After a Flight Cancellation Left Me Stuck for 4 Days, These Are the 11 Travel Essentials I'll Always Pack

Travel + Leisure

2 days ago

Last year, my family and I celebrated the start of the new year in Hawaii, where we filled our days with horseback riding, archery, stargazing, and plenty of quality time at the beach and pool at the stunning Four Seasons Lanai. As family vacations go, it was just about flawless. But after five days, we were preparing to head home to Los Angeles via Maui when things took a turn: Our Alaska Airlines flight on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 out of the Official Kahului Airport was canceled, and every aircraft of the same type was grounded after loose bolts were discovered on the popular plane models.
After looking furiously in vain for new flights to get my family back in time to restart work and school as originally planned, it finally clicked: We were really stranded indefinitely in paradise, so we intended to make the most of it—even if we'd only packed enough for five days.
In light of the recent wave of flight cancellations, as more than 900 flights have been cancelled nationwide across major airlines like American, Delta, United, and more, I'm reminded of my family's prolonged layover in Hawaii, and the handful of travel essentials that worked overtime until we could get back home. Take it from someone who has been there: make sure you have these items packed just in case unforeseen circumstances extend your vacation.
I'm a travel writer, and let's be honest: I barely take a shower without bringing my laptop. So of course, I had my MacBook Air with me (even though the trip was originally intended to be purely a vacation). Fortunately, this ultra-lightweight tool opened up all the possibilities. Not only did I use it to plumb the corners of the internet for alternative flights and investigate my travel insurance coverage, but I also used it to get right back to work so I didn't lose income during the extra days away from my desk.
Although our original flight was canceled out of Maui, we still decided to head over there. A storm was coming into Lanai, and if we hadn't taken the ferry to Maui right away, it might not have run when we needed it (so even if a flight back to the mainland opened up, we wouldn't be able to reach it). I made a last-minute booking for us at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, which is famously the filming location for the first season of The White Lotus , and we made it to the harbor right away. We prepared for our 75-minute sail with Dramamine an hour ahead, and that preparatory step allowed us to enjoy the sunset and whale watching from the boat—instead of being consumed with queasiness.
When we arrived at the Four Seasons Maui following the ferry trip, I was bleary from the Dramamine (it works to combat seasickness, but it does make me drowsy). So I wouldn't have blamed myself for misplacing my key carry-on—the one containing my laptop and medicines—in my fog. But when I pulled up the Find My app on my iPhone, I could easily see where my luggage was by tracking the Apple AirTag that I had stashed inside. It turns out that it was just downstairs with the bellman, and the hotel staff was able to bring it up immediately.
The carry-on in question was this powerhouse from Dagne Dover. I test out tons of weekender bags as a travel product reviewer, but this one remains my favorite—and it's the one that I always recommend. It's just the right size with its 16.5-inch by 9-inch by 11-inch frame and comes stocked with the most thoughtful pockets and features, including a designated laptop compartment and a trolley pass-through sleeve to attach it to your suitcase handle. Plus, it has a cool, timeless look with its durable neoprene material that truly stands up to the rigors of world travel. You'd never guess that my go-to black Dagne Dover carryall has endured several years of use. $138 at Amazon $84 at Keepyourcadence.com
With my toiletry supply waning, I had to ration carefully. But these snazzy, tight-sealing magnetic capsules kept everything impeccably organized so that I could see exactly what I had left and what I might need to supplement. Mine have customized label tiles on top so I always know what's inside at a glance, creating less of a hassle in my toiletry bag.
I love Birkenstock sandals for travel because they slide on and off easily in the airport and on the airplane. And then they serve so many purposes at the destination, too. I wore these for beach walks, meals, and even to the pool. In a neutral color, they're especially versatile for dressing up or down, which came in handy as we filled our itinerary with additional activities in light of the flight cancellation.
Since I was planning on spending five days in a tropical climate, the only long pants that I brought were part of a matching joggers-and-top set that I wore on the plane. But after the flight cancellation extended my trip, the weather turned rainy, and I had to wear my sweatsuit at the destination, too. In the market for a matching travel set? I recommend this affordable Amazon duo that is made with soft fabric and features a versatile crewneck long-sleeve top and relaxed-fitting joggers ( with pockets).
It turned out that I'd forgotten to bring mascara on the trip, but I was fine with going barefaced for the sake of our family vacation. In an unexpected twist, a broadcast news reporter from NBC Los Angeles reached out to me wanting to feature me in a story about stranded passengers affected by the 737 Max 9 groundings, and it was apparent that I needed at least a little makeup to go on TV. So before our Zoom interview, I scurried to the nearest drugstore and was only able to find Revlon's So Fierce! Big Bad Lash Mascara (it was the single remaining tube of mascara in the makeup aisle). It worked perfectly for my two minutes of fame and will now become a permanent staple in my travel toiletry bag.
I'd brought plenty of clothes for the length of my original trip, but when the delay kicked in—well, I found myself washing underwear in the hotel bathtub. These portable Earth Breeze laundry detergent sheets are great to travel with; their liquid-free design means that they work for going carry-on only. And they really last; you can just tear a portion of the sheet and it's enough soap to hand wash your clothes in the sink or tub.
I'd brought a medium-wash denim blazer along as an extra layer to wear over dresses if the weather got cool in the evenings. When the cancellation extended my trip, I wore it as a professionally-appropriate layer for a spontaneous breakfast meeting with a work colleague based in the destination; it instantly elevated a beachy, slinky dress with modesty and polish (and no stuffiness).
If you follow my coverage, you already know my motto: ABC—that's 'always be charging.' My phone was my lifeline when I was stranded in paradise and acted as my connection to work, online travel booking platforms, my kids' school district, and my family located elsewhere in the hotel, as well as back at home. Keeping it fully charged on the go was a must, which is why I always make sure to have a powerful portable charger like this handy Anker one on deck. The space-saving model has a built-in lightning connector, making it exclusively compatible with Apple iPhones, and offers a long-lasting battery life that can get your device back to at least 70 percent in little to no time at all.
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