Tuesday, 18th November 2008

Pinpont theft from a passenger's luggage

Jo Williams, Mickleton, Gloucestershire, UK

Following a recent letter in The Times entitled How Safe Is Passengers' Luggage by Derek Varey from Yorkshire, I wish to draw attention to my recent experience.

As a frequent flier to and from Malta (we have an apartment in Gozo), I recently returned via Air Malta to Birmingham. On unpacking my suitcase at home, I soon realised my luggage had been tampered with and found that my gold (not the cheaper silver items) had been stolen, together with my pearl necklace and my digital camera. It is worth noting here that the jewellery was zipped and fastened into a small travelling bag and this was then secured into a small leather handbag, together with my camera, and packed well down the suitcase.

Did someone know what was in my suitcase? Was my suitcase scanned after being checked in? Baggage arrives too quickly into Birmingham for this sort of theft to have happened there.

This episode is criminal and emotional enough, but my anger is now directed at Air Malta. I have sent several e-mails addressed to two separate people in Customer Care. These have not been acknowledged. The first was opened but ignored, the second was "deleted without being read". I have now left several telephone messages for these same two people and still no response. Air Malta Customer Care is therefore refusing to have any dealings with me.

To that end, therefore, I wish this matter to be brought into the public domain. As an Air Malta passenger, I frequently browse through their in-flight magazine and read their pride in widening their services. Luqa airport security (witness the armed police pacing around) and Air Malta Customer Care is nothing more than a joke! It also begs the question, is there a "ring" of criminal activity? If so, I suggest the armed police go behind the scenes and sort it out!

Between ourselves and friends visiting our apartment, we account for around 30 flights via Air Malta per year. Does Air Malta really want to lose this sort of business?

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Sunday, November 22, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

Evarist Saliba (on 25/11/08)

Should we draw any conclusion from the fact that this letter has not elicided any comment from those, whoever they are, who are entrusted with the security of our luggage once we check-in at Malta's International Airport?

Linda Woodcock (on 24/11/08)

The same thing happened to my boyfriend and I when we travelled to Gatwick with British Airways last week. Unknown to me my boyfriend planned to propose on holiday and had hidden a diamond engagement ring in his luggage, as it was the least likely place I would find it. Upon arriving at Gatwick, we found our padlocks had been taken off and the ring taken along with a set of silver cufflinks from my own suitcase. The clothes were barley disturbed, so the thief must have seen it on the scan and knew exactly where they were. We are both extremely shocked and upset. It has been reported to the airline, the UK police and MIA but we have little hope of ever seeing the items again or getting any compensation. I hope the person responsible is happy with themselves as they have ruined our holiday, my boyfriend's proposal and our engagement.

Joe Morana (on 18/11/08)

@Ms. Williams: I too was foolish enough to place a digital camera in my luggage only to have it lifted, presumably at MIA. As other people commented, it is MIA and not Air Malta who is responsible for security at the airport, even though the general perception is that the airline (Air Malta in this case) assumes responsibility for a passenger's luggage the moment it is weighed and tagged. If and when you hear from Air Malta, you are likely to hear all of this, plus........ your attention will be drawn to Article XYZ of the "Contract of Carriage" which expressly absolves the airline (any airline) of liability for missing valuables from luggage.

I would add that passengers travelling from Gozo (such as yourself and myself, among others) have a disadvantage, because they are likely to be the earliest to line up at check-in. This gives the low-lifes who prey on passenger's luggage at least two hours to go through and lift any items of value. I have taken to up with standing in line, and hold off checking in until the last possible moment

lgalea (on 18/11/08)

Joseph Calleja
You are wrong.
Air Malta only provides the transport.
MIA employees do the transfer of luggage and the security personnel do the scanning, so it is MIA that is responsible not AirMalta.
When Airmalta used to do the luggage transfers we didn't hear such complaints.
I reiterate that I personally know many AirMalta employees who handed in things, include very substantial amounts of money that had been left behind by passengers.

Keith winder (on 18/11/08)

This seems to becoming common and not isolated as I was told when I complained about stolen items after my Air Malta flight to Manchester on 24th September.

James A. Tyrrell (on 18/11/08)

Are there thieves operating at Malta airport? The simple answer is yes, but then the same can be said of any airport in the world. It's not just a problem which occurs in Malta. As others have suggested valuable items should never be put in the hold.

I have a good quality hard suitcase with a good locking system. Having said that everything of value goes in my backpack which I take on as hand luggage. Anyone managing to open my case would get some nice designer shirts and that would be it!

AnnMarie Pawley (on 18/11/08)

While I'm sorry you had to lose valuable items, I think I must point out that passengers are allowed hand luggage, and items of certain worth would be safer close to hand.

