plug

A seasoned traveller has shared a list of items that should never be packed in checked luggage, as they could be difficult to replace if your suitcase goes missing

A travel guru has issued a stark warning to holidaymakers, urging them not to pack certain items in their checked luggage. With many travellers heading off for Christmas breaks or to enjoy some winter sun, Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet, and TUI passengers are being warned about the potential dangers of packing a variety of everyday items.

TikTok user @thepointsguy has offered crucial advice on what you should “never put in your checked bag, regardless of how short your flight is.”

He’s highlighted items such as suncream and plug adaptors, due to the potential issues if your checked bag goes missing.

This guidance serves as an important reminder to always keep certain essentials within reach during travel. One item that should always be kept close at hand is any prescription medication, reports Chronicle Live.

The expert said: “One thing that should always be kept close at hand is any prescription meds. The expert said: You may be able to get a doctor to call in your prescription, but that becomes trickier if it’s a weekend or a holiday or if your medication doesn’t allow for refills before the previous prescription runs out.”

Moreover, he has advised against storing electronics in checked luggage. He cautioned that despite the honesty of most airport staff, there remains a “risk” of theft.

He also warns against packing “jewellery and cash” in checked luggage, along with any “items with significant personal value”, urging holidaymakers to keep such treasures close to hand to prevent “financial or emotional loss”.

Finally, he suggested that “plug adapters and high-quality suncream” should remain in your hand luggage, as these could be difficult to find in more remote locations if your checked baggage goes missing.

The savvy traveller suggests packing “daily necessities” in your carry-on bag – always ready for those times when a spare outfit, essential toiletries, or vision aids such as glasses or contact lenses might be needed at short notice.

Following this prudent advice going viral and receiving widespread praise online, one TikTok user commented: “Everything important goes into my carry-on. Meds, contacts, electronics in particular.”

Another agreed, adding: “I only have clothing and shoes in checked bags. Everything else is in my carry-on.”

This handy guidance comes as millions of Brits jet off to Christmas markets as well as winter sun destinations from the Canaries to the Caribbean. However, if you’re hoping to travel light with just hand luggage and space is a concern, another travel expert has revealed a clever trick to pack ‘three months’ worth of stuff’.

This strategy was shared on TikTok by @joanna. pirog, who ditched the use of packing cubes for a more simple and cost-effective method.

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Her demonstration involved an empty suitcase and a selection of holiday clothes, which she neatly rolled before carefully placing them within the luggage.

Her suitcase held an impressive range of dresses, shirts, tops, skirts, and shorts with ease, and even when it appeared full, Joanna managed to fit in extra items by slotting them into small gaps. She insisted that this method allowed her to pack ‘three months’ worth of clothes into a single compact suitcase.

Sharina Butler, from the Bahamas, was staying at the Paris Hotel Las Vegas when she was landed with a hefty, unexpected bill, she has claimed in a TikTok video

A visitor to Las Vegas has issued a warning after she claiming was charged $200 (£150) for using a plug socket.

Sharina Butler, from the Bahamas, was staying at the Paris Hotel Las Vegas when she received a surprise bill for $224 (£168), she alleges.

According to the mum, she was landed with the hefty payment request due to her son unplugging a tray used for mini-bar snacks and drinks. Sharina claimed the policy was written on a small card that was placed in front of the tray.

The card warned that there would be a $56 (£42) charge for every day the tray remained unplugged. In a TikTok video recalling the incident, Sharina claimed she said to an employee, “You’ve got to be kidding me. The tray isn’t attached to any electricity, the tray isn’t attached to anything, it’s just a plug.”

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Milo Boyd

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Sharina said that they had unplugged the tray to charge their phones while sitting at the small desk inside the room. She hadn’t read the note on the minibar because she knew she wasn’t going to touch any of the overpriced items.

“Why am I reading a tray when I’m not touching it… The only thing it should be saying is that if you move something off the minibar, you will be charged, right? But that wasn’t the case.”

According to Sharina, the employee then showed her an enlarged version of the note, which indicated the $56-per-night charge if the plug is removed.

Butler told her 1,200 fans that she “blocked that charge” after being slapped with the fee. In the comments beneath the video, some called Marci claimed they had a similar problem at the hotel.

“I wanted them to remove the whole damn tray from the room, and they told me it would cost me $50 to have it removed, so I argued them into having someone come up to move it off of the desk (because I needed to use the desk to work), so it sat on the floor the whole time,” she wrote.

Paris Hotel Las Vegas has been contacted for comment.

The tourist industry in Las Vegas has been going through a difficult time of late, with resorts and convention centers reporting fewer visitors compared to last year, especially from abroad, and some officials are blaming the Trump administration’s tariffs and immigration policies for the decline.

