7 TSA Secrets Never Told to Passengers (New Airport Scam!)

Must-Know Airport Security Tips and Scams in 2024. This is how to keep your luggage safe from theft at the airport and when going through TSA airport security. Learn exactly what happens to your luggage at the airport and how to keep your valuables safe before your flight.

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Welcome to Portable Professional, where I, Megan, use my experience from over 300 flights to offer you simple, practical and game-changing travel tips and hacks. Our mission is to help you reduce stress and make the most of every trip.

🐶 Chapters
00:00 Airport Security Scams
00:21 TSA agent caught on camera!
00:42 Load bins with least valuable items first
01:16 Paris CDG airport warning
01:50 Make electronics easily identifiable
02:32 Pack in luggage like this
03:23 My personal item for plane
04:17 Packing for security screening process in mind
05:03 Security hack
05:26 Avoid the ALARM!
05:59 DO NOT bring this through security
06:51 Security hack 2
07:20 How long before flight to go to airport
08:09 Most common airport security scams

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[daved]

TSA in Atlanta tried stealing my gaming laptop back in 2016. The agent stacked several bins on top of the bin my laptop was in and stacked them with the other bins. When I saw that my laptop bin was missing I said something to the guy, he said there was no laptop in any of the bins, I told him to let me check the bins he stacked, he said I couldn't come behind the roped area, I yelled for a supervisor and he threatened to have security escort me out. I yelled again and actually got a police officer to come over, he checked a couple of the bins down and said there was no laptop, I told him to look at the bin about 7 down, I could see that it was raised up higher than the rest, sure as shit, there it was. I reported this to TSA but they never replied.

[kathyphillips]

Around 2009ish, the security screening back then took 2 pair's of expensive sunglasses that i had deliberately put at the very top of my handbag so i would notice them if they were to go missing by some off chance, which was an intuitively inspired action for some reason, & thankfully i didn't ignore it.
Upon raising the alert that my sunglasses were missing, as well as saying it out loud enough to draw attention to the situation, they kept on saying over & over again that they would take my details and if the items showed up they would call me.
Hell nooo...not a chance, they were there a moment ago i know because i put them at the top of my bag so i could see immediately if they went missing, so i kept insisting that they call the Feds because i wasn't about to go anywhere until both pairs were handed over.
By this stage, one of them appeared quite nervous and they kept trying to get me out of there for obvious reasons, so i said i was camped there until they handed them over.
They began looking between the trays...🙄 SERIOUSLY !?!?!?
Sunglasses are bulky items, especially when both pairs were in their proper cases. How they thought that they'd get stuck between the stacked trays is beyond me.
Just by that action alone, confirmed who the culprit was right there.
They became quite frantic that i wasn't budging or about to be hushed up with some insane BS routine spiel about taking my details and getting back to me if they turned up.
The culprit was infact the team leader that day and they called me into the tiny office which was just off to the side of where they were screening... and that's when i said i would call the Feds to investigate a theft and put in a formal complaint with their supervisor of airport security if necessary... and if i needed, i would go even further...eg: social media or on one of those current affair type of programs that were on air back then.
Little did i realise back then what i know now !!! 😐
As it turned out, the security leader made out like she was looking through the desk drawers for a pen or something and then miraculously found both pairs of sunglasses would you believe and stupidly asked if they were mine...🙈
Thankfully, i got both pairs back and still managed to catch my flight.
That was definitely at Brisbane Airport and around 2009 if memory serves correctly.
There was an escalator immediately after going through the domestic flight screening process, so once you're done and get on the escalator, good luck getting back down if it's still the same now as it was back then.
It really pays to have more time up our sleeve to be well prepared and to check all our items before we leave the security screening area !
These day's it's easier for me to put everything into a carry on🧳which has a pin code lock as well as a padlock and put the one 🔑 in the tray that has a decent size novelty key ring attached to it so it's not easily hidden..and that's it, if they want to search, then they can give a valid reason and search it in front of me.
At Melbourne airport, security attempted to take my bags away to search them and i had to call out for the Feds again.
I told them that they could search my bag's not a problem there, but it had to be done in front of me or i'd have to involve the Feds.
We can't simply accept everything they say, we must question everything and know our rights back to front nothing less, it's up to us.

[-SmallStep]

I was moving to Hawaii from Colorado and bought a new (less than $100) bright yellow SMALL carry on suitcase. Everything of value I owned, that wasn't in my personal item case or on me, was in that carry on - tax papers, medical, legal, my children's pictures, and much more. The gate agent at United Airlines, where my family and I had worked for years, told me my carry on was too large. My suitcase was small so I could handle it because I'm small. People with giant carry ons were boarding the plane. I pointed this out to the agent but he had control of my life and I started crying but he just stood there and lied to my face. I couldn't afford to miss that flight. I couldn't afford to leave that suitcase because I knew in my gut he was going to steal it. I boarded but left my seat and went out to the gate and MY little suitcase was the only one there! Why was I not surprised? I took it and reboarded, found plenty of overhead for it and sat down. Pretty soon I hear someone yelling my name on the plane. He grabbed my arm and asked me if I took my suitcase. People around me saw a very large man grabbing my skinny arm and basically terrorizing me. I then told him my heart medication was in the suitcase, which most of it was because I couldn't fit anymore in my personal item. He let go of me as people around were looking at him. He told me not to do it again and left. I have never flown United again since they started hiring crooks.

[rickgesell]

Airline pilot here, place your phone and wallet (and nice watches, jewelry, etc) deep inside of a zipped compartment in your luggage or purse. If it's loose in a bin, it's just begging to go for a walk. Even if they have to open the luggage to inspect it, you'll be standing there while they do it. Never check any item you can't afford to lose.

