A FORMER flight attendant has warned about in-flight thieves who book tickets just to nick luggage.
Barbara Bacilleri, 31, has shared some sneaky tips for passengers who are keen to protect their luggage from onboard bandits.
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While it might seem like you can finally relax once you’re strapped in, ready for your flight, Barbara suggests that you might want to keep an eye on your carry on.
She told What’s the Jam: “Flying is often seen as a safe and organised experience, but the reality is that there are many things passengers don’t know.
“Things that can turn a flight into an uncomfortable or even dangerous situation.
“From the chaos of carry-on luggage to in-flight thefts, there are hidden truths airlines don’t tell you.
“And by the time you find out, it might be too late.”
Barbara warned that while people are resting with their eye masks on and ear plugs in, thieves might be rifling around in the overhead lockers.
Some crooks might even book tickets just to get access to luggage.
There is rarely CCTV on planes so once your items have vanished they might be difficult to trace.
The Argentinian flight attendant said airlines tend not to take responsibility for lost belongings, so it’s best to stay wary.
HOW TO AVOID FLIGHT THIEVES
Barbara said the key takeaway from her advice will always be to keep your valuables in sight.
Whether you’ve stuffed your belongings under your chair or in the overhead lockers, it’s best to take out the most important things and keep them near you.
Passports, phones, wallets and keys can easily be kept on your person and can easily be snatched from the front of a rucksack.
If you land and you realise one of your valuables is missing, Barbara said unfortunately it may already be too late.
She added: “To avoid becoming a victim, never lose sight of your valuables.
“Keep your important items, documents, and money with you at all times.”
TIPS AND TRICKS
One common misconception when flying is that the overhead locker directly above your seat is the one assigned to you.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case.
Despite paying for the seat underneath it, anyone can put their carry-on anywhere on the flight – so someone may have decided to pop theirs in the locker nearest you.
While this isn’t ideal, there isn’t anything the cabin crew can do about it and you’ll just have to shuffle up the aisle and place yours elsewhere.
Another tip Barbara offered was to test how heavy your hand luggage is at home.
Not because you’ll have to pay extra, but because it’s not the flight attendant’s job to lift the bag into the lockers if it’s too heavy.
“If every passenger asked for help, they would be lifting hundreds of kilos per flight,” Barbara continued.
“If they get injured, they can’t continue working.
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“Even worse, if they hurt themselves helping a passenger, the airline won’t take responsibility.”
Barbara said, of course, there are exceptions, but as a general rule of them – if it’s too heavy for you to lift, it’s probably too heavy for the cabin crew as well.
