Does Wrapping Your Luggage Make It More Secure? TSA Weighs In

There are a lot of odd airport jobs. The “bird guys” keep birds at bay, lavatory crews empty the loos, and finally, there are people who get paid to wrap luggage in plastic. The first two jobs make sense—it’s important to keep the runways clear and the planes clean— but most travelers aren’t sure about the third. That said, luggage-wrapping stations have been a mainstay at major U.S. international airports since the early 90s. They’re even more common abroad; one Miami-based company, Secure Wrap, has more than 500 employees wrapping luggage at airports across 17 different countries. 

Why do passengers wrap their luggage? 

Passengers wrap their luggage for an array of reasons. Some travelers get their luggage wrapped to protect the exterior of the luggage from scratches and marks, while others get it wrapped to protect the contents inside the luggage. Some travelers may think that if a suitcase is wrapped in plastic, it’s less likely to be inspected by TSA or interfered with by nefarious characters who may be inclined to steal or perhaps worse, plant something incriminating inside. This is why luggage wrapping is so common in some high-risk destinations. For example, in 2015, Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila made headlines for a purported planted-bullet racket. Known locally as the “laglag-bala scam,” it entailed corrupt airport personnel allegedly planting bullets in passenger bags. The passengers were then encouraged to pay bribes to avoid getting arrested for flying with ammunition. 

And some travelers, especially those going to the Maldives, Australia, and other countries that spray insecticide and disinfectant on arriving flights, wrap their luggage in plastic to protect their contents from the chemicals. “A lot of people did this on my flight arriving in China because of how much they spray and ‘disinfect’ your bag upon arrival,” wrote one traveler on Reddit who said they regretted not wrapping their bag in advance because their clothes got saturated. Finally, there are always travelers who have to get their luggage wrapped because their suitcase is falling apart or they’ve been cursed with a rogue zipper. Paying $15—what Secure Wrap charges at Miami International Airport—to wrap a broken bag is a lot cheaper than buying a new suitcase at the airport. 

What does the TSA do with wrapped luggage? 

TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers tells Travel + Leisure that luggage wrapped in plastic is treated the same as luggage that is not wrapped in plastic. All checked bags are subject to screening before they’re passed on to airline baggage handlers who load them onto the plane. In the U.S., that’s approximately 1.3 million checked bags per day. TSA and its counterparts abroad use X-ray machines that use a 3D scanner to look for objects that resemble explosives or other hazardous materials. Some airports also rely on K-9s that can detect everything from bullets to bombs. Wrapping your luggage in plastic doesn’t affect how the X-Ray machines scan the bag, nor does it deter the dogs. 

Most bags, approximately 95 percent, pass this screening and don’t need to be physically inspected by a TSA officer. Bags that are flagged, get opened—this means plastic wrapping will be cut, and locks will be broken if they’re not TSA-approved. In the U.S. at least, the TSA examines luggage in a controlled environment monitored by CCTV. This ensures that no one is tempted to tamper (in an unnecessary way) with a passenger’s property. While the TSA agent who examines the bag will repack it and include a paper slip indicating that the bag was inspected so the passenger knows why someone rifled through their luggage, they will not rewrap the bag in plastic. 

However, some luggage-wrapping companies, including Secure Wrap, offer complimentary rewrapping if the plastic wrapping is cut by TSA. They also include a guarantee that matches the airlines’ compensation for lost baggage or damage. Note: These types of guarantees are subject to many terms and conditions. 

What else can you do to keep luggage secure? 

While some luggage-wrapping companies claim they only use 100 percent recyclable plastic, many airports are starting to consider banning plastic luggage wrapping due to environmental concerns. Fortunately, if you want to keep your luggage secure, you have other options. For starters, you can use TSA-approved locks or luggage straps. You can also invest in a reusable luggage cover if you’re concerned with aesthetics.