TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Bag theft beware

We spent an enjoyable week in SXM last week. But upon return, we found that our bag was rummaged through and 2 watches which I brought there were stolen. A Nike run watch (about $200)and a Timex run watch (about $75) stolen. Also a Tag watch box, from the watch I purchased, and luckily I wore home was torn a gone though. Lost some extra links which the jeweler removed to size it for me. Pretty sure it was in SXM as we had a direct flight home to Charlotte and they did not have the bags long enough.

On the happy side, I have a nice Tag Caribbean edition aquaracer. And I guess I don't have to run anymore, since I can't track my mileage. LOL

Just an FYI

Paul

Are you saying that you put these items in checked luggage?

You put watches in your checked baggage?

When packing my checked bag I always ask myself "Would I care if this was stolen?" If the answer is "Yes" it goes in my carry on....especially something as small as a watch

Sorry for your loss. You might check with your homeowners insurance for possible coverage but you would have to deal with the deductible and the potential impact filing a claim would have. Not sure if you have travel insurance or if it would be of help in this case.

As others have stated, placing any valuable item in checked luggage is not a good option.

Did you put this complaint into the airline you flew? If nothing else its a warning for the airline workers... I would, but not sure what action you took... I would put the complaint in about lost or broken goods. But sadley putting any thing of value in checked luggage is not a good idea.

Yes I filed w/ American, waiting for a response. Those watches I never really thought about. 1 was timex I use to ref soccer and the other I use to track my running mileage. Guess I was to concerned about my new one. Just a mental lapse about the Nike. Usually carry that one.
Live and learn

Sorry for your loss, but I doubt the airline is going to accept responsibility since there is no way you can "prove beyond a reasonable doubt" that the watches were actually in the bag when you checked it and/or that the watches were taken by an airline employee.

Your travel insurance will cover your loss. Just a good reason to always have this insurance as things like this do happen. Everyone makes mistakes when packing so no need for people to give you a hard time about this packing error. If we were all perfect, it would be a wonderful world!

Going to file w/ citicard since I paid and booked through that.
Don't really know why someone would want my running watch, I'm a slow runner. LOL
Like I said, mental lapse. Life goes on.

Contact the airline, I had some jewelry stolen from my checked bags and they sent me a check for the value $400.00. It was a last minute decision as my hand luggage was too heavy and I had to repack in the airport. This was at John Wayne in CA.

I know others who have had items taken out of their bags at Charlotte, so I wouldn't automatically blame it on the handlers at SXM.

Correct. Also, the baggage handlers in SXM are NOT employees of any of the US airlines. They are contract workers from one of several ground contract services in SXM.

The vetting process isn't the best for airport workers. I know as one of my nephews was a handler and some of the stuff he would do made my blood boil.

Which is a scary thought on so many levels.

We all make mental mistakes. I figure the reason why they took them was because of the Tag box. At least it wasn't the Tag they got!!

We were forced to put our carryon in checked luggage flying from Key West to Miami a few years back. It was the last bag on the cart and I watched it as my laptop was in it. I was able to watch the cart come out of the plane. I was the first to get a bag. I could feel my laptop and large silver necklace. It wasn't until I got back to Ct that I found out that all the rest of my jewelry had been taken. Not hugely valuable, but sentimental and I never intended it to leave my possession. Now I only carry the basics. Key West & Miami police detectives said there's a ring of flight attendants and baggage handlers that have been doing this for quite some time. Over 40 years of travel all over and it finally happened to us.

I would think there are cameras in baggage loading area...no?

Yes, but not inside the belly of the plane. Police feel the theft was done in flight.

I am confused with this statement. Police feel the theft was done while the plane was actually IN FLIGHT?

Baggage handlers obviously do not fly with the bags nor do they have time to randomly open bags and go through them as they are being loaded up the belt and on the plane. I really don't understand how it could occur IN the plane.

