To Have or to Hold

We all have our little quirky ways when it comes to packing – what to pack, how and what in.

For me, I will do almost whatever it takes to travel with hand luggage only. As it happens, most of my flights these days involve flying from La Palma to the UK to stay with family where there’s no element of dressing up or a different outfit every day so my packing, whilst carefully thought out to maximise options, is minimal. Although, that said there have been a couple of notable occasions when I've still managed to get away with just hand luggage when the odds were clearly stacked against it – one being a three week trip to China a couple of years ago and the other last year to my son’s wedding. I must admit that I did get a few people worried that the mother of the groom was going to turn up in shorts and t-shirt!  

But of course there is method to my madness in just having carry-on luggage and that is a phobia of 1) waiting for luggage 2) lost luggage.

I realise that this minimal approach doesn't suit everyone but what I do strongly suggest to those who are checking in luggage is that you have a survival supply in your hand luggage that will last you two-days should you and your hold luggage not arrive at your destination together.

And for those of you with close connections, heck, any connections, where your luggage is supposed to be transferred from one plane to the next for you, it might be best to treat it as a foregone conclusion that you won’t be arriving together. I speak from other people’s experience! (Especially those flying to La Palma via Madrid and other hub airports around the world)

I leave it to you to decide what you can’t live without for two days but I would give it some serious thought. To have your luggage with you or put it in the hold, that is the question.