Airport security expert reveals reason you should never use a padlock on your suitcase

An airport security worker has revealed why you should never use a padlock to secure your suitcase.

Up there with moving home, going on holiday can be one of the most stressful experiences of our adult lives. There's nothing worse than trying to get through airport security, and realizing you've left a rogue tube of toothpaste or bottle of eau de toilette in your hand luggage. The world has become a lot more security conscious in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, and with it, we might not know what we’re doing when packing our bags.

In terms of valuables, you might tend to put them in your hold luggage, then lock your case for safekeeping. Unfortunately, one airport security expert has explained why you should never put a padlock on a suitcase.

As well as thieves potentially thinking there's something valuable in a padlocked case, security experts will likely do more damage to a suitcase if they need to get into it for whatever reason and it's locked.

More than that, a padlock probably isn't deterring anyone.

Posting on TikTok, a Transport Security Administration worker told us why we shouldn't bother with a combination lock. Using just a pen, he showed how easy it was to break into a suitcase through the zip. He explained: "The pen to the zipper technique has been around for tons of years, so I wanted show you guys this, so you know to look out for it.

"I'm just going to go all the way around and this once zipped-up bag was opened with just a pen."

Lucky for us, the worker had a handy hint to avoid this flaw, and it's as simple as buying a suitcase with covered zippers: "That's an extra added layer of security for your luggage when you're traveling for the holidays or for any occasion that may be coming up."

The video had nearly 450k likes, but there's a potential problem. Thanking the TSA agent for highlighting the pen trick, someone wrote: "Thanks for telling the thieves at the airports...SMH."

Another added: "And that's why I don't put anything valuable in my checked bag."

A third concluded: "I literally only have clothes in there - have fun."

Others claim that they've never seen suitcases with covered zippers, so maybe he can drop a link for the TikTok Shop in the comments.

Elsewhere on TikTok, there's an emerging trend of 'suitcases that pass the pen test', where creators are getting millions of views by showing off suitcases that are immune to the pen hack. If you're in the market for a new suitcase, maybe ditch the padlock and think of the pen trick in the future.