The lesser of two evils: carry-on or checked luggage?

It’s a fine line that the air traveler treads. Which is better—to stow your valuables in your carry-on for safe-keeping, or in your suitcase so they aren’t confiscated while going through security?

Two recent articles made me consider both sides.

MSNBC confirms the incredible number of items confiscated from air passengers—13 million items in 2006. Off they went—from your hands to security handlers, from state surplus property agencies to consumers online or at retail stores. I’m sure most travelers have already bought a new pair of scissors in the meantime, but I bet some still want to track down their missing belongings. The MSNBC article directs those folks to the agency websites in select states. For those curious, among the items confiscated are: flatware stolen from restaurants, crutches, S&M paraphernalia, and chain saws.

So, just as I start to think that it’s best to just pack everything in my checked luggage, I see the article from Fox News. They report the disappointing numbers: items worth a total of $31 million were stolen from the checked luggage of 42,000 people in the past 3 years. This includes missing bags that were eventually returned, as well as those that never were recovered. The airports most likely to add to the growing total: LAX, Newark, Miami, JFK and Seattle.

The only time something was confiscated from me was when I just wasn’t thinking. The Swiss Army knife that I bought in Lucerne was a rogue vagabond in the side pocket of my backpack—hidden to me, but found by SeaTac security.

I figure that’s the problem for most people—they just don’t think about it. If it’s valuable, either take the time to ship it or double-check that it can be taken through security in a carry-on. If it must go in the checked suitcase, be sure to wrap it up in some camouflage, tucked away with a measure of good luck.