My trip to Jordan had been planned for months. The anticipation was building, and finally the time had arrived! The night before I was due to leave, I called Travelocity to reconfirm my reservation to Chicago, where I would change planes and continue to Amman, Jordan. The system confirmed my itinerary exactly as it had been booked. The next day, I showed up at the airport two hours early to check in for my first flight (on United). They only gave me a boarding pass for the first leg, telling me that I'd have to check in for the second flight in Chicago. The second flight was operated by Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJA) and code-shared with US Airways. Since I had plenty of time, I walked over to the US Airways counter and asked if they could check me in. The agent searched his computer, shook his head, and said I'd have to check in once I got to Chicago. Things Started to Go Wrong If I had known better, I might have been concerned enough to ask some more questions, but I didn't. Once I arrived in Chicago, things started to go wrong. I had trouble finding the check-in counter for RJA (the directions United had given me were wrong). Most of the ticket counters (including US Airways' counter) were dark and unstaffed. I eventually made my way to a US Airways baggage claim office, where I presented my itinerary and asked for help checking in for my flight to Amman, which was due to leave in about an hour and a half. They searched their computers, but found no information. I went back upstairs in search of RJA's counter, and finally found it—it was also dark and unstaffed. Finally, I located a security guard and asked if he knew what was going on. What he told me made my heart sink: "Oh, that flight was canceled. They've all gone home." I tried to find a hotel. Unfortunately there was a convention in town, and after an hour on the phone with Travelocity I was informed that there were no rooms within a 30-mile radius. The next flight to Amman wasn't until 11 p.m. the next day, so I would have to sleep in the airport. When I arrived in Jordan, a day after the Feast had started, my luggage did not arrive with me. In fact, it never did arrive, even after I got home from the Feast! Thankfully, I had a number of friends at the Feast who were close to my size and generously loaned me clothes. Free Advice In the aftermath of these adventures, I received a lot of advice from friends and coworkers. I'd like to pass their advice on to you in hopes that it can help you avoid similar hassles. 1) Think about how you are going to pay for your travel, and consider travel insurance. Most of us have a variety of credit cards, and the travel protection benefits vary greatly from card to card. After my luggage was lost I found out that, had I charged the air ticket to a different card in my wallet, I would have been eligible for $800 in reimbursement! As it was, I received nothing. Travel insurance policies and their benefits vary. However, some provide "travel interruption" coverage that would have been helpful in covering my unplanned stay in Chicago and could have provided some funds to replace essentials from my lost luggage. 2) Reconfirm your ticket 24 hours before departure. Note: It is best to contact the flight operator directly. I was on a foreign operator, code-shared with a domestic carrier, and I was connecting to it on a different domestic airline. The entire itinerary had been purchased through a third party, Travelocity. I made the mistake of confirming my flight only through Travelocity (who did not know my flight had been canceled) and though I inquired at the two domestic airlines, even the code-sharing partner was unaware the flight had been canceled about a month before! 3) Mark your bags in multiple ways. Bag tags can be torn off. Use the labeling/tag that comes with a bag (often a slide-in window) as well as a bag tag. Before your departure, check the address and phone number to make sure they are up-to-date. Put a copy of your itinerary and contact info inside the suitcase. This will help the airlines know whether they should forward a lost bag on to your travel destination or just send it home. Many suitcases look alike. To decrease the odds of someone taking your bag accidentally (this has happened to a friend of mine), try marking your bag with a large ribbon, colored elastic band or tape. 4) Keep all valuables with you. It goes without saying that you should keep travel documents, camera equipment, laptop computers, jewelry and cash with you in the cabin. However, if you have expensive makeup, perfume, medicines, etc., you may want to consider keeping that with you as well. 5) Consider packing enough essentials to get you through one to two days in your carry-on, including clothing, shoes and toiletries. Imagine your bag being lost for several days. What would you wish you had in your carry-on? Probably a few changes of underwear, basic toiletries, pajamas, several changes of clothes and some comfortable shoes. If you are traveling with family members, consider putting a few essentials in each others' bags as protection in case one of the bags is lost. 6) Bring the phone numbers of your airline's customer service, travel agent info (as applicable) and the number of one or two car rental/hotel reservation agencies. If you end up running into delays or cancellations, it will be helpful to have those numbers handy. If you have friends in the area where you have layovers, you may want to bring their phone numbers as well (crashing on someone's living room sofa sure beats sleeping in an airport lobby!) 7) Charge your cell phone! I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and uneventful trip to the Feast! UN