This past February, a Delta customer had her expensive heirloom jewelry stolen from her checked bag on a trip from Rochester through Atlanta to Las Vegas:

My suitcase had been opened, my jewelry bag unzipped, and my fine jewelry (gold, diamonds, sapphires) had been hand picked out of the jewelry bag and the inexpensive jewelry (plastic, glass, metal) left strewn across my belongings inside my suitcase.

Delta doesn’t take responsibility for the theft, because as they note in their rejection letter to her claim,

The tariff rules and the ticket contract covering your travel exclude responsibility for jewelry, cash, camera equipment, electronic equipment, or computer equipment contained in checked or unchecked baggage.

In other words, you’re on your own when it comes to securing your valuables during air travel.

Our theft victim didn’t specify in her letter, but we hope she also filed a police report as soon as she noticed the missing jewelry. In fact, here’s some advice for traveling with jewelry.

• Don’t.
• Always carry it with you in a carry-on bag or on your person. Never pack it in checked luggage. Even the most high-security airport can’t prevent a determined thief from rifling through luggage.
• If you have a lot of expensive pieces, consider making sure your homeowner’s insurance covers them while traveling. Or just get standalone jewelry insurance.
• Make sure you have appraisals or insurance evaluations.
• Photocopy the jewelry you’re bringing with you, and leave a copy at home and pack a copy on your carry-on bag. This will help you quickly spot missing pieces.

The above list was compiled from tips from:
“Safety Tips When Traveling With Jewelry” [Gem Find]
“Four Tips for Traveling with Jewelry” [The Black Dress Traveler]
“Traveling with Jewelry” [Home Jewelry Business Success Tips]
(Photo: evixir)

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