Travel tips: Losing luggage

When i went over to America in Feb my bag didn’t make it and neither did my colleague’s. We transited via Heathrow and they missed our second flight. Somewhere deep down I knew this was going to happen and had a change of clothes in my hand luggage.

I just got back from Israel on Friday and again, bags didn’t make it back into Dublin… Delivered on Sunday.

Here are my tips for ensuring that it’s as painless a process as possible:

1) Put a change of trousers, underwear and top into your hand luggage. If you can only bring 1 piece of hand luggage then get one big enough that your handbag can fit into as well. If your luggage gets lost, then handwash any of your bits as soon as you arrive, or send them to the hotel laundry.

2) You can bring up to 100ml of individual liquids in your hand luggage, they must be in small ‘zip-loc’ bags. My essentials are: Powder foundation, concealer, mascara, eyeshadow in 2 shades (day / night), blusher, lip liner, lipstick, my headache pen, wet wipes, painkillers, travel deodorant, travel toothpaste, toothbrush. Moisturizer samples are great too as they don’t take up much space. And yes, all that stuff fits into the small zip-loc bag, be creative in your packing!

3) Keep a copy of the hotel name, address and phone number in your hand luggage, you will need this to give to the airline if your luggage is lost. Make sure to get a reference number for your luggage and contact number for the lost luggage dept at the airport.

4) Never put credit cards or travelers cheques in hold luggage, money will get you out of any crisis so keep it with you at all times. US Dollars are accepted in every country in the world, so i usually carry at least $100 when outside Europe (break in into 20-dollar notes if possible). Call your credit card company in advance of traveling to tell them that you may/will be using your card in those countries, if they suspect any issues they will stop your card from working until you call them to unlock. If you tell them you are traveling, they will put a note on your account to prevent this from happening.

5) Travel with the bigger airlines. When my luggage last went missing on the way to Phoenix, British Airways gave me $50 on a disposable credit card to get the essentials I needed.

6) Ask at the hotel desk. Most hotels can give you the following for free: Deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, etc. Saves you buying them.

7) Last but not least, NEVER pack your contraceptive pill in your hold luggage! The reasons should be obvious!