Joseph Calleja (on 18/11/08)

No lecture about not putting your valuables and medicine in your checked luggage and thats flying on any airline. If you flew Air Malta, then Air Malta is responsible for any damage or theft to or from your luggage. You were right in complaining to Customer Care and they should be following up on such complaints but as I mentioned before, Air Malta Customer Care moves very slowly if any at all, they keep ignoring you hoping you will go away. Air Malta is a fine airline but sometimes they fail to follow up passenger's complaints and that comes from lack of communication within Customer Care. Keep in touch with them till you get a satisfactory answer. And as the saying goes, if you can't go through the door, there is always the window???????? Good Luck

lgalea (on 18/11/08)

First of all never put valuables in cargo luggage, but keep them in your hand luggage.

Re AirMalta, they have nothing to do with loading and unloading the aircraft and the transfer of baggage, so you have addressed your complaint to the wrong company.

We didn't hear about any complaints when AirMalta used to operate the service and the Airport was in the Governments hands.

I myself know of many AirMalta employees who handed in things, including very substantial amounts of money left behind by passengers. These complaints seem to have started and are escalating since MIA was privatized.

Julie Peace (on 18/11/08)

I would have to say that this is a fairly recent problem. I have been flying backwards and forward to Malta (using different airlines) for the last 10 years. I used the same large canvas holdall for ages before it had a square hole cut in it at the bottom edge (it was padlocked). So that had to be thrown. The time after that, my other holdall had its handle ripped off so that went in the bin. Bought a new suitcase for my last trip and I think they played football in the rain with it because it came back to me filthy. I never put any valuables in my hold bags but I still feel annoyed that our luggage is not treated with more care.

Ray Gatt (on 18/11/08)

@ Jo Wiliams - May I suggest you write to MIA (Malta Int. Airport) and not to Air Malta, since the handling is not done by the airline but by airport luggage handlers. I did go through the same ordeal a few years back and I can understand your anger. I hope you have better luck than I did. What I don't agree with is why you decided it could not have happened in Birmingham as they're very quick with the luggage. If your case was not locked, all they have to do is unzip and take whatever. It would only take a seconds. Less than a minute I would presume. What I don't understand is why Air Malta opted not to acknowledge, even though as I stated before I would have written to MIA. Good luck Jo.

Phil Humphries (on 18/11/08)

With all due respect and sympathy to Ms. Williams, I am surprised she was unaware of this situation which has been brought to readers attention on many occasions via these pages.

Whilst condemning this theft and not seeking to defend those responsible, I must say that stealing from hold baggage is a universally common problem and not unique to Malta.
However disagreeable, we must face the fact that we live in a flawed world and take sensible precautions to retain our valuables. As a frequent flyer myself, I agree with and follow Mr Kelly's advice; Never, ever put valuables in your hold luggage and keep them close to your person at all times. Having stated what Ms.Williams must now feel is obvious, I wish her every success in her seeking to recover her regrettable loss.

mick stephenson (on 18/11/08)

returning from MIA in September on an air malta flight all 5 peices of our families luggage had the small padlocks broken off and our luggage opened and visibly disturbed.
all valuables travel in our hand luggage so nothing was lost.
but several other passengers were complaining of theft from their luggage.
our luggage was waiting for us as we got into the newcastle terminal so I can only deduce that the damage was done in MIA .
I have travelled to and from Malta every year for the last 9 years but this is my first Air malta flight and my first problem flight.

Joe Borg (on 18/11/08)

Without excusing Air Malta's negligance to reply and act to your complaint, I would like to point out the fact that Security personnel employed by Malta International Airport x-ray both checked in and hand luggage for security purposes. Only they have the leisure of knowing what is valuable or not in the baggage. Neither Air Malta staff nor Globeground staff have access to such procedure.

Adrian Cardona (on 18/11/08)

Most thefts here occur while loading the aircraft. There are no security cameras in the aircraft hold, so luggage can be ransacked at leisure inside the aircraft. That said, expensive items should never ever be packed in the main luggage... scanners easily reveal the contents, and these criminals (who are, after all, airline employees) are well-organised and daring enough.

Liam Kelly (on 18/11/08)

I would buy a small padlock for your luggage next time and keep your valuables (and breakables) in your hand luggage and as close to your person as possible.

Its common knowledge that Air Malta couldn't really care less about individual complaints in general; although they do tend to react to articles in the times so perhaps you may get a responce soon.

Carmelo Aquilina (on 18/11/08)

3 years ago my daughter's digital camera was removed in Malta airport before it got on to a British Airways flight. I had heard of problems like these before so I did not even bother to make a complaint. The reports are too persistent to be blamed on someone else, but I would suggest it is MIA which needs to investigate and crack down on theft in baggage handling.

Pinpont theft from a passenger's luggage

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