Summer 2007, I flew SWA from St. Louis to Oklahoma City to attend my sister-in-law’s baby shower. The flights themselves were no problem at all.
However, when I got home and opened my bag to unpack, someone had dumped out EVERYTHING in my bag and just stuffed it all back in willy-nilly. Even my makeup and toiletries had been dumped out their their Ziploc bags and just pitched back into my suitcase.
When I complained to SWA, they said that they are allowed to search my bags at any time for any reason. I told them that if they wish to search my bags within TSA regulations, that is fine, but aren’t they required to place some sort of notice in my bag? The rep then asked me if anything was missing. I said nothing was missing, it was just a big mess and I found that to be disrespectful. The rep HUNG UP ON ME. She never gave me her name or took any of my information.
I will continue to fly SWA because their flight crews are friendly, they don’t nickel and dime with fees and the tickets are cheap, but I will NEVER check my bag with them again. And if any fellow travelers have issues with people and their carry-ons, I will refer them here.
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That's inexcusable. In airports in Asia, they wear white gloves and carefully place everything back in place as accurately as possible. I've never ceased to be amazed at the way they just mash everything around and leave it like that in the US (TSA Detroit, I'm talking about you!) Carefully pressed and packed clothes look like an elephant's arse upon arrival.
They can't dump your stuff out of clear bags and the law is they have to put a note in it. Someone was looting your luggage.