Does Wrapping Your Luggage in Plastic Actually Make It More Secure? We Asked TSA

"Passengers wrap their luggage for an array of reasons. Some travelers get their luggage wrapped to protect the exterior of the luggage from scratches and marks, while others get it wrapped to protect the contents inside the luggage. Some travelers may think that if a suitcase is wrapped in plastic, it's less likely to be inspected by TSA or interfered with by nefarious characters who may be inclined to steal or perhaps worse, plant something incriminating inside."

"And some travelers, especially those going to the Maldives, Australia, and other countries that spray insecticide and disinfectant on arriving flights, wrap their luggage in plastic to protect their contents from the chemicals. "A lot of people did this on my flight arriving in China because of how much they spray and 'disinfect' your bag upon arrival," wrote one traveler on Reddit who said they regretted not wrapping their bag in advance because their clothes got saturated."

Luggage-wrapping stations have operated at major U.S. international airports since the early 1990s and are even more common abroad. Secure Wrap employs more than 500 people wrapping luggage at airports in 17 countries. Reasons for wrapping include protecting the exterior from scratches, protecting contents inside, and deterring tampering, theft, or the planting of contraband. Some travelers wrap bags to shield contents from insecticide and disinfectant sprayed on arriving flights. One traveler reported clothes saturated after such spraying in China. Travelers also wrap damaged suitcases or those with broken zippers because wrapping at about $15 is cheaper than replacing a bag at the airport.

Read at Travel + Leisure