All that is left of the UK's "wonkiest" pub is a sea red bricks, splintered furniture, and tributes strewn on its charred remains left by locals mourning the loss of a beloved part of their history.
27.07.2023 - 18:24 / smartertravel.com
It’s generally a good rule of thumb that you shouldn’t travel with valuables. Still, people do. Maybe you bring some fancy jewelry to wear for a special occasion. Maybe you buy an antique lamp and opt not to ship it home.
Whatever the case may be, you do so at your own peril.
A new study shows that getting reimbursement from the TSA for lost or damaged property is more difficult than you might expect. In fact, the TSA denied 54 percent of the finalized claims that were logged between January 2016 and February 2017. Of the claims that weren’t denied, only 24 percent were approved in full. And 12 percent were settled privately.
Related:7 Ways to Protect Your Valuables While TravelingThis study doesn’t analyze why claims were approved or denied, but there are hints. Claims involving travel accessories, such as charging cords and even toiletries, were most likely to be approved. These are generally low-cost items people often travel with, giving the claim more inherent validity.
On the other end of the spectrum, items like jewelry (71 percent), currency (70 percent), and cameras (70 percent) were most likely to be denied. Not surprisingly, because these are all big-ticket items. But—and maybe this is just me being cynical—they’re also the most plausibly deniable on the TSA’s part.
It’s not hard to see the takeaway: Leave your valuables at home. Travel light and bring only what you need. While the initial loss or damage to your things may seem like the primary risk, the likelihood of getting zilch for that lost heirloom necklace only further drives home the point.
If you do need to bring something valuable, or that you simply don’t want to lose, here are a few tips:
Don’t put it in your checked bag. You might not notice a lost or damaged item until hours or days after you leave the airport. Instead, put it in your carry-on and check said carry-on thoroughly after screening. Keep a close eye on your baggage as it goes through screening. Invest in high-quality protective cases for items like cameras and sensitive electronics. Place jewelry in a closable container, or try a DIY method of organization like rolling it up in a towel, threading necklaces into straws, or using buttons to hold earrings. More from SmarterTravel.com 12 Packing Tips According to Your Zodiac Sign 3 Genius Packing Hacks for Plastic Wrap 10 Reasons You’re Packing Too Much (Video)We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through
All that is left of the UK's "wonkiest" pub is a sea red bricks, splintered furniture, and tributes strewn on its charred remains left by locals mourning the loss of a beloved part of their history.
Georgina Lawton explains how splitting her time between London and Lisbon was the right choice for her.
Breeze Airways is looking ahead to colder weather with one-way fall and winter flights starting at just $39.
This month, ballet fans will have the rare opportunity to see the acclaimed Australian Ballet in London. As part of the company’s 60th anniversary celebrations, performances by The Australian Ballet at London’s Royal Opera House will be the only performances outside of Australia. The 2023 London Tour will be the first international tour for The Australian Ballet under the leadership of Artistic Director David Hallberg. It will be the company’s first return to the Royal Opera House after an absence of 35 years.
With their chic cities, dramatic landscapes and high quality of life, the countries of Scandinavia remain objects of worldwide fascination. Yet if you’re looking to dip your toe into Nordic waters, where do you begin?
I’ve never been to London, but I’ve experienced it many times. From sitting in on royal meetings in Buckingham Palace to passing through the walls of King’s Cross Station at Platform 9 ¾, London has come alive in my imagination through some of my favorite books and movies.
Give thanks! Just in time for the busy holiday travel season, American and United have launched automated security screening lanes at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Two of American’s 18 lanes have been converted, and United has added three automated lanes of its own.
U.S. commuters wasted 8 billion hours sitting in traffic last year.
Think overnight train trips in your own cabin cost a fortune? Not with Amtrak’s latest flash sale. Book an Amtrak roomette for one and get the companion ticket free if you buy by June 26. The deal is valid for travel this August 20 through February 15, 2019, with only a single blackout date: November 25, 2018.
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Lost City of Petra hides coyly behind Southern Jordan’s pink sandstone cliffs. The rock-cut ruins of the lost Nabatean Kingdom feature Corinthian pillars, Hellenistic urns, and, in the case of the Treasury, classical relief sculptures fit for a king. The contrast between the jagged desert cliffs and the grand edifices that adorn them is as jarring as a crop circle perfectly etched into a field of corn.
Checking a bag? Whether you are voluntarily or you’re forced to at the gate, hopefully you’re not flying Envoy Air or ExpressJet Airlines, as they placed last in a study of luggage handling.
Here’s a good reason not to check a bag—during the second half of 2021, U.S. airlines lost or mishandled over 1.2 million bags. As the pandemic waned and travel picked back up, the amount of mishandled luggage also increased—by 80.6 percent, in fact.