Travel agents and their clients need to be more aware of inflight theft

Inflight theft is becoming a highly concerning issue among both airlines and travel agencies due to a recent spate of highly publicised incidents, particularly within Asia.

Last 5th February, Singapore’s Airport Police Division arrested a 30-year-old man for stealing US$885 in cash from a passenger on board a flight to Singapore.

Investigations showed how a passenger saw the man fiddling with her bag which was up in the overhead compartment.

When the passenger checked the contents of the bag, she found several hundred dollars of her money was missing; she immediately alerted cabin crew who were just as quick to advise ground staff to prepare to deal with the incident on landing.

In recent months, these incidents have been severe enough to prompt a statement from Subhas Menon, director-general of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA.)

Menon said: “There is a rising trend of in-flight thefts. From what we know, they are mostly done by global syndicates working with each other and targeting certain routes with wealthy customers. They know which routes wealthy people are travelling on, and their people go on board targeted flights just to steal things.”

What’s going on…and could syndicates be involved?

Leading online aviation content creator Sam Chui noted that while these were most common on flights in and out of the Hong Kong SAR and the Chinese Mainland, inflight theft is also becoming a thing aboard flights to and from Bangkok.

Flights to luxurious destinations such as Dubai have likewise been targeted by thieves, as they are aware that many passengers aboard such flights carry a significant amount of money, jewellery, and high-worth collectibles on board.

Chui warns, however, that inflight thefts are not done by individuals, but more of planned and concerted efforts by organised crime groups.

Chui said regarding the way thieves operate on board: “They will have spread out throughout the plane. Some will sit in Business Class, and some will sit in Economy, so that’s easy for them to pass the stolen stuff. They also have people helping them on the ground. Sometimes it’s not necessary to take the stolen goods themselves as they may get caught by the police. So they will hide [the stolen item] inside the toilet compartments as there are a lot of secret compartments, particularly in the lavatory, like inside the trash bins, behind the sink, or in the mirror. Once they’re off the plane, the airport cleaner will come on board to retrieve their item for them.”

Practical pointers against inflight theft

International luggage brand PacSafe offers a number of ways by which airline passengers can keep their valuables safe during their flight.

These are the following:

• Keep any valuables about your immediate person   Putting valuable items such as money, jewellery, and personal electronics in your pockets or, better yet, in your carry-on under your feet or beneath the seat immediately in front of you can keep thieves from rummaging through your belongings. Use luggage to be kept in the overhead compartment to hold less valuable items;
• Lock your bags onto a fixed feature   Securing bags to a fixed item like your seat, especially if they come equipped with a turn and lock system to keep them in place, will prevent thieves from “casually” snagging onto your bags;
• Keep important items in the deep   That is to say, stuff them into the depths of your handbag, purse, or even fanny pack. Be sure to keep items like passports and wallets covered under other items to keep any nosy rummagers from pulling them out;
• Lock your zippers   Be sure to lock your zippers into place or use luggage with built in locking systems with multiple features, including those like interlocking zip pullers to ensure the security of your belongings;
• Turn your luggage the other way   Your luggage in the overhead compartment, that is. Turn them upside down or position openings towards the wall to reduce the possibility of anyone tampering with them; and
• Remain vigilant   This is especially true on long-haul flights when there are times when cabin lights will be dimmed considerably or switched off all together. As comfortable as your seat may be, especially in first or business class, it pays to be more awake than asleep whilst in flight.