a cup and a bowl……

Wonder why it was there.

and AA (?) inside the US. No issues, still with me.

Well that’s no shock.