With Thanksgiving on the horizon, some students are planning trips home through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which was recently in the spotlight for passengers’ luggage being stolen.

This year, Sky Harbor has increased security measures near and around the baggage claim carousels.

“We are extremely concerned about this and want our passengers to know that we have taken steps to make checked luggage at the airport more secure, for the protection of our customers,” Assistant Aviation Director Carl Newman said in a press release following the event.

Early in November an Arizona couple was arrested for allegedly stealing almost 1,000 pieces of luggage from Sky Harbor. Police believe the couple had been stealing luggage for almost a year before the arrest.

Increased measures this year include more patrols in the baggage area, more video surveillance and random inquiries at the baggage claim for people to show their claim check or photo ID. Deputy Aviation Director Deborah Ostreicher advised students to keep both of those items on hand during Thanksgiving travels.

“Nothing is foolproof and we’re taking every action to prevent this from happening again,” Ostreicher said. “But it’s always a good idea to keep a close watch on your bag in any situation.”

Tourism development and management junior Emily Elkind said she is flying home on Southwest Airlines to San Diego for Thanksgiving and plans to carry her bag onto the plane to avoid problems.

“I always carry on my luggage so I don’t worry,” she said. “That’s a reason I bring it on the plane with me, because luggage does get lost.”

Journalism sophomore Jack Highberger plans to fly home to Denver and said he’s not concerned about his luggage because of the increased security.

“I don’t feel totally comfortable because airlines tend to lose bags, but I guess I feel like I normally would,” he said. “I don’t have layovers and they caught the people who were stealing bags so I feel my bags are in a safe and happier place now.”

US Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder said US Airways is not concerned about passengers having problems with lost or stolen bags.

“We haven’t seen an increase in mishandled or lost baggage, so we’re treating this as an isolated incident,” she said. “We’re partnering with the airport and other airlines as well to increase random bag checks.”

In a press release, Sky Harbor officials said today will be the busiest day for Thanksgiving travel.

On an average Wednesday, 90,000 people travel through Sky Harbor. Today, 125,000 people, a 40 percent increase, are expected to pass through the airport, according to the release.

Reach the reporter at sheydt@asu.edu.