How to Prepare for Everything That Can Possibly Go Wrong on Your Trip

You want everything to go perfectly when you travel, but things almost never do. Here are some common ways your trip can get derailed, and what you can do to prepare for them.

Your Flight Gets Delayed or Cancelled

Issues with your flight can be especially frustrating because there's often not much you can do to prevent or immediately fix the situation. Here's how you can prepare to make the best of your flight delay or cancellation.

• Have your airline's customer service number and social media handles. If you get bumped from your flight, make sure to ask for cash instead of a voucher. We've mentioned before that you should call the airline right away rather than get in line to speak to the terminal staff, since that process is usually slower. If you're not getting anywhere with that, you may have better luck on Twitter or other social media platforms.


• Load a service on your phone like Hopper's Flight Tonight app to book last-minute flights.


• Read up on how to make the best of the delay. We've covered before how to make the most of a long layover, you can apply many of those tips to a flight delay.


• Avoid delays in the first place. If you plan to travel during the holidays, you can use these charts to avoid major U.S. airports that are most likely to have delays.

For more info on your air travel rights, check out our previous post on the subject.

Your Luggage Gets Lost

Having your bag go missing is a gut wrenching feeling, whether it happens at the start or end of your trip. Either way you lose out on valuables, clothing, and any other key items you packed. Your luggage usually disappears either by getting taken by someone else or getting misplaced in transit. Here are preventative measures you can take to avoid both:

• Avoid luggage mix ups with a colorful and easily to spot bag. This would help mostly in the first situation.


• T ag your checked luggage with the destination airport code to try and prevent loss. This would help mostly in the second situation.


• Track your bag. Our friends at Gizmodo have a great idea to use luggage trackers to see where your bag is for yourself. You have a few options: trackers that use local cell networks to show what city your luggage is in or a tag that has a unique barcode which sends you a text of it's location when it is scanned.

If your luggage does get lost, there are several important steps to take to try and recover it.

1. Make sure and file a claim ASAP at the baggage claim area of the airport.


2. Follow up either on social media, as I mentioned above this can be very effective, or by filing a complaint with the Department of Transportation.

Finally, if you have to make do without your luggage and it's contents, find local markets and groceries where you can replace items like toiletries, clothing, and so on. Depending on the country, you might have trouble finding clothing that fits you. Personally, if I have to check a bag, I always carry a change of clothing and all important documents in my carry-on so I won't be completely helpless if my bag is lost.

Your Ride Doesn't Pick You Up

Being greeted by a familiar face when you arrive always makes a trip better, but things happen and sometimes that falls through. You can use an app like Life360 to keep tabs on your ride. If that fails, though, there are several ways you can find another route to get to your destination:

• Download apps to help you call a taxi, Lyft, Uber, or other ride-sharing service.


• Find out your public transportation options, either through something like Google Maps or Rome2rio.


• Know your car rental options—we've covered before the best alternatives to traditional car rentals.

Whatever option you choose, this is one of the simpler situations to be prepared for.

You Forget an Important Item

The sinking feeling that comes with realizing you've forgotten an important item, like medicine, is the worst! So, what can you do to prepare if this happens?

• Line up someone trustworthy you can ask to ship it to you. Be careful with this as there are many items which have restrictions or simply can't be sent by mail. Common shipping services should have information for you on what you can and can't send, you can find the information for international shipping with USPS here. Consider how long the item will take to get through customs, how long it will take to ship (even if you pay for express), and if it will survive the shipping process. I once forgot medication on a short trip in the U.S. and considered having it express shipped to me—but it would've arrived the day before my departure and cost $100, so I didn't go through with it. However, if you need your item to function on a daily basis, the expense may be worth it. If you send documents, ask the sender to make copies in case the originals are lost during transit.


• Realize you may have to try to replace the item. Ask your host or staff at your accommodations for help finding a replacement for whatever it is.

Often times, forgetting an important item costs you in time, money, and stress so double check you have everything you need before you leave.

Your Reserved Accommodations Are No Longer Available

Usually the second highest cost during your trip, accommodations sometimes don't work out as you plan. If you find yourself in a bind with no where to sleep that night, there's a few options you can explore.

• Load apps to find immediate accommodations with a service like the well-known Hotel Tonight.


• If hotels aren't your thing, use a service like Tripping to search for the best hotel alternatives, which we've previously covered.


• As a last resort, know any contacts you have in the area. Although, they may not be willing or able to host you.

Key Items Are Stolen

Scammers are everywhere, and will take advantage of your unfamiliarity with the area, so it's important to be prepared to deal with it should someone nab your wallet, bag, or other key item. Whatever is stolen, file a report to create a paper trail and get local authorities on the look out. From there, what you should do depends on what the item is.

• Passport or ID: If you're abroad, follow these instructions from the Department of State. First step is to contact a nearby embassy or consulate since you will not be able to return to the U.S. until your passport is replaced.


• Credit or debit cards: Let your issuer know that your cards have been compromised. NerdWallet explains the information you need to tell your issuer:

• That your wallet was stolen, and your credit card was in it


• The date and approximate time the theft occurred


• Which (if any) pending transactions are fraudulent


• That you need to cancel your card and order a replacement immediately

• Electronics: Some electronics can be tracked, either through a tracking software or through registration/serial numbers. Make sure you have as much information about your specific devices so you can include them in any reports you file.

Unfortunately, if someone steals your money, it's pretty much gone. Take precautions such as holding bags in front of you, especially in crowded places, and not putting wallets or phones in your pockets that can be easily accessed.

Non-Emergency Medical Issue

Being sick while away from home is difficult, especially if you're somewhere that doesn't have medications you're familiar with.

• Bring along medications when possible. Pack things like asprin and anti-diarrheals in case you're stricken with food poisoning or other non-medical issues.


• Pack a small first aid kit to treat cuts or other small injuries. We've also covered before how to treat minor injuries without a first aid kit, in case you can't bring one along.

You'll be glad you have even simple medical remedies if you do happen to get sick.

Attractions Are Closed

Depending on your trip, you may be out to see or do something specific. So when that activity is closed, or otherwise unavailable, you've got to find alternatives.

• C onsider religious and cultural holidays when planning your trip to cut down on the likelihood of being in this situation.


• Search for other activities nearby which you can do instead. An app like Maplets, which lets you use maps offline, can help you see what is around you. Almost every destination has something you can do for free, we collected a ton of examples for New York city, even if you end up simply walking around and enjoying your location.

Don't linger too long on what you're missing out on, make the most of what you have to work with!

As we've mentioned previously, you can use the Smart Traveler app to get information on staying safe.

This isn't an exhaustive list of everything that could go wrong, but these are some of the most common issues, so be sure to prepare yourself before you head out. If you've ever experienced one of these, let us know in the discussion below how you handled it.

Images from Lightspring, mwichary, toasty, durrah, fillmorephotography, rottnapples, ruthanddave , jhritz, cx2.

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