The city known for lavish shows, endless buffets and around-the-clock gambling welcomed just under 3.1 million tourists in June, an 11% drop compared to the same month in 2024. There were 13% fewer international travelers, and hotel occupancy fell by about 15%, according to data from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Mayor Shelley Berkley said tourism from Canada — Nevada’s largest international market — has dried up from a torrent “to a drip.” Same with Mexico.

“We have a number of very high rollers that come in from Mexico that aren’t so keen on coming in right now. And that seems to be the prevailing attitude internationally,” Berkley told reporters this month.

Ted Pappageorge, head of the powerful Culinary Workers Union, called it the “Trump slump.” He said visits from Southern California, home to a large Latino population, were also drying up because people are afraid of the administration’s immigration crackdown. If you tell the rest of the world they’re not welcome, then they won’t come.”

The Vegas dip mirrors a national trend. The travel forecasting company Tourism Economics, which in December 2024 anticipated the US, would have nearly 9% more international arrivals this year, revised its annual outlook to predict a 9.4% drop. Some of the steepest declines could be from Canada, the company said. Canada was the largest source of visitors to the US in 2024, with more than 20.2 million, according to US government data.

A couple of years ago, things looked dire for Plug Power (PLUG 3.42%) stock. It was plunging in value and it even issued a going concern warning, which means that the business was concerned about its finances and that there were significant doubts about its ability to continue operating.

The company says that risk no longer exists. And not only are its financials stronger, but the energy stock has also been red hot of late. This year, share prices of the hydrogen company are up an incredible 95%. In just the past six months, its stock price has more than tripled in value.

Has this once-risky stock become a good, safe option for investors?

Image source: Getty Images.

Why is there so much hype around Plug Power?

Energy has been a big investing theme this year, largely due to artificial intelligence (AI) and the need to power up large data centers. Plug Power has positioned itself as one of the leading companies in offering clean energy solutions with hydrogen fuel cells. Many investors likely see the zero-emission energy options that Plug Power offers as one of several potential solutions to rising energy needs in AI.

The more that tech companies invest in AI data centers, the greater the need may be for energy in the future. And it’s that potential growth that has many investors willing to look past Plug Power’s lack of profitability and shortcomings today — but doing so could be a perilous mistake.

Plug Power’s financials remain problematic

Plug Power may have removed the near-term going concern warning last year, but I have doubts about the company’s ability to survive in the long run. This is, after all, still a massive, cash-burning business. In the past six months, it has incurred net losses totaling $425.6 million, which was more than the revenue it generated over that time frame ($307.6 million). The business’s cost of sales was even higher at $435 million, resulting in negative margins and a loss before even factoring in overhead and other operating expenses.

It also burned through $297 million in cash over the course of its day-to-day operating activities during the past two quarters. Without a path to profitability or positive cash flow in the foreseeable future, there is plenty of risk for dilution and frequent share offerings in the stock’s future.

I’d stay away from Plug Power stock

Investing in hydrogen energy is a long-term play, and it’s one that’s full of risks. While hydrogen can play an important role in addressing the world’s global energy needs, not everyone is convinced that it will be the case. Some critics point to the inefficiency and high costs that come with hydrogen energy production. And there are alternative energy sources that may be cleaner and better options in the long run.

It’s easy to get swept up in the AI-driver energy hype, and that’s what may be happening with Plug Power. But that doesn’t mean this is a safe stock to invest in. For a while, this stock was going nowhere but down; it declined by more than 50% in each of the past three years. Then, the energy stock craze took off, and so did Plug Power’s valuation.

While it may look like a cheap stock to own given its massive decline in recent years and the fact that it’s trading at just 4 times its trailing revenue, this is still a highly risky investment to hold in your portfolio. Until and unless its fundamentals drastically improve, you’re likely better off avoiding Plug Power as this is a speculative stock to own, with plenty of downside risk.

Plug Power (PLUG 18.35%) stock took off Monday morning. Shares of the hydrogen fuel cell supplier peaked with an almost 15% gain in early trading. The stock remained higher by 11.9% as of 1:30 p.m. ET.

Plug develops and commercializes hydrogen fuel cell systems. Large companies including Amazon, Walmart, and Home Depot utilize Plug’s systems to power forklifts and other material handling equipment in distribution centers and warehouses.

A big announcement today has investors thinking Plug’s future business could be related to an even faster-growing segment.

Image source: Getty Images.

Plug Power can help fill growing power needs

Plug operates a green hydrogen production facility in Georgia that began liquid hydrogen shipments last year. That hydrogen fuel could soon be used for more than forklifts as the need to power data centers explodes.

An announcement today highlighted that growing need. Tech giant Nvidia announced plans to invest as much as $100 billion in ChatGPT developer OpenAI as part of a major data center buildout.

Plug Power stock has already been rising in recent weeks due to increasing power needs as well as the Federal Reserve’s decision to lower interest rates last week. The strategic partnership between Nvidia and OpenAI will enable OpenAI to build and deploy a minimum of 10 gigawatts (GW) of data centers used for artificial intelligence (AI) growth. That would be enough power to supply electricity to over 8 million homes.

