Why is a well-packed cabin bag important if you lose your luggage?

Avril-Ann Braganza

Airlines could lose your bag anytime, anywhere. Pack your cabin bag wisely, so you don`t miss your essentials, says Avril-Ann Braganza You’ve planned the perfect vacation to de-stress, but your holiday could turn out to be anything but that once you find out what the airline gods have in store for you. You never know when those luggage woes may hit you! Your bags may be touring the world, may be ransacked or may have just ‘missed their flight’, courtesy the airline you flew on. So to minimise the inconvenience, it’s best to be prepared and pack your cabin bag smartly. Don’t just pack your carry-on luggage with things that you might need on the flight, make sure you include everything that you might miss should the airline decide they like your bag so much that they couldn’t part with it or should they decide to send it off on a holiday without you. Ensure you have a few sets of clothes, including innerwear, bed clothes and clean socks. Don’t forget an extra pair of footwear. Carry at least three days of medication in your hand luggage and make sure you get a doctor’s prescription should you need it. Besides your passport and tickets, travel insurance, hotel booking confirmations and other important documents that you might need, make sure you have copies of them all. Pack a small toiletry pouch containing your essentials–toothbrush, small tube of toothpaste, comb, cosmetics/ electric shaver etc. Considering you’re allowed only 100 ml bottles, when it comes to carrying liquids (and sometimes even those are confiscated), it may be a better idea to carry wet wipes instead of a face wash or hand sanitizer. It would be a good idea to pack in a universal adapter along with your phone and camera chargers. However not all airports and countries may let them pass through security, so check the rules before you travel.