Touring again from Louis Armstrong New Orleans Worldwide Airport after a funeral in February, Keyonne Brooks lost track of his carry-on bag someplace within the terminal. The misplaced and located report he filed didn’t flip something up, so he put in a request for safety footage from his airport gate. That’s when he noticed Spirit Airways brokers going by way of his bag, placing a few of his treasured objects of their pockets, after which carelessly tossing the remainder. Among the many objects he misplaced: important drugs, jewellery, and household heirlooms.

The shocking footage is, little doubt, a worse case state of affairs. (The workers have been suspended from their positions.) However it additionally serves as a reminder of simply how important it’s to rigorously guard your most precious objects when you’re in transit. 

“By no means pack valuables in your checked bag,” packing skilled Anne McAlpin of Pack It Up says definitively. “At all times hold any valuables in your small private bag that may match beneath the seat in entrance of you, and by no means away from you in overhead compartments.”

Whereas it will probably appear apparent, once we’re within the midst of juggling luggage and settling into our seats, our pure intuition can shortly go awry—and all it takes is one fast second for these objects dearest to us to go lacking. 

On the subject of what is strictly thought of invaluable, it’s not solely concerning the price ticket. “I take into account ‘invaluable’ to be something I can’t journey with out or will trigger nice issue for my travels,” McAlpin says. She notes that may embrace every little thing from journey paperwork like passports, bank cards, and enormous sums of money to prescription treatment and needed journey tools, in addition to tech objects like telephones and laptops and “any extra merchandise that’s emotionally invaluable to the traveler.” Whereas she admits her personal make-up package is important since she is dependent upon it every day, she additionally says {that a} little one’s favourite stuffed animal is usually a useful merchandise that simply will get misplaced, recommending bringing a second favourite on the highway.

The emotional worth of a misplaced merchandise can by no means get replaced, however airways even have written insurance policies waiving them of accountability in the event that they’re in checked luggage. 

As an illustration, United lists valuables as a part of its fragile items policy, stating “If you happen to examine invaluable or fragile objects for journey inside the U.S., we’re not chargeable for any loss, harm, or delay of your objects.” (There are some “restricted” protections for worldwide journey.)  Among the many objects specified are antiques, heirlooms, artwork, cameras, ceramics, collectibles, pc {hardware} and software program, electronics, flowers and vegetation, glasses and contacts, jewellery, keys, liquids like fragrance, cash, perishable objects, treasured metals and stones, actual fur, spiritual objects, instruments, silverware, sleeping luggage, backpacks, and watches. It additionally has a catch-all class merely referred to as “irreplaceable objects.” 

Delta has a similar list of items on its web site, saying: “These things is probably not transported in checked baggage. We propose that you just carry all treasured or different extremely invaluable objects.” American precedes its list by saying, “ rule of thumb is rarely to examine something you’ll be able to’t stay with out. If it is irreplaceable, sentimental, otherwise you depend upon it to your well-being, hold it on you or depart it at dwelling.”