WOW - Must have been Ethan Hunt - <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Yes, apparently there's a group of flight attendants & plane personnel that coordinate these thefts. We don't fly that airline anymore. When I contacted them they couldn't have been more rude or callous.

It was small commuter plane from Key West to our connecting flight in Miami. Apparently the plane personnel can access the hold in flight. We were not the first to have this happen to and the FBI is now involved as many of these thefts cross state lines. Doesn't help in our case.

I vote for Ethan as the ONLY possible in flight culprit. I just do not see a flight attendant getting through the floor of the plane during flight NOR do I see "plane personnel" flying with the bags and risking pressure and temperature issues...but maybe I am to common sense inhibited

(yes, I know that some baggage cabins holds are pressurized but my pound bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee ALWAYS arrives totally sucked free of air and like a rock until I open it and hear the WHOOOSH)

I do know, from what the detectives have told me, that parts of the hold are accessible. This was a cart of carry on bags and may have been stowed in a different place than where the rest of the baggage was.

Aren't the baggage holds accessed from OUTSIDE the plane? In the case of a small plane and they could be accessed from inside it would be very easy to see it happening. Also, with a small commuter plane you would have what, just one or possibly two attendants.

The flight involved was SXM to CLT and is not a small plane. I would guess 757...

Bags hang out before getting on the plane...on transfer they move pretty quickly to the baggage claim.

No insight but I would say the best chance would be before putting them on the plane but that's just me speculating....

I was questioning what Tota2 was posting and not the original post. They mentioned a small commuter plane from Key West to Miami. I linked my response to Tota2.

Sorry to both posters that had items stolen.
I think most of us would be absolutely amazed at the cleverness and speed at which these thefts can and do occur. It is really unbelievable.
If only these people would use their cleverness to make an honest living...

That cart of carry on luggage may well have not been put with the checked luggage. I saw the cart being rolled up a ramp into the plane & I saw it off loaded. There weren't any carts with checked baggage off loaded at that time. I was the first to grab my carry on, it was at the top of the cart. I could physically feel my laptop and my large silver necklace. The only possible way to steal from that bag was in flight. The police/detectives concurred. They delay caused at TSA by my husbands 2 artificial knees precipitated the whole event and lead to us being the last to board.

"loaded up a ramp into the plane" where???? And then put where??? Somewhere in the passenger compartment?? That doesn't make sense..

"I was the first to grab my carry on, it was at the top of the cart. I could physically feel my laptop and my large silver necklace. The only possible way to steal from that bag was in flight."
This doesn't jive with your prior post. This says you grabbed your bag after the flight off the cart and felt your laptop and necklace then and they were still there. So when did this all get missing.

The laptop and necklace weren't missing!

I doubt it was taken in SXM. We boarded a AA flight in Miami to SXM not long ago and their were baggage guys on the jet bridge saying all the overhead space was taken so we had to gate check the carry on. In our rush to give up the bags we did not get out a watch and other electronics that were missing when we got to SXM. Of course when we got on the plane their was plenty of overhead space.

To clarify... my laptop and silver pieces survived the theft but as I said in my original reply that the more expensive gold jewelry was taken from my carry on. It was in the same zippered cosmetic bag as the silver necklace. Ergo someone opened my bag, fished out the gold Jewelry, and left the silver. Upon retrieving my bad from the cart in Miami I could feel the laptop and my cosmetic/jewelry bag and feel the silver necklace. I assumed every pieces of jewelry was still there. I was wrong, the more expensive ones had been taken, leaving the other behind. It was taken en route from Key West to Miami in a small commuter plane.

People will steal anything. I was in the casino business and was taking some friends on the island a dozen decks of cards and 5 sets of dice. When we unpacked our suitcase, 1 deck of cards and 1 set of dice were gone.Strange. The had to open the case of cards and dice to take i of each out. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

there is always a baggage handler in the compartment during loading - that's where thefts happen nobody can see him as he's stacking bags and he has time to go throught your stuff