What do you put in your hand luggage?

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

Children are older so they carry and organise their own now so I just have to pack for me. What lovely extras do you pack to make flying more comfortable and pleasant?

Not sure on comfortable but I always pack my kindle, a toothbrush and a spare pair of pants in case my luggage is lost. I often buy a drink or sweets at the airport depending on which airline and what class I am flying . Sometimes a crossword book for long haul economy.

Book, iPad, change of cloths and toothbrush in case hold bad gets lost, water, snacks and a big shawl in a big beachbag.

Passport has a special pocket in my handbag which I keep separate.

Oh I never even think of lost luggage- is this common?

I once went to Syria and my bag went to Vienna. Before the war, obviously.

Shopping for spare pants in Damascus souk was fascinating, but not something I'm keen to repeat.

I would assume it happens less these days with computerised systems at airports to deal with luggage. Hopefully anyway.

I would assume it happens less these days with computerised systems at airports to deal with luggage.

Ha Ha Ha
All that means is that they can track it and tell you where it is. However, knowing your knickers are in New York whilst you are in Malaga , doesn't make the next 2 days anymore comfortable.

So - I put a toothbrush in (in case of lost luggage but also comes in handy for a lonnnnnnnng airport delay) as well as clean pants and a clean top.
Usually have a jumper of some sort (air conditioning can seem very cold, even before you get home).
Then sweets for sucking on take off. Puzzle book. Usually buy some water once through security as don't like being dehydrated.
Obviously passport, money, boarding passes etc.
Travel insurance docs.
Depending on if I'm eating on plane, I might have food and / or snacks.
Info about how to get to place once I'm off the plane.

earphones
ipad
book
socks
water
jumper/wrap
car rental booking etc

A book, snacks, a waterbottle, chewing gum, nosespray, swimming costume (in case of a beach holiday, to be safe if the luggage gets lost/delayed), a sweater (if I'm not already wearing one), sometimes a change of underwear, sometimes a game I can play wth my kid.

I've flown a lot in the last 10 years and my luggage was delayed only once - when a flight was overbooked, I volunteered to take anther one the next day but chose to keep my luggage checked in.

Pre-9/11 I took a bottle of champagne (I was going to a wedding straight off the plane, I packed my outfit too). Indeed, I made a tight connection and my suitcase didn't.
I went off on a ferry to an island, I did have pants but no socks so bought some lovely Chinese made sports socks I think.
I also had to buy plus sized shorts in Brazil (which means size 14 there). Learnt the Portuguese for "ugly" but the pants were quite good - held everything in.

I should have learned my lesson the first time, shouldn't I?

If I've got a checked in bag I just take the bare essentials I'll need for the flight - documents and money, phone, kindle, decent earphones, toothbrush and toothpaste, lipbalm, empty water bottle, painkillers, antihistamines and antidiarrheal tablets, maybe a couple of snacks.

My hand luggage is always my camera back so the bottom half has my DSLR and lenses.

Top part has:

Kindle
Noise reducing headphones
Sunglasses
Neck support
Wallet
Eye drops
Hand cream
Medication
Colouring pad and pens
Charger cable
Phone
Travel guide for where we are going
Bottle of water
Sometimes a magazine
Spare pair of pants and a cardi

About to travel to Japan on Saturday - 18 hours on two planes. So will read the rest of the posts for ideas!

ipad with netflix
noise cancelling
headphones
water bottle to refill
kindle
Little wrap thing if it's overnight
painkillers

oh yes, spare portable battery.

Camera and lenses
iPad
Kindle
Phone
Charging cable
Power block
Headphones
Snacks
Water bottle
Cashmere wrap
Neck support pillow
Glasses
Sunglasses
Hand sanitiser
Lip balm
Tissues
Passport
Travel docs
Wallet
Sanpro

Everything. Never take checked luggage.

If you're each taking hold luggage, it's also worth each suitcase containing clothes for everyone - then if one goes awol, you don't have one person with no clothes. Though ours decided to stick together and visit Switzerland (unlike us), so that wouldn't have helped!

Hand sanitizer, spare knickers, face wipes and heavy night cream, silk hair wrap, eye mask, long loose cashmere cardigan over leggings and thin cotton top.

Kindle plus spare paperback in case it freezes. Charge pod, cable and noise cancelling headphones and ear plugs.

I take a cabin case for my hand luggage and put in two day time and two night time outfits, pair of sandals, underwear and swimming costume in the event my luggage gets lost.

Then I take my kindle, a large cotton scarf that doubles as a blanket on the plane and snacks for the flight.

I often just take my handbag, phone, wallet, headphones, passport, hairbrush what else do you need??? I check my main luggage

Passport, wallet / purse, driving licence, phone, charger & adaptor, medication, sun cream, specs, sunglasses, tissues, change of clothes, book, iPad & charger, copies of travel insurance & any other essential bits of paper.

I will mix up the clothing, we do that anyway because I just pack stuff as I find it.

Some of you carry a lot of stuff!

I will take ear phones, a scarf and socks in case it get chilly, shorts to changed in to at destination (leaving home at 3am here, landing at midday in a hot country).

Lip balm
A book
Chewing gum

Plus all the documents for everyone.

@lovelyupnorth Me too. If it won't fit in the hand luggage then it gets left behind. I am astounded at how much stuff people cart around with them.

I don't take much, last flight I took:
Kindle
Headphones
2 power banks just in case one of the kids devices runs out of charge
Digital SLR camera and lenses (prized possession that I won't put in the hold)
Mints
Lollipops for kids ears
Ibuprofen in case of noisy kids
A strip of each prescription med I'm on in case of lost suitcases
Neck pillow for night flights
Buy a big water in the airport rather than on the plane

One of the cabin bags will be filled with all the non liquid heavy stuff like shoes as we often only pay for one hold case (we usually go away for 3 or 4 weeks so can't manage on cabin bags only, especially in the winter). The other will be everything we need for the flight, kindle, tablets, snacks etc