Plug Power has seen strong demand for its GenDrive fuel cells, with total revenue increasing 21% in the most recent quarter. As more companies look to supply power for data centers, Plug Power could see sharply increasing demand.

Plug has reported big losses in the first half of 2025, though. Operating losses of over $350 million were an improvement over last year, but investors should still consider it a high-risk investment. If customers do line up for its fuel cells, however, there could be more upside to Plug Power stock.

Shares of hydrogen fuel cell company Plug Power (PLUG 14.29%) soared 16.1% through 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, but here’s the thing:

There doesn’t seem to be any good reason for the rise.

Image source: Getty Images.

Introducing Plug Power

Plug Power bills itself as “a first mover in the [hydrogen] industry,” manufacturing everything from electrolyzers to liquid hydrogen to entire “fuel cell systems, storage tanks, and fueling infrastructure.”

That’s both good and bad for investors.

The good side of being a “first mover” is that it promises early investors a ground-floor investment in what Plug predicts will one day become a “global hydrogen economy” replacing the use of traditional fossil fuels.

The bad news is you’re investing in a start-up that’s actually been “starting up” forever. Plug’s spent the last 28 years promising investors profits, without ever earning even one cent. It’s also supposedly a growth stock…but saw its revenues shrink nearly 30% last year.

Is Plug stock a buy?

Analysts who follow Plug Power stock do think Plug will turn profitable eventually — but no sooner than 2030. And the big risk for investors is that Plug will run out of money before it ever begins earning a profit.

Plug has only about $140 million in the bank right now, against nearly $1 billion in debt. It’s also burning more than $800 million per year. To keep this game going, Plug must either go deeper into debt or issue even more stock (its share count has doubled over the last two and a half years), diluting current investors out of even more of their hoped-for future profits.

To me, Plug Power stock looks a lot more like a sell than a buy.

Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet, and TUI passengers are being warned about what they should avoid packing in their suitcases, including some common items that you might not expect

With the summer holiday period now upon us, a top travel expert has issued a warning to those jet setting abroad – keep certain things in your hand luggage at all times.

Jet2, Ryanair, easyJet and TUI fliers have been urged to take note of the potential dangers of packing everyday items that could potentially cause trouble into your suitcase.

TikToker @thepointsguy has advised against tossing essentials into your checked luggage. From suncream to plug adaptors, he’s got the lowdown on what “you should never put in your checked bag, regardless of how short your flight is”.

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For those dependent on prescription meds, you’ll want to pay attention to the expert’s advice. He said: “You may be able to get a doctor to call in your prescription, but that becomes trickier if it’s a weekend or a holiday or if your medication doesn’t allow for refills before the previous prescription runs out.”

He also urged travellers not to store electronics in their checked luggage. He cautioned that while most airport staff are honest, there’s always a “risk” of theft, reports Birmingham Live.

Not to forget, “jewellery and cash” along with anything sentimentally priceless should stay firmly in your hand-carry to avoid potential “financial or emotional loss.”

Lastly, he recommended that “plug adapters and high-quality suncream” should accompany you on board, rather than being buried in your checked baggage, because if your luggage happens to get lost then these things might be difficult to buy in more remote locations.

The savvy traveller insists that “daily necessities” should be tucked into your carry-on, because you never know when you might need an extra outfit, toiletry essentials, and eyewear like glasses or contact lenses.

In reply to the warning, which has gone viral after being widely praised, a TikTok user wrote: “Everything important goes into my carry-on. Meds, contacts, electronics in particular.”

And a second said: “I only have clothing & shoes in checked bags. Everything else is in my carry-on.”

This advice comes at the perfect time, with many people planning on jetting off on holiday soon. But if you’re only taking hand luggage, and you’re worried about space, then one other travel expert has recommended a simple trick that’ll allow you to fit ‘three months’ worth of belongings.

The tip was shared on TikTok by @joanna. pirog, who decided not to use packing cubes for her journey, opting instead a more basic and cost-effective approach.

She demonstrated with an empty suitcase and a collection of holiday clothes, tightly rolling each item before neatly arranging them in the case.

Her suitcase managed to fit an huge selection of dresses, shirts, tops, skirts, and shorts without difficulty, and even when it appeared full, Joanna managed to insert more items by tucking them into small openings. She asserted that this technique allowed her to pack ‘three months’ of clothing into a single small suitcase.

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CALL The Midwife has been axed by the BBC.

The show is set to end after series 15 in 2026, with the cast already filming their final scenes.

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The Daily Star reports that bosses want the show to “go out on a high”.

A source told the publication: “After years of drama and countless births, Call The Midwife is coming to an end. The team have decided it’s time to draw the show to a close and bow out.

“This is the last we’ll see of these much-loved characters. Storylines will tie up a lot of loose ends.”

The show will return to screens in January 2026 for the final run of episodes.