Trouble in San Juan Airport?

Hi All,

I have heard from a few people who traveled through San Juan PR recently and had items stolen from their checked baggage. I'm going to be passing though in a few weeks so this makes me a little nervous.

Has anyone here traveled throught San Juan on AA lately? Did you have any problems or anything stolen? How do you protect yourself?

I know that pelican cases scream "valuable gear inside", but what else can you do? I always carry my cameras with me but the housing and stobes in the cases are just as valuable, if not more. It's a catch-22 these days. You can not lock the cases for security, because security won't let you, but the airline refuses to take any responsibility if something is lost.

I have looked at a few alternative cases that might look more like luggage that a camera case. What do you think of these options? Anyone using one of these?

Lowepro Pro Roller series. I think the pro roller 2 looks like the right size and the sides and dividers look sturdy and strong.

http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Rolling_Cases/classic/

or the Lightware case

http://www.lightwareinc.com/site/index.cfm...%20Use&Cat_ID=2

This one is nice, but a but too pricey?

I started this post about San Juan but slid into case options. Any comments on either topic is appreciated. Thanks.

Dan

Hi Dan,

One of the divers on our Bahamas boat last week had her Subal housing and I think her D70 also stolen out of her luggage in San Juan recently. As you mention, this is begining to sound like a real issue there.

My solution is to pack the housing and camera in my carry on. Lenses go in my laptop case which is also carried on. My feeling is, they probably rifle through most of the luggage based on the amount of gear being stolen.

Rand