Anyone knows if TSA approved lock (both by itself lock & built-in on luggage kind) is usable everywhere in the world? In other words, once locked, airport security anywhere can open with special key & close them again without damage to lock?

It's only the US which insists upon unaccompanied access to luggage (as far as I'm aware).

Thanks for the fast response, Colleen.

So what you are saying anywhere but US, they would ask traveler to open bag in front of them which would negate the necessity of having a TSA approved lock. (Unless a portion of the flight is in the US).

I can only give you my limited experience. Air Canada would not allow the locks even though we originated in CT. Said they would be cut off.
Austrian Air said we could use them after they did an inspection but that would mean we would have to request a visual inspection at the time of getting our boarding pass and the line just seemed too long. We originated in New York.
Continental was fine with the locks. We originated in New Jersey.
It seems the only airline though to have actually inspected our luggage was Luftanza. We had no locks then and were searched from New York and again from Rome.
What does all this mean? I haven't a clue. Bring your locks, ask when checking in and do whatever the teller says. After all, its only luggage and nothing valuable should be in there anyway. Good luck

As far as I'm aware yes but I'm a bit confused by Hockeymom. I think either you or your TA should contact the airline you are using and ask them directly.

The only journey I've taken where I've had to leave my luggage unlocked was travelling from LA to Vancouver (August last year).

Now I am more confused than ever too.

My travel experience were mostly Asian countries (Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong & China). I've locked my luggage with the TSA locks & didnt have any problem. In Japan they asked me to open it in front of them, so no problem there.

I am just wondering in European countries, if they need random search, do they extend the courtesy of asking to open the luggage in front of them? If it is, then wont matter what lock we use, it can be done.

If however like in the US, which I had experience they opened my suitcase not in my presence, then the TSA lock is necessary. (They did leave a note inside my suitcase to let me know it has been opened, plus my lock has a color ring that popped up letting me know TSA has opened it too).

In any circumstances, I would much prefer to have luggage locked cause I've heard all kinds of horror stories about airline personnel helping themselves (no offense if anyone read this worked for the airline).

Hi rptlam
I will only confuse you more. At the airport in Las vegas I was asked to not leave a lock on my bags i said no because it was 24 hours before i would see my bag again in Brisbane. That was ok if i would wait while the bag was searched and then relocked. I have locked my bags for 10 years with lots of airlines including Air Canada.You can have your bag wrapped in plastic at the airport in Brisbane. Due to recent case of an Aussie in Bali,most Aussies lock there bags. I lock my bags not because of what can be taken out but what can be put in.

Well I guess this may confuse you even further.

I have flown to well over 50 countries, have always locked my bags with small brass padlocks 9not the TSA locks) and never had the bags opened after checking in.

I have had to open the bags myself for inspection both in Sydney and Vancouver on trips to Alaska but this was done on the check-in queues before actually checking in. In Sydney this was done at a table where two officers were checking one bag of every person’s luggage. In Vancouver the queue diverted through a room where EVERY bag of EVERY person was searched before you were allowed to continue on to check-in.

Thanks everyone for the confusion

Now my next question becomes: anyone has lock (TSA or any type of lock) broken for inspection while you are not there (in any country)? Because that's what the US TSA claimed if not an approved TSA lock you may risk it being broken (at least in US domain) by inspector.

My mother just returned from Bangkok to Australia from holidays. She used a TSA approved combination lock. This was removed somewhere on her return trip and not replaced nor was there a note to say why it was removed.
Nothing was tampered with in her luggage.