How to Unlock 3 Digit Luggage Lock

Picture the scene, you’ve just arrived at your hotel in an unfamiliar city after a long flying. Y’all put your suitcase on the bed and slowly plough the numbered wheels of the 3-digit combination lock. You printing the button to go access to your case but zilch happens. The metal zipper tags remain firmly trapped in the lock’s clasp…

Getting locked out of your luggage is something that happens to even the about seasoned travellers at some time or another. Luckily the ubiquitous, TSA approved, 3-digit combination locks used by brands such as Samsonite, Eastpack, Antler and American Tourister are easy to open without damaging either the lock or the case and without whatsoever special tools.

By following the steps described below, you will be able to quickly open the lock and re-plan the code to a new iii digit combination which is easier to call up.

How to Unlock Your Suitcase When Yous Forgot the Combination

If yous await closely at the lock from above, yous will meet that to one side of the 3 numbered pollex-wheels there is a small disk (see photos below).

I have institute that the all-time style to see the disks is by using your mobile phone’s photographic camera.

Select the video photographic camera and shine the flash downward into the lock then zoom-in to see the disks more clearly.

Starting with the kickoff thumb-bicycle of the lock, turn the cycle one click at a time until you come across a notch in the disk as shown in the photos.

Once you have lined up the notch of the offset bike you then repeat the process for the second and third digit until the notches of all three wheels are lined upward (see the photograph of the blue suitcase).

Once all three notches are lined upward, plough the suitcase so you tin see the numbers.

Note, this is Non the combination code.

Write downward the numbers on the first line of a blank sheet of paper.

On the next line add 1 to each digit.

Repeat this eight more times until yous have a list of ten iii-digit numbers as shown in the photo below.

Effort the codes one at a time until yous discover the one which opens the suitcase.

One time the case is open yous can change the combination for one which is easier to remember.

With do, the entire procedure takes less than 2 minutes.

Video: How to Quickly Open Your Suitcase Lock When You Forgot the Code

When writing this article I used ii different suitcases, both of which are fitted with TSA canonical Travel Sentry combination locks. The locks are slightly different models but the procedure is identical.

I made the video using the older, blue, suitcase because the notches in the green plastic discs are easier to come across than the notches in the black disks of the ruddy suitcase.

The lawmaking which opened the ruddy suitcase was 2 clicks abroad from the position with the disks lined up. The code which opened the blue case was 8 clicks away.

If none of the codes which you lot take written down work you should check that you lined the notches up correctly. Equally can be seen in the video, there are usually two positions where the notches are visible. Brand sure that all three notches are lined up in the aforementioned position. You tin can see that in the video I lined upwardly the disks at the right-hand position.

How do Combination Locks Piece of work?

The three-digit combination locks used on suitcases are designed and then that yous tin modify the combination to a unique code which only you lot know.

To practise this, yous take to first set the lock to the electric current combination. You then press a pocket-sized push button (normally using a ballpoint pen) which frees the numbered pollex-wheels from the locking mechanism (currently in the open position).

You can then plow the 3 numbered thumb wheels independently to a new combination before pushing the larger button (the one which is used to open the lock). This re-connects the numbered thumb-wheels to the locking mechanism, activating the new code.

The method described above relies on the fact that role of the locking mechanism itself is visible (the notched disks next to the thumb-wheels). This makes the number shown on the knurled thumb-bicycle pretty much irrelevant. Once the disks are aligned you simply need to rotate them around until the lock opens.

What Are TSA Approved Locks?

The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is a US federal government agency
responsible for the security of travellers
that was created in response to the September 11 attacks.

All luggage is
scanned
earlier being loaded into aeroplanes and if any prohibited items are detected it will be opened past airport staff and the items removed.

TSA approved locks, identified by the ruddy diamond shaped Travel Watch logo, tin exist opened using master keys. The locks are often incorporated into suitcases but TSA approved padlocks are also available.

If your suitcase can’t exist opened with a master key so, if they need inspect your baggage, airport staff will open it by force, cutting off padlocks etc.

In theory the keys are only bachelor to airport staff merely in reality anyone with a 3D printer tin can
print out their own master keys.

Is it Really worth Locking my TSA canonical Luggage Lock?

Every bit nosotros have seen, the 3-digit combination locks fitted to well-nigh mod suitcases offer very little or no security. At best they stop your suitcase from opening accidentally during transit, preventing your dirty laundry from spilling out on the baggage carousel.

Some suitcases (including the red suitcase in the photos) have small metal hoops incorporated into the zilch-pullers allowing you lot to use a padlock to lock your suitcase. Although at starting time glance this may seem to add a second level of security, in reality, it’s a waste of time. As shown in
this video, goose egg closure suitcases tin be opened rapidly and easily using a ballpoint pen.