essentials

A frequent flyer has shared her top three carry-on essentials she never travels without — and they could be a lifesaver if your checked luggage goes missing for a few days

A seasoned traveller has revealed the three essential items you should never forget to pack in your hand luggage when flying, as there’s a strong chance you’ll need them either mid-flight or immediately upon arrival.

Hopping from one country to another can be pretty straightforward, but only when everything runs smoothly. To help ensure your journey goes without a hitch, Jacqui, who travels frequently, and often alone, has outlined the items she’d urge you to keep in your carry-on bag — particularly in case your checked luggage goes astray (though fingers crossed it won’t!).

She emphasised that these are likely things you haven’t previously considered including in your hand luggage.

Money

Jacqui explained that carrying physical currency for your destination is absolutely crucial.

She said: “Not money from your country. Something that I’ve seen people doing videos about travel on TikTok is getting to the place they’re going to and being surprised that in another country, people don’t take your money.

“Take the money of the place you’re going, because just having a bit of cash, especially on you, is always really helpful, especially if your hold luggage were to get lost.”

Power banks

Jacqui stated that a power bank in her hand luggage is something she simply couldn’t do without. However, it’s absolutely crucial to remember these mustn’t be used during the actual flight, with most airlines now taking a firm stance on this.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority, power banks must always be kept in your hand luggage and are strictly prohibited from checked bags and suitcases. If security find one in your checked bag, it will be confiscated, and you risk serious flight delays, or even costly diversions.

You are not permitted to charge them during the flight, nor can you use them while in the air. However, they come in extremely handy once you touch down in a new destination.

“I cannot leave home if I’m travelling without a power bank,” Jacqui said. “You can get a cheap one on Amazon; they don’t have to be super expensive, but just being able to charge your phone everywhere is so useful.

She went on: “And if your hold luggage gets lost or you end up just with your carry-on, you become super reliant on your telephone – we’re all super reliant on our telephones when we travel these days. I can’t believe I used to travel without a mobile phone. But being able to just plug it in and charge it is just so so so useful, so make sure that you always have that in your hand luggage.”

Pants

Jacqui noted that packing a spare set of underwear — or several — in your hand luggage can prove incredibly useful.

She added that on long-haul flights, she would pack a complete outfit, reasoning that, should her hold luggage fail to arrive, it could “maybe be a few days,” and she’d want a fresh change of clothes.

“Or at least something that can get me through the day until I can get to the shop and sort myself out,” she added.

Other items that could prove useful to pack in your carry-on luggage…

• Medication
• An empty water bottle to fill after security
• Electronics, including iPads and Kindles
• Valuables
• Travel documents, including a passport and a boarding pass
• A pen
• Earplugs, sleep mask, travel pillow

What do you pack in your hand luggage? Tell us in the comments…