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Travel Sentry | Company

Our Story

Since 2003, our purpose
has been to make travel
safer and simpler

We create standards to solve issues for airlines,
airports, security agencies and passengers.

Red TSA Padlock

About Us

Travel Safer & Simpler

Travel Sentry Approved locks, Travel Sentry ID tags, TS TAG and OKOBAN improve the travel experience.

Travel Sentry brands are licensed to over 500 luggage and travel accessories brands.

Travel Sentry advocates sustainable production and products, factory workplace safety and the reduction of packaging waste for all products bearing its brands.

Milestones

Our Story

Click on a year and see what happened

JANUARY

Launch of Sustainability Award

This award promotes the development of Travel Sentry padlocks while using recycled materials and offers consumers an eco-friendly product alternative that reduces the impact on the environment.

MARCH

Member of 1% for the Planet

Travel Sentry is officially a member of the 1% for the Planet, committing to donate 1% of annual sales to support environmental organizations focused on the environment.

MAY

Travel Accessories collection is launched

Travel Sentry celebrates its 20th anniversary with the launch of a Travel Accessories Collection. This starts a new era for the company with the licensing of a new category of products.

NOVEMBER

3 more countries join the System

France, Ghana, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia join the Travel Sentry System, taking the number of implemented countries up to 61.

MARCH

Room to Read Partnership

Travel Sentry continuously supports the Room to Read program in Cambodia.

MARCH

Travel Sentry ID Launch

With over 6,000,000 ID codes issued over the past 10 years and users registered in over 200 countries, Travel Sentry is strengthening its leading position in lost & found solutions with the launch of TSID in addition to OKOBAN.

MAY

Support to the industry during the pandemic

Travel Sentry provided facemasks to licensees, distributing over 100,000 masks globally to factories and offices needing them.

NOVEMBER

5 more countries join the System

Bahrain, Bermuda, Italy, and Senegal join the implemented countries using the Travel Sentry System.

OCTOBER

System used in 50 countries

With a majority of European airports now equipped with the Travel Sentry System, travellers can expect even more safe inspections and no damage.

NOVEMBER

Room to Read Funding

Travel Sentry donates 100,000 US$ to Room to Read to improve girls’ education in Cambodia. 382 girls will attend secondary school and get life skills education and mentoring.

DECEMBER

600 million locks produced

More than 600 million locks have been produced since the launch of the system in 2003

OCTOBER

Brazil joins the system

We are very proud to now help the Federal government and police of Brazil in their baggage screening inspection.

NOVEMBER

30 countries presence

With over 650 airports using the system in 30 countries: USA, Canada, Panama, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Sweden, Latvia, Austria, Estonia, Switzerland, Hungary, Malta, Turkey, UAE, Israel, Togo, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Ivory Coast.

JANUARY

50% of passenger traffic covered by the system

One out of every two passengers today leaves from an airport using the Travel Sentry® Lock system: in 600 airports, in 16 countries, by 1.6 billion passengers annually, on 350 million locks, with more than 500 luggage brands.

APRIL

New Corporate Visual Identity

Travel Sentry is proud to introduce a new Corporate Visual Identity. All trademarks and logos, including the Red Diamond, have been updated to fit the company’s manifesto: we make travel simply smarter. A new website, marketing campaign and brand videos are launched to promote this new visual identity.

MAY

China adopts the system

Beijing Capital International Airport is now equipped with the Travel Sentry system. It is the number 2 airport in the world and welcomes 90 million passengers annually with flights to over 250 destinations. This implementation consolidates Travel Sentry’s position as the global solution for airport security agencies worldwide.

SEPTEMBER

500 Million locks

More than 500 brands have distributed more than 500 million locks since the launch of the system in 2003.

JUNE

5 more countries and 2 more continents

In depth checked luggage screening in most major airports in Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Togo and New Zealand is supported by the Travel Sentry system, allowing security officers to open and re-lock passenger luggage that uses Travel Sentry® Approved locks when a physical inspection without damage.

AUGUST

Finland, South Korea and the Netherlands join the System

Security Officers at all Finnish Airports and most South Korean and Dutch airports are equipped to inspect without damage luggage that uses Travel Sentry® Approved locks when a physical inspection is required.

JULY

Canada and Israel adopt the system

All Canadian airports, all Austrian airports and Ben Gurion (TLV) airport adopt the Travel Sentry system so they can open and re-lock passenger luggage that uses Travel Sentry® Approved locks when a physical inspection is required to clear checked baggage for safe transport.

NOVEMBER

40 million locks

The number of Travel Sentry® Approved locks manufactured annually is up to 40 million by over 200 lock & luggage manufacturers all over the world.

AUGUST

OKOBAN is launched

OKOBAN® by Travel Sentry is set up by John Vermilye solving the lost & found issue in partnership with World Tracer. OKOBAN creates a link between owners and their property, assigning unique codes to any item that needs to be protected from accidental loss. The system is part of the largest network of Lost and Found offices in the world.

MAY

Japan implemented the Travel Sentry system

Japan was the first country implementing the Travel Sentry system outside the US. Security officers at Tokyo Narita were able to open, inspect & lock Travel Sentry Approved Locks without the passenger present and without damaging the lock or the luggage.

MARCH

10 Million locks

For the first time, 10 million Travel Sentry® Approved locks were produced annually.

JANUARY

Product Innovation Award received

At 2004 Travel Goods Association annual tradeshow in Washington, the Travel Sentry System was recognized for the benefits it provided to the travellers, the travel goods industry & the Transportation Security Administration but also the forward thinking initiative between private enterprise and the public agency.

JANUARY

TSA is operational

The Transport Security Administration began advanced screening of 100% of checked baggage at all 452 airports across the United States.

MARCH

Travel Sentry System is created

John Vermilye is the founder of Travel Sentry and the creator of the Travel Sentry® Approved lock system. He has over forty years’ airline baggage operations and security experience. John was approached by the Travel Goods Association to help establish a standards based system that would permit passengers to once again lock their bags yet enable the TSA to open these as needed for inspection. The Travel Sentry System was born.

NOVEMBER

All US airports were implemented with the Travel Sentry system

The Travel Sentry System was launched in all airports and the first Travel Sentry Approved locks went on sale 12 November 2003.

Philanthropy

Doing our part to help

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