Things Not to Put in Your Checked Luggage
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Things Not to Put in Your Checked Luggage can get confusing with all the hustle and bustle of packing and sorting. Then there’s a particular moment at the airport that I’m convinced brings out the worrier in all of us.
You’ve checked in your suitcase. You’ve watched it disappear along the conveyor belt. And then, approximately three minutes later, your brain pipes up:
“Hang on… where did I put my passport?”
Cue frantic rummaging through your hand luggage while mentally picturing your passport enjoying a solo holiday somewhere in the depths of Manchester.
Most of the time, of course, everything is exactly where it should be. But there are certain things that really shouldn’t disappear down that conveyor belt with your checked luggage.
Although lost luggage is relatively uncommon, suitcases can be delayed, damaged, or occasionally go completely AWOL. And some things are simply too valuable, too important — or too difficult to replace — to take the risk.
So, before you zip up your suitcase and sit on it to squeeze in that final pair of sandals, here are 9 things not to put in your checked luggage.
A Little Tip From Experience…
I once had a holiday where just about everything that could go wrong seemed to do exactly that — including having belongings stolen and missing a flight.
One thing I was incredibly grateful for was having the important information I needed stored on my phone.
Since then, I’m a great believer in keeping secure digital copies or details of important travel documents, bookings, insurance information and useful contact numbers somewhere you can access them if the originals — or your luggage — suddenly aren’t available.
You don’t expect to need them.
I certainly didn’t.
But if a holiday ever goes spectacularly off-script, you’ll be very glad they’re there.
1. Your Passport and Important Travel Documents
Let’s start with the obvious one.
Your passport belongs with you.
Not in the front pocket of your suitcase. Not tucked safely between your clothes. And definitely not in the checked bag that’s already travelling towards the aircraft while you’re still trying to find security.
Keep your passport, boarding information, travel insurance details and any important booking information in your hand luggage. Never in your checked luggage
I also like the idea of keeping digital copies of important documents on your phone or somewhere secure online.
Hopefully you’ll never need them.
But “hopefully” is much nicer when it has a backup plan.
SmartBuy Tip: A small travel document organiser can be surprisingly useful for keeping passports, boarding passes and travel paperwork together — particularly when you’re travelling as a couple or family.
2. Medication You Can’t Be Without
If you take regular medication, don’t pack your entire supply in your checked suitcase.
Imagine arriving in Tenerife while your suitcase has decided it would rather spend the night in Manchester.
Not ideal.
Keep essential medication in your hand luggage, preferably in its original packaging, and check the rules for your destination before travelling — particularly if you’re carrying prescription medicines, liquids, needles or controlled drugs.
It can also be sensible to take enough medication for a little longer than your planned trip in case you’re unexpectedly delayed.
This is one of those occasions when being slightly over-prepared is absolutely allowed.
3. Jewellery and Sentimental Items
That beautiful necklace your grandmother gave you?
Keep it with you, as it’s one of those things not to put in your checked luggage.
Expensive jewellery is one thing, but sentimental jewellery can be even more precious because no amount of insurance can actually replace it.
The same applies to watches and other small valuables.
If you’re taking jewellery on holiday, put it in your hand luggage rather than your checked suitcase.
Better still, consider whether you actually need to take your most valuable pieces at all.
A £10 pair of holiday earrings can look remarkably glamorous after two sangria.
Just saying.
4. Things Not to Put in Your Checked Luggage is Money and Bank Cards
Please don’t hide your holiday cash in your checked suitcase.
I know it can feel clever.
“Nobody will ever think to look inside my rolled-up socks.”
Unfortunately, the bigger problem isn’t necessarily someone finding it.
It’s your suitcase not arriving when you do.
Keep your cards, cash and travel money with you, ideally divided between a secure purse or wallet and another safe place in your hand luggage.
And don’t keep absolutely everything together.
Lose one wallet containing every card and every penny you’ve brought and suddenly the first day of your holiday becomes considerably less relaxing.
5. Your House and Car Keys
This one is surprisingly easy to overlook.
You drive to the airport, park the car, check in your suitcase…
…and your car keys are inside it.
Fine on the outward journey.
Potentially rather inconvenient when you land back in Britain at midnight and your suitcase doesn’t.
The same applies to your house keys.
Keep both in your hand luggage.
After a delayed flight, passport control and waiting around the baggage carousel, nobody wants to finish their holiday by sitting outside their own house.
6. Electronics You’d Hate to Lose
Laptops, tablets, cameras and other valuable electronics are generally much better kept in your cabin luggage.
Apart from the risk of loss, checked baggage isn’t exactly handled like a basket of newborn kittens.
Suitcases travel through conveyor systems, baggage carts and aircraft holds — and occasionally experience a few bumps along the way.
Also remember that airlines and aviation authorities have specific rules about batteries and electronic devices, particularly spare lithium batteries and power banks.
Always check your airline’s current baggage rules before you travel.
SmartBuy Tip: A padded electronics organiser can keep cables, plugs, headphones and chargers together instead of allowing them to breed mysteriously at the bottom of your bag.
7. Portable Chargers and Power Banks
This one deserves its own mention because it’s easily misunderstood.
Power banks use lithium batteries, and aviation safety rules generally require them to be carried in cabin baggage rather than checked luggage.
There may also be restrictions depending on the battery capacity and airline.
So don’t automatically throw your portable charger into your suitcase with the rest of your holiday gadgets.
Chargers are one of the things not to put in your checked luggage. Always keep it in your hand luggage and check your airline’s latest rules before flying.
Conveniently, you’ll probably want it with you anyway.
Airports possess a strange ability to turn a phone showing 87% battery into one showing 14% approximately five minutes before your boarding pass needs scanning.
Read our review for Portable Chargers
8. Anything You Need During the First 24 Hours
Here’s a little packing rule I think deserves far more attention:
Pack your hand luggage as though your suitcase might arrive tomorrow.
Hopefully it won’t.
But if it does, you’ll cope.
Consider carrying:
- Clean underwear
- A lightweight change of clothes
- Toothbrush and basic toiletries
- Medication
- Phone charger
- Anything you’ll desperately want on your first evening
You don’t need to recreate your entire bathroom cabinet.
Just enough to get you through one night without having to buy emergency knickers at 10pm.
9. Things Not to Put in Your Checked Luggage Includes Anything Irreplaceable
Finally, apply what I call the Suitcase Test.
Before checking your bag, ask yourself:
“If this suitcase disappeared tomorrow, would I be devastated about anything inside it?”
If the answer is yes, take that item out.
Photographs, sentimental gifts, one-of-a-kind items, important paperwork — if something genuinely can’t be replaced, your checked suitcase probably isn’t the best place for it.
Clothes can be replaced.
Shampoo can be replaced.
Even your favourite sandals can eventually be replaced, although admittedly there may need to be a period of mourning.
Some things can’t.
One Last Check Before You Zip That Suitcase…
Packing for a holiday tends to focus on what we’re taking.
Swimsuits? ✓
Sunglasses? ✓
Far too many shoes? Obviously. ✓
But spending five minutes thinking about where you’re packing your belongings can save an enormous amount of stress if your luggage is delayed.
Keep your essentials, valuables, medication, important documents and restricted battery items in your cabin luggage where appropriate, and always check your airline’s latest baggage rules before flying.
Then you can wave goodbye to your suitcase at check-in with considerably more confidence.
Although I still reserve the right to stare anxiously at the baggage carousel until mine appears.
Because apparently that’s part of the holiday experience too.
Here is a quick reminder of the UK hold Luggage restrictions CLICK to VIEW
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