[woodandwheelz]

I went through the TSA line and had to put my items in 3 bins. A lady put her bin in between two of my bins, most likely by mistake, but the TSA lady took her bin from between mine and put it behind mine so that my 3 bins were together. I liked that she did that and thanked her.

[leslielinzer]

Don't walk through security while your handbag is still on the other side, no matter how many times they tell you to go through. You are being separated from your valuables. Let others go ahead of you. I had an agent take my LV handbag off the conveyer turn his back to me, and rifle through it while constantly looking over his shoulders to see if I was still there. I was yelling at him to give it back, and with all the airport noise he just ignored me. Watch your stuff, those uniforms do not mean they are honest people.

[makistar]

I put my valuables inside my carry on and lock it, if TSA wants to search the carry on, I'm there to watch the process.

[patmos]

Two years ago when I was coming back from Greece, I did a really stupid thing, I left my wallet in the bin at the security check at the Athens airport. I didn't realize it tell about 15 minutes later when I was going to buy a couple of things. I ran back to the security check area fully expecting that my wallet would be gone, but no they had taken it and locked up in a safe. After a couple of question to verify it was mine, they gave it back to me but made me check to be sure everything was still there. I don't think I would have ever seen my wallet again had this happened in the USA.

[CarolineOceanaRyan]

This is mind-blowing. Tips on how to avoid getting robbed by TSA. As if air travel wasn't difficult and risky enough these days.

[Maya-vsmv]

Are there no "checks" for the TSA agents themselves?? If they stash stolen goods in their jackets or their own personal bags, do those get checked at any time during their shift or when they leave for the day? It's unbelievable how these people are just able to help themselves so easily.

[crepuscularwintersky]

Bright colorful luggage SOUNDS good, but the other passenger with the same colorful luggage won't even check the tag. I caught one lady making off with my bright green bag - which looked exactly the same as hers. Use the ribbons and stickers, people.

[agerduba]

You are right about Paris CDG-On my way to Istanbul for work, an agent moved away 2 Armani products that were perfect flight sized. When I asked her about it, she looked very annoyed that I saw her move. She was just stealing my products with no shame.

[cherylw]

Another tip to avoid chaos, confusion, and angst... as soon as your stuff comes through the scanner and is within reach get your bins of stuff off the rollers and bring it over to the near by tables and sort it all out there and put your shoes and coats back on. So frustrating to not be able to get to my stuff because everyone is standing in front of the rollers getting dressed and organized.

[ernestdesimone]

I wear a jacket with zipper pockets, put my valuables (watch, wallet, cell phone, passport, etc.) in the pockets, zip them shut and put the jacket in the TSA x-ray tray. Flying is such BS; I hate it so much. Security workers who get caught abusing the public need to go to prison for a long time. Young people put up with this nonsense because they've never known anything other than the post-9/11 world. Those of us old enough to remember the pre-9/11 days don't even want to go to an airport anymore.

[debbielb]

I think we stopped a situation like this at Heathrow. We were flying back home to Ottawa going thru security. My Daughter and I were both told to leave our passports in the bin. This has happened many times before so I was cautious but not alarmed. I went thru first then my daughter. I stopped and looked at her and said where is your passport? Nowhere to be found. A tsa agent was screaming at us to move on. I stood my ground with that we were staying until my daughter gets her passport back. They told me several times they didn’t have it and to move on. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something hit the floor under the X-ray scanner and there it was, my daughter’s passport. I will be now always putting away the passport and as soon as they check it and my boarding pass.

[HUAIREN]

I was ALWAYS losing my CK cologne spray...so now I keep my empty bottles (or my friends) and refill with a mixture of blue or red food coloring, water & ink...I've had 4 of these "disappear" from my carry on & it always brings a smile to my face 😂😂😂 🤫🤫🤫

[jancaulfield]

Accidentally left my bag in Dubai airport during the scrum after Covid to get through to the train
They couldn’t have been more helpful. Bag taken to security, contents photographed which I had to identify when I picked up. Well Done Dubai !!!

[RiverWoods]

I spent many hours on a bus going up into a mountain town where there was no plane access, and on this bus, I met an interesting gentleman who worked with an airline fairly high up. The number one thing he told me to keep suitcases safe was to make them look old and beat up. From that point on when I buy new suitcases I purposely bang around, and get them good and scratched. Then I take a spray can and add a bunch of graffiti-type art if you can call it that. Not only does it stand out, but nobody wants to touch it.

I highly recommend skins for your computers, phones, tablets, and any other equipment. I would choose something wild and kind of child-like that makes it look like it might be a child's computer, and cover up anything brand logos on it. Nobody needs to see the apple or the snakes of a Razor computer, cover that stuff up. The airport is not the place to brag about how expensive your computer is. If you don't want it to be child-like, then go with something like a realistic scary snake or spider pic, or something that is completely gross. If this is your work computer just put a skin on it that is professional, but a bit on the loud side. Or put a skin on it that makes it look like it has been to hell and back like it has been checked and flown in the underbelly of the plane. The point is thieves won't pick up something that they think is cheap (child-like) and obnoxious. They are not going to pick up something obnoxious in any kind of way. Too easy to get caught.

[wolffhenry]

I'm more attentive when I'm going through security ever since I saw a security agent grab my wallet. He saw that I had seen him and put it under my clothes in the other bin. Strange behaviour!

[mikelindbergh]

Don’t let airport security (TSA, etc.) stress you. Be methodical when adding, and removing your items in trays. Always keep your gear in sight. Don’t pass the walk-through metal detector before your bag goes into the x-ray machine. And to repeat: look at what the airport security is doing with your luggage.