In airports why do travellers wrap their case in clingfilm?

[S0CKS]

I have recently travelled home from my trip and every time I go abroad I always see people wrapping their cases in clingfilm? To the point they have a company doing it? And this has been in various parts of the world.

Its interested me as to why people do this? (Dh and I sadly have had many a airport conversation about it)

Im wondering if certain countries require it for safety or something? Or why it happens?

Recently returned from USA. Both our bags had notes in them to say that on security grounds our cases had been selected for a search. Nothing was taken and anything that makes flying more secure is fine by me. If I was customs I would definitely search the clingfilm bags.

It's not just drugs that can be planted in luggage.

A few years ago in the Philippines several tourists were the victims of bullets being placed surreptitiously in their bags at the airport. They would be accused of carrying live ammunition and be intimidated into paying a 'fine'.

nine.cnnphilippines.com/news/2015/11/02/How-to-avoid-being-a-victim-of-tanim-bala-laglag-bala-scam-airport-extortion-scheme.html

But if I were a baggage handler wanting to steal (and I have been in trials in this scenario) cling film would not deter me and if I was planting drugs (this is always a very difficult defence to run) I’d simply cling film it again etc.
I too have opened my suitcase after travelling back from USA to find that note saying it had been opened and checked. Think it was large bottle of welches grape jelly which would have looked odd - grew up on it and it is fab.

I'm so glad someone posted this, because I've been wondering and thought everybody else knew.

Initially I thought it was because people wanted to protect their cases, but this summer I've seen some old crappy bags wrapped in several rolls of cling film. I also wonder if people pack a roll for the journey home.

I also wonder if people pack a roll for the journey home.

Most people don't DIY, there's a paid self-service or manned machine/booth at airports which mechanically wraps the case. I was amused to see someone producing their own domestic roll of cling film at an Italian airport last week, though.

But by the time you’re at the airport most opportunity for the ‘someone else Put this in my bag’ defence is long gone. This is what I’ve never understood. Can’t think of a single case I’ve done where clingfilm at airport would deter or provide a defence. I can see it’s useful to prevent damage to handles/odd wheel arrangements etc sometimes.

You know what if I tried to sit clingfilm it would look awful ! Those straggly bits where it doesn’t unroll properly and the refusal of it to mie flat. Can also imagine the awful arguments with dp when late for airport and struggling with rolls and suitcases !!

Heron that's made me worry, I was wanting to go to the Philippines - I don't care if anything gets stolen but the whole idea of someone planting drugs is quite terrifng tbh! What could you do to help prevent? Just take carry on?

It's to stop the cocaine from spilling everywhere when the bags inside split due to the cases being thrown around.

I had mine wrapped on the way back from a trip before as the zip broke, just to keep the stuff in!

What nonsense. It's so if you can only check in a bag with xxkg, you can check a package which has an airport clearance stamp as on piece.

In Jo'burg they wouldn't let you check in your bags into the hold unless they were wrapped in cling film! Thefts were a real problem!

I have even had this when checking 3 cases at Heathrow first class, not about weight, just numbers. They sent me to film up, 2 cases, both 20kg, because a 40kg bag od accepted but 3 bags is not

Onion
What is the difference in price & weight for packages? Compared to bags. (Too lazy to google it)

It became popular after several passengers had drugs placed in their bags during the baggage handling process. Cling film protects your bag from that sort of thing, while enabling the bag to be scanned at the airport.

We fly a lot (we are expats) and we always wrap our kids car seats so stop them getting damaged/dirty in the hold. We always go to the guy with the machine en route to check in.

When I'm travelling with my backpack in hold luggage, I get it wrapped to avoid the straps getting caught anywhere. It's a 60l pack so has waist and chest straps (and associated trailing cords). I wear my bag to get the airport and then wrap it with just the top loop out so I can stagger over to check-in with it.

To hinder the sniffer dogs.

MN at it's Batshit crazy best !

MN at it's unable to detect humour best!

I think it might be to limit damage to cases. We purchased some exorbitantly expensive cases for our trip this year and they got wrecked, scratches all over them. Cling film might have helped.

I was only allowed 2 x 32kg bags but had 3 x 20kg bags and the mean sods on Saudia would have charged me 150 pounds.

There are cling film machines at airports? Why have I never seen them?

Probably because I don't fly much, tbh, but now I need to know more. How much is this service?

This planting of drugs... once you have had the bag of dense white powder stuffed in amongst your Accessorize capsule wardrobe sarongs, how do the drug smugglers get their stash back?

They take your bag from the carousel or knick it at airport etc. Been known to have the folâtrer in same flight unbeknownst, etc. This is exactly the problem juries (and defence counsel) grapple with.

‘The planter’ not sure what spell
Check did there !

Years ago we opened our bags at the hotel and found half our clothes soaked in suntan oil ☹️. It wasn’t our suntan oil.
Someone had obviously not packed well and the oil must have soaked through their suitcase and then through the fabric of ours.
That was a great start to the holiday 🙄. Idiots.
Clingfilming our case would have prevented it.