Call Kurtis: How To Make Sure Your Carry-On Doesn't Get Stolen

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Every time she flies, Linda Ramirez makes sure anything valuable goes in her carry-on.

"I always thought they were perfectly safe." She said.

When she boarded a Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento to San Antonio, Linda said a flight attendant told her to put one of her bags in an overhead compartment and then find a seat. But, Linda ended up 10 rows from her bag.

"There were like 66-plus people between me and my bag." Linda said.

When she landed in San Antonio, her bag was gone.

Her laptop, hard drive and gifts for her family in Texas were all taken.

"I was outraged. I was totally shocked." Linda said.

Travel expert George Hobica says carry-on theft is growing.

"Certainly there are more bags being carried on because people don't want to pay the fees." He said.

Hobica said thieves are not just swiping bags; they're taking what is inside like jewelry, money - even medicine.

In 2010, an Air France flight attendant was arrested and confessed to stealing from passengers on at least 26 flights.

Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim, son of actress Sybil Shepherd, was arrested in 2010 for stealing cash, a camera and a cosmetics bag on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Philadelphia.

So, where is the safest place to store your bag?

"Use it as a footrest that way no one can reach back and take something out of it." Hobica said.

Hobica said airlines cover stolen items from checked bags - but not carry-ons. He said if you have homeowner's insurance, they may cover the loss. However, most have a high deductible.

Credit cards may cover items stolen from your bag. Hobica said American Express cards work best, as do some airline-affiliated credit cards.

After we reached out to Southwest, they agreed to refund the cost of Linda's round-trip ticket - $397. But, the company refused to answer questions about how they normally handle stolen carry-ons.

Linda has happy memories from her trip to Texas, because she was able to see her son get married.

Eventually, Linda's carry-on bag was finally found at a Dallas airport, but her computer and hard drive were missing from inside.

At Sacramento International Airport, six people have reported carry-on thefts over the last two years.