KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) – A warning to fliers this holiday season: be careful what you pack in your checked luggage.
Kelsey Rohrer and her husband, Jake, visit family in Kansas City often, but a recent trip out of Kansas City International Airport (KCI) has them reconsidering their flying habits.
“I am reluctant to check anything anymore,” Rohrer said.
In October, the couple checked their bags with United Airlines. Inside the luggage, Rohrer claims was a pair of diamond earrings and her engagement ring valued at around $9,000.
“I don’t really like wearing them when I travel because I wash my hands a lot,” she said.
It’s a decision Rohrer now regrets. She said the jewelry was gone when she returned home to California.
“I didn’t believe it at first,’ Rohrer said. “I was like surely there had been a mistake.”
Kelsey said she and her husband went back and forth with the airline and KCI police. She said airport police ultimately refused to take a report. So, she filed a public records request for possible security footage.
The city’s aviation department responded, saying it “would unlikely have any footage that would be helpful” and that once the couple turned their bags over to the airline, “it was in their custody.”
United pointed to its “contract of carriage” which, like many airlines, excludes jewelry from its limits of liability.
“We have conducted a thorough, system-wide search for your missing property but have been unable to locate,” the response stated. “Our liability for loss, delay or damage to bags and/or covered baggage contents, as part of domestic travel is detailed within our Contract of Carriage. There are certain items of property that are excluded from the limits of our liability. Unfortunately, jewelry is among the lists of those items.”
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson Mark Howell told KCTV the agency and their contracted counterparts usually see an increase in the number of stolen, lost or missing complaints during the holiday season. However, he said claims of theft are rarely substantiated.
“In terms of checked luggage, a very small number of luggage gets checked by hand. And you’ll know when you’ve had a bag checked by TSA because you will have a slip inside your bag – a notice of inspection,” Howell explained.
Kathy Sudeikis is VP of Corporate Relations at Acendas Travel. With more than 40 years of experience, she’s heard it all. Simply put, she said if you cherish it, don’t check it.
“Any kind of guidebook, and certainly a travel agent is going to explain to you that the only things you put in the suitcase are things that you’re not going to need,” Sudeikis said. “Jewelry is an absolute no-no to be in packed luggage.”
It’s a hard truth Rohrer now accepts.
“Now, I know I shouldn’t do that, but I used to check my rings all the time,” she said. “I think we will be doing carry-ons from now on.”
KCTV5 reached out to KCI police to understand why the agency didn’t file a report for the Rohrers. KCTV5 was told they couldn’t determine if the reported theft happened at KCI, because the couple had a layover, and the theft could’ve happened at their destination.
“I fear that if this is the process that my husband and I went through, people will be discouraged and not continue to fight for their items back,” Rohrer said.
The couple is now consulting with their credit card and insurance companies to see if they will help cover the cost of the items.
Here are ways to prevent theft from luggage:
- Never check valuables
- Document your belongings
- Pack light to avoid checking luggage
- Use distinctive luggage to deter thieves
For more on how to report items stolen or missing from baggage, click here.
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