Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition - December 2017

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DECEMBER 2017 businesstraveller.com

about €10 (US$12). Or you can invest

in a big roll of industrial clingfilm and

wrap it yourself at home. It’s a bit fiddly

but once you get the hang of it, it takes

about two to three minutes.

➜ GIVINGUPBA

I don’t want to sound smarmy but I’m

amazed that anyone would put anything

of value into checked bags – I never

have. I carry it all on board. Years ago

a TV documentary showed two airport

baggage handlers being challenged to

open locked bags. They had them all

open within just a few seconds. I also

use scruffy, old, cheap, unlocked check-

in bags. I recommend it.

➜ DEREKVH

A timely topic; I am off to Thailand

soon flying direct in F but I am taking

an Ipad Pro as a Xmas present. It is

sealed in the original packing so I am

assuming I will not be allowed to take

this in my hand luggage as I will not be

able to demonstrate that I can turn it

on. My annual travel insurance will now

allow me to pay a premium for a high-

value item so I think my best option

is to follow LP’s advice and get the

bag wrapped in plastic (assuming the

service is available in LHR T2).

➜FLIGHTLEVEL

Ipad batteries are not allowed in

checked baggage so best to hand-carry

it and trust you don’t have to open it.

I think only US-bound flights have to

prove it operates ok – though ask for the

latest advice.

➜ CAPETONIANM

Here’s something else to consider.

My hand luggage was taken off me

due to others’ excess baggage and

placed in the hold! At the other end,

I was reunited with my bag... minus a

THEFT FROM CHECKED

BAGGAGE

POST SIMONROWBERRY

Yesterday I f lew Warsaw–Munich–

London on Lufthansa in business class.

I checked my bag in and locked it. It’s a

hard-shell Samsonite with a combination

lock. On getting home, I discovered

that it had been opened en route and a

block of cigarettes I was bringing for a

friend had been taken. Interestingly, the

zipper “handles” had been removed from

the combination lock but the lock itself

was still closed (ie it was not set to the

combination required to open it). This

suggests that it was opened with a TSA

key. I wonder if the “Priority” labels made

it an attractive target?

➜ CAPETONIANM

I question if it’s worth locking suitcases.

Most are ridiculously easy to open, and

that’s without a TSA key. I was taken

“behind the scenes” at O R Tambo

International Airport [South Africa]

a couple of years ago and was quite

surprised at some of the things I was told

• and that is after a career in the airline
  industry! Locking only draws attention
  to the fact that there may be valuables
  inside and makes it a target. I also
  think that expensive branded suitcases
  become a target, for which reason I tend
  to buy much cheaper but serviceable
  makes and even if they don’t last as long,
  I’m still scoring as they cost a fraction of
  Samsonite, Rimowa, Briggs & Riley, etc.

➜ LUGANOPIRATE

When I forget my combo lock, it takes

my boys less than a minute to open the

case. At many airports you can now

have your case wrapped in plastic for

camera loaded with priceless memories.

Alas, because I wasn’t personally in

possession of the camera at the time

of the criminal act I wasn’t entitled to

a claim. It seems that as soon as you

trustingly hand over your possessions to

the airline, insurance companies deem

you as being reckless and careless!

MILES OR POINTS?

POST SWISSDIVER

My current policy is to collect air miles in

hotel chains I only use occasionally and

points with others. The assumption is

getting points should be more “generous”

than air miles (except for one-night stays

maybe). But is this a fair assumption?

Should one do the maths for each

programme?

➜ LUGANOPIRATE

In my case if it’s a chain I use regularly,

I take the points. These build up and in

the case of Hilton I can also use them

to reduce my room costs. Otherwise

I go for the miles, even if only 500 or

1,000. Some hotels give you both. Hilton

used to do this – I think they called it

double dip – but now it’s just one or the

other. When it comes to car hire, I go for

points every time. As an example, Hertz,

where I rent for 28 days, will only give

me 500 miles. An insignificant number

compared to the points I receive which

is enough for one free rental day.

➜ SIMONROWBERRY

Hilton do still “double dip” and give you

points and miles. However, whereas

they used to give you a fixed amount

of miles (500 per night in my case),

they now give you a number which is

proportionate to your spend.

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