Take the following few examples and consider what you yourself would do if you found yourself in such a situation.

You arrive successfully at the end of a long flight only to discover that the luggage you innocently believed was on the plane is now several thousand miles away and on a different continent. Sadly this is not an entirely uncommon experience, but one which will sort the well planned traveler from the naive one.

Another example is that you arrive at the airport after a long journey to discover that due to whatever conditions, all flights have been canceled and you are looking at spending most of the night sitting in the departure lounge. Again, this is a challenge that many travelers frequently face each year.

A third example: you arrive to check in your luggage and are astonished to discover that it is overweight, and you are not allowed to take such a vast quantity of items onto the plane.

Finally, a fourth example of a common emergency which many people face. You have carefully planned all your essential cosmetics and medications, only to discover at your arrival at the airport that their security requirements are not what you had expected, and you are not allowed to take a significant portion of what you consider to be your essential cosmetics with you.

These four situations are faced by many people and are the four most common emergency situations. Having some idea of how to deal with these situations in advance of their occurrence will help not only to provide you with peace of mind, but will also help to make sure that should you be unfortunate enough to find yourself in one of these situations, you will be best able to deal with it.

In the case of lost or delayed luggage, the best thing to do, as far as your own survival is concerned, is to think in advance what you would do if your suitcase did not rejoin you. Dividing essential items between your suitcase and your carryon bag is the wisest way to guard against such an eventuality. Should you have packed all of your clothes into your suitcase, if it were to go missing, unless you were planning on checking in to a nudist camp on your holiday, you would find yourself in a little difficulty. With some underwear and at least one change of clothes in your carryon bag you will at least be able to cope for a day or two, which will either provide the airline time to forward your baggage to you, or for you to visit somewhere to purchase some replacements.

So, how can you plan effectively for a situation where you arrive at the airport and find yourself facing hours of delay? A simple plan is, of course, to have something with you that will help to pass the time, such as a book. But if you find yourself looking at many hours when perhaps you ought to be sleeping, this can be far more difficult.

It isn't reasonable to expect you to pack a dressing gown, pillow and sleeping bag. But it is possible to improvise. A blanket is always a good idea to take with you since it is not always possible to know in advance how good the bedding will be, how warm the room will be, or even how to operate the heating or air conditioning in the room. As long as your blanket is both warm and easily compressible, such as a camping blanket, and that this is packed in your carryon luggage, you can then use the coat or jacket you were wearing as a pillow, and use the blanket to keep yourself warm. A word of warning however, if you do intend on sleeping, make sure you take turns with other people in your party, so that there is at least one person able to keep a careful eye on the luggage.

As for excess baggage weight and security restrictions on liquids, the best advice is always, planning. All airlines will be able to provide up to date information regarding their requirements, and the best advice is to locate this information, and apply it carefully. The only alternative is to plan to discard items from your case, which is unlikely to be your preferred choice.