Checked Bags and Notification Of Baggage Inspection

The contents of my bag were left intact. There was a small TSA tie at the opening and inside was a ‘Notification Of Baggage Inspection’ TSA Card.

All bags are supposedly screened by the TSA, typically by going through a huge 3D X-ray type machine. If the machine thinks it might have seen something suspicious (and the machines have a high rate of ‘false positives’), then someone has to open the bag and search through it to resolve the issue.

The TSA card read “To protect you and your fellow passengers, the TSA is required by law to inspect all checked baggage. Your bag was among those selected for physical inspection.”

I wondered what I might have had that triggered the search, but all I could think of was that a racquetball racquet was in there too (as I like to play racquetball when away).

The TSA card also indicated that they can break your lock if the luggage was locked, and added that the TSA is not liable for damage to your locks resulting from this necessary security precaution.

The TSA also offered a link to its website for packing information. TSATravelTips

To get around the issue of having to break locks, and still allow passengers to keep their items secure while traveling the TSA and some private companies have created a system for this.

The TSA has now agreed to allow suitcases to be built with special locks, and/or add-on special locks to be used with any suitcases – these locks have a dual keying system. One ‘key’ (either a physical key or a combination lock) belongs to the owner, while the other is a ‘master’ key that only the TSA has and can open all locks in that series. This means the TSA can now easily unlock and relock your suitcase if it needs to inspect it without breaking it.

A company called CCL Security Products has in conjunction with Travel Sentry created a device called SearchAlert.

SearchAlert is a re-settable combination lock designed with a security feature that allows TSA agents, using a secured access device, the ability to open the SearchAlert lock without destroying the lock. SearchAlert Press Release