Delta workers steal from luggage

[Xoce]

Gotta watch out for those Delta workers, lol.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=64366493.blog?se=yahoorefer

St. Louis airport theft ring busted

UPDATE (Friday, March 20, 2:25 p.m. ET): In an update to the original story, The Associated Press writes "eight contract baggage handlers for Delta Airlines rifled through hundreds of bags of luggage at Lambert Airport over a period of more than a year, stealing some 900 items ranging from laptops and iPods to cologne and cigarettes, airport police said Thursday. ... At a news conference at the airport, most of the recovered items were laid out on tables. The thieves targeted expensive goods, mostly electronic devices, games, computers and computer equipment. There also were more mundane items — cartons of cigarettes, battery chargers, even cologne." Airport police chief Paul Mason says: "I've been here 20 years and this is the first time we've had anything of this magnitude."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch adds "the employees stashed the items until the work day ended, then left with the stolen loot stuffed inside jackets or backpacks, Mason said. ... The thefts are isolated to Delta travelers and did not affect other airlines or other parts of the airport. Most of the items were stolen from the baggage of outbound fliers, said the lead investigator, detective Eric K. Williams." The Post-Dispatch says customers who believe something may have been stolen from their luggage while flying out of St. Louis during the past 15 months should call a police hotline number at (314) 890-1822.   

ORIGINAL POST: If you've flown through St. Louis recently, you may want to check to see if you can account for everything you had in your checked luggage. The Associated Press reports "several baggage handlers were arrested for allegedly stealing items from luggage at Lambert Airport in St. Louis. The arrests were announced Thursday. Details are to be released in an afternoon news conference."

AP says officials have recovered nearly 900 items that allegedly were stolen from fliers' checked bags. Airport spokesman Jeff Lea tells AP the suspects worked for a baggage handling company that worked for a particular airline. He said the airport would not release more details until this afternoon's press conference, which will be at 3:30 p.m. ET, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Don't put valuables in your checked bags.  If you have to, put it in a plastic bag along with some clothes/undergarments and label the bag "dirty laundry."

or travel by private jet à la Al Gore.

[Confederate Kahanist]

Let me guess.  The Union wont let the airport fire them.

[Xoce]

Let me guess.  The Union wont let the airport fire them.

   I didn't think about that.  The article makes no mention as to any disciplinary action taken, so  I'm guessing it's business as usual.

[cjd]

Let me guess.  The Union wont let the airport fire them.

I think Delta was one of the first major non union airline in the country.

[cjd]

People really should not put anything of value into any checked in luggage. If you cant put it in a carry on leave it home or ship it UPS. The rates of pay have been getting lower and lower in the airline industry and so has the quality of the staff. This includes the people that check and fuel up the plane. The next time you see Sambo crawling around on the wings he isn't polishing them he is computing the fuel load and filling it up. I haven't flown a mile since 1998. I have taken to terra ferma. The more ferma the less terror.

[Xoce]

The more ferma the less terror.

 

Also, definitely ship via a PRIVATE company.  not the government/USPS.  They are incompetent and have lost/stolen very important and valuable items from my experience.

[SavetheWest]

Let me take a guess about the ethnicity of the airport workers. 

[CorrieDeservedIt]

Let me take a guess about the ethnicity of the airport workers. 

SCHVARTZAS!

[IsraelForever]

How about putting cameras where these so-called workers work?  Delta can't be too serious about monitoring their workers, can they?  The airline industry is disgusting to begin with, so this outright thievry shouldn't shock anyone.  One time, I was waiting for my suitcase to come out on that conveyor belt.  I was shocked to be standing there and seeing my suitcase come out completely OPEN and all my clothes strewn about and exposed for everyone to see!  It was a suitcase with a zipper, so it couldn't either a) have popped open or b) unzipped itself!  And we've all read about people stuck on the tarmac for 6 hours waiting to take off -- and not allowed to use the bathroom.  People treat animals better than the airlines treat their passengers.

[SavetheWest]

How about putting cameras where these so-called workers work?  Delta can't be too serious about monitoring their workers, can they?  The airline industry is disgusting to begin with, so this outright thievry shouldn't shock anyone.  One time, I was waiting for my suitcase to come out on that conveyor belt.  I was shocked to be standing there and seeing my suitcase come out completely OPEN and all my clothes strewn about and exposed for everyone to see!  It was a suitcase with a zipper, so it couldn't either a) have popped open or b) unzipped itself!  And we've all read about people stuck on the tarmac for 6 hours waiting to take off -- and not allowed to use the bathroom.  People treat animals better than the airlines treat their passengers.

One time I flew for Thanksgiving and waited three hours before the flight took off.  The flight was three hours and then when we landed they kept us on the ground for four hours.  People started freaking out!  Jet Blue and ATA are the worst! I don't know if ATA is still in business anymore.