How to Protect Your Valuables at the Airport, According to a Flight Attendant

While air travel often goes smoothly, unexpected delays, long layovers, and busy terminals can sometimes add stress to the journey. One thing no traveler wants to deal with, however, is having personal belongings stolen while in transit.

Airports and airplanes can present opportunities for theft, as passengers are often asked to remove and temporarily expose valuable items such as wallets, sunglasses, earbuds, and jewelry while passing through security. Carry-on bags also contain expensive essentials like laptops, phones, and gaming devices, making it important to keep them secure throughout your trip.

Fortunately, a few simple precautions can go a long way toward protecting your belongings. Here’s what to keep in mind before, during, and after your flight.

How to prevent airport theft before takeoff

The stress of air travel often begins at the check-in counter. Travelers typically show identification, check luggage, and then proceed directly to a security checkpoint—a sequence of events that can be overwhelming and distracting.

“Be sure to invest in a suitcase that contains TSA-approved locks,” advises an American Airlines (AA) flight attendant, speaking off the record. “This will ensure that nobody can access your bag during its journey.”

Based on his years of weekly travel and firsthand experience working in aviation, he recommends these additional ways to help keep your belongings secure before boarding:

1. Keep valuables in a separate, smaller bag. “It’s easier to keep items in one place inside of your carry-on instead of scattered throughout various pockets,” he says. “Remember to also put your ID, phone, and/or passport—things you’ll likely be carrying before the security checkpoint—into this bag immediately after stepping into the security line.”
2. Check valuables as soon as you go through a metal detector or body scanner. “The distance between the beginning and end of X-ray belts is small, yet it’s one of the most common areas for things to get lost, misplaced, or stolen,” he says. “Confirm that your belongings made it through and that it’s safe and sound among other valuables.”
3. Don’t ask strangers to watch your bags. “While it’s sweet to assume the best in people, that’s not always going to be reality,” he says. He encourages travelers to take all bags into restrooms with them, especially since most modern airport stalls feature larger spaces and doors that open outward.

How to prevent airport theft mid-flight

While it may seem unfathomable, mid-flight theft from overhead bins has become increasingly common, says our AA flight attendant.

Keep expensive personal belongings underneath the seat in front of you, not in the overhead bin.

“There have been instances of passengers going through other people’s belongings while pretending to go through their own bags,” he reveals, adding that the best way to prevent this is to keep expensive personal belongings and smaller bags underneath the seat in front of you. “Save the overhead space for harder-to-open suitcases that can also be locked.”

He also says to store luggage close to your seat. “You don’t want it to be out of eye distance, in case someone appears to be lingering around the compartments a little too long,” he adds.

Should you detect or witness suspicious activity, be sure to notify a flight attendant immediately so that they can call in law enforcement upon arrival, if necessary.

How to prevent airport theft upon landing

According to the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), baggage claim and parking garages are among the most common locations for theft at airports. That’s because many individuals, especially those who don’t travel often, may not be as alert to their surroundings.

The CDA offers these three airport safety tips after disembarking a plane:

1. Go to baggage claim as soon as you exit the aircraft. You can better secure your luggage as soon as it arrives on the carousel and make sure that no one intentionally or mistakenly takes your bag.
2. Do not pack valuables in checked luggage. Consider placing a tracking device such as an Apple AirTag in your bag to help locate it if it goes missing, and bring a portable power bank so that you don’t have to rely on public USB charging stations.
3. Only use authorized transportation providers when leaving the airport. Anyone approaching you unsolicited to offer a ride is likely not an authorized airport transportation provider.

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These smart habits can go a long way toward protecting your belongings. That way, you can spend less time worrying about your possessions and more time enjoying your travels.