OK, you’ve finally made it! It’s the first day of your long-awaited vacation. Finally, you get to relax and forget your worries while lounging languorously on a beach chair with a hurricane glass full of a ridiculously colorful cocktail. The last thing you want is for something to go wrong and interfere with your plans of doing nothing whatsoever for a full two weeks.

Have you given any prior thought to the security of your luggage? What if it accidentally opens while you’re getting out of the cab? What if some back-end airline employee decides to rifle through your unmentionables while no one is looking?

That’s where luggage locks come in. Some luggage comes with the locks built in, but there are also individual locks that you can buy to lock up any otherwise lockless luggage.

What about airport security? The TSA is legally allowed to inspect any bag before it’s loaded onto an airplane. How can they inspect your bag if it has a lock on it? And if airport security can get into your bags, does that mean that anyway else can?

To answer these and other questions you might have about whether and when you should be using a luggage lock, read on. You certainly want to make sure, after you’ve gone through the trouble of tracking down cheap international flights, that you’re going to be able to enjoy your trip safe in the knowledge that your belongings are secure.

Checking in for a Flight

Some travelers believe that locking their luggage will prevent bags from being inspected. Those people are mistaken. The TSA has certain recognized locks that it permits passengers to use. The TSA has worked with these manufacturers so security agents are able to open any of these locks with a master key, but no one else can. If you’re using a lock that isn’t approved by TSA, agents have the authority to break open that lock to search through a bag. If you’re carrying your valuables with you in your carry-on bags, and you don’t have anything really valuable in your checked luggage, then you may not need to use a luggage lock. Unless, of course, you’ve got any especially valuable socks or underwear.

Going to and from the Airport

Once you hop off your flight and arrive at your destination, you’re going to need some type of transportation. If you’re taking a bus where luggage is stowed below, or you’re taking the subway from the airport to your hotel, you should definitely use your luggage lock. Even in the most seemingly modern and sophisticated cities, there’s still a chance that you could be robbed. Several people will be handling your luggage on your journey, and it’s possible that your bags may have to sit somewhere on a sidewalk or in a hotel lobby while you’re busy checking in. A lock will prevent anyone from quickly getting in and out with your valuables.

RELATED: A Guide to Quick and Efficient Weekend Trip Packing

When in Your Room

You have many options when it comes to places to stay at your chosen destination. Whether you’re staying five-star hotels or humble hostels, people you don’t know will often has access to your luggage. Clearly, if you’re staying in a shared room with other traveler’s (aka strangers), you’ll want to lock up your luggage when you’re asleep or you’re not in the room. When you’re staying in a hotel, housekeeping enters your room to clean, so be sure to lock your valuables either in your bag or in the safe in the room. Although a locked safe is useful to have in a hotel room, a locked suitcase may be a better option. Only you will have the key or code, unlike the lock safe for which hotel staff might have a master key.

What do you think? Do you use a luggage lock when traveling? Tell us in the comments below!