Travel advice with Rick Seaney

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• Travel Expert Offers Advice About Losing Important Items During Trips

  Traveling is typically a fun experience. It’s a chance to get away from home, see new places, meet new people and try new things. That is, until important documents or items get lost.

  Rick Seaney, the CEO and co-founder of FareCompare.com, an airline industry expert and a seasoned traveler, said some preparation and following certain steps can allow a vacationer from having their trip ruined.

  Traveling internationally requires a passport and losing it can create big problems. However, losing a passport is more common than some might think because pickpockets or thieves often seek to grab that valuable piece of someone’s identity.

  Seaney said this is one of the worst situations.

  “That can take two or three days off your trip because you’re trying to sort it out, especially your passport on international trips,” he said.

  Seaney said that the best advice is to keep it safe in the first place.

  “There are some ways to handle this situation,” he said. “A lot of people will use all sorts of devices to hold it close to their chest and body purses. And many times, just having the hotel hold onto it is your best bet.”

  He said if a passport is lost or stolen, travelers should report it immediately. He said he learned of a tip from airline attendants who travel extensively. They upload a scan or other image of the key pages of their passport to social media or to a Web-based email account so that they can access that image anytime — and anywhere — that they need to.

  When traveling domestically, the identification that is most often used is likely to be a driver’s license. Seaney said that unlike during foreign travel, in which you can get your passport replaced at a consulate or embassy, a driver’s license has to be replaced in the person’s home state. Despite this, he said that all hope isn’t lost.

  “(The Transportation Security Administration) will let you through without your driver’s license. Just head to the airport a little bit early,” he said. “If you do go a little bit early, they will actually let you through, but they’re going to ask you some questions, they’re going to take you off to the side, and they will actually let you take the flight.”

  Another item to keep close is your mobile device, whether it’s a phone, tablet, or laptop. Seaney points out that “we store our entire lives on these mobile devices nowadays. Passwords, sites, apps that automatically log in.” Seaney warns “If someone were to take [one of those devices], it would be absolutely crazy to try and unwind it, much worse than your wallet, for example.”

  He said that valuables like jewelry are best left at home. If traveler decides to bring it along, he suggests they pack it in a carry-on bag because most airlines specifically preclude covering valuables that are in checked luggage. Or better yet, he said to wear it.

  Seaney has one more important piece of advice for those facing travel headaches, but it isn’t a material item.

  “(The last thing is to) you don’t want to lose your cool,” he said. “And the one thing that happens in these situations is people get frustrated. … It’s not the end of the world if you lose these things, and as long as you know a few tips and tricks, you’ll get through it.”