The big passport mistake you’re making when travelling with hand luggage
A TRAVEL expert has revealed the big passport mistake passengers make when travelling with just carry-on bags.
While you may think leaving your passport inside your hand luggage is a smart idea, this may actually land you in hot water.
In an article in , former airline pilot, and professor, Dan Bubb said: "While you might think it’s a good idea to place your passport in a secure pocket of your carry-on suitcase, where it’s less likely to get lost, this could be a major mistake."
Dan explained that when flights are fully-booked, passengers may be asked to check their hand luggage into the hold as they board the plane.
Whenever luggage is checked into the hold at the gate, it will be tagged to your end destination.
This means you will only be reunited with your bag once you've reached the baggage reclaim area.
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But you can't access the baggage reclaim without your passport, which means you'll be stuck at border controls.
If you end up accidentally checking your passport in with your hold luggage, Dan issued some advice.
He added: "If you accidentally gate-check your bag [with] your passport in it, the best thing to do is approach an airline customer service representative at the gate where the plane arrived to inform them of what happened."
Some airport staff may take kindly to your situation and help you retrieve the bag so you can pass through border controls.
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But this isn't a guarantee, and you may need to contact the embassy at your final destination for help.
If you are travelling with just hand luggage, it's best to keep your passport in a safe place on your person.
And frequent traveller Jane Frawley has said she hates when people don't know where their passport is by the time they get to the gate.
She wrote on : "While you’re in transit, there are only three places your passport should be - in your hand; in the hands of an airline or customs official; or in a safe, easily accessible place in your luggage or clothes.
"Too many times I’ve seen people frantically patting their body down as if doing a deranged Macarena because they don’t know if their passport is in the side/top/middle/secret spot in their carry-on or the back/front/inside/hidden pocket of their jacket or pants."
Meanwhile, these are the passport mistakes that could ruin your holiday and leave you out of pocket.
And this woman was left in tears over a small passport mistake that cancelled her holiday.
