I’m not too worried about lost luggage and my underseat personal item is always an ample sized purse/backpack that holds the vital stuff for overnight. I just don’t like the stress created by those around me and have no intention of absorbing it.
My carry on tote (which fits under the seat) holds some underwear,socks, basic toiletries, something to sleep in and an extra top. Also my prescription meds and some reading material. I can get along for a day or two.
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Anyone have any travel advice…. Not traveling is not an option. Son broke his nose and is having surgery to fix it 24 hours before our flight this week. His Dr said while it’s not ideal, he “should” be fine. Do I need to contact the airline ahead of time?
You might want to preboard. That way you will get on the plane first without him getting bumped.
It depends on the airline as to how this works.
If you pre board, you cannot sit in an exit row.
We haven’t contacted the airlines beforehand. Just go to the gate person at the gate.
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Get a note from the doctor saying that he has permission to fly. I’ve seen gate agents deny boarding to passengers who looked very unwell. (They don’t want a medical emergency in the air).
I wouldn’t contact in advance unless you think you’ll need transportation to/from gate and a wheel chair.
I would also have a plan B just in case things don’t go quite as planned with the surgery.
Best wishes for an easy recovery for your son!
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My husband used to be a pretty frequent traveler, and the boarding time did make him anxious. He got to where he would just check a bag, even if he only had a carry on bag, because it wasn’t worth the stress/hassle to deal with.
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I worry about things like that, and a relative has done it (taken the wrong bag).
I always pack clothes for a day in my carry-on, and a swimsuit if I’m going someplace warm.
I also try to get non-black luggage, just to help my odds a little.
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I may have posted this before, but we try to remember to take pictures of our luggage right before we fly, including the luggage tags and anything else that may be attached to them.
That way if we have to show them, we have them.
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Decades ago, we had a rather memorable Christmas when an elderly relative brought home the wrong suitcase from the airport, which was over an hour away. She was fixated on getting HER bag while everyone else kept reminding her that she had someone else’s bag.
That incident made me start doing things to make my bag more distinctive because, boy! - would I not want to do that again!. (I also try to recall all of that when I’m feeling impatient with DH as he did all of the ferrying back and forth to the airport.)
Wasn’t sure if that meant bumped, as in literally (assume this), or bumped from the flight! But either would be bad! When we had broken bones after skiing in 2023 they had us pre-board. We were only a few days post injury, but did not need any written clearance.
I meant…preboarding so there was less chance of the son being bumped into by other passengers!
I recently bought two suitcases that are very bright and distinctive - they look like lots of different colors of paint were splashed all over them. I can spot them very easily now.
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yes that’s how I took it, but it was a good double entendre!
I have a green thing that velcro-ed over the handle on my luggage. And I’ve been using the luggage tags that came with our safari tour. They are easy to spot!
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I used to have a brightly colored handle but I prefer the wild color suitcases. 
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I use one of these too. In a hideous neon shade!
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Mine are also green, but not neon. I have also bought some funny luggage tags I have been giving out as gifts.
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Our bags are pretty generic, but we always put a bright strap (red, blue, green… from Walmart) around it. It did actually come in handy years ago when H’s suitcase broke and split open. The strap held it together and nothing was lost. Yay.
I also had personalized large tags for all of our suitcases done on Shutterfly. Our favorite travel photos, pet photos, kids when they were little photos, etc. The tags themselves were free, but shipping definitely wasn’t… (The Shutterfly way)
Even with my clashing luggage/tag colors as mentioned above, I ALWAYS double check the name on the tag. Always.
My friend has a stretchy cover for her bag. I think it is a 26" bag and this thing slides over it. It’s bright flowers, sort of a '60s flower power look. It might hold the suitcase together if a zipper broke, but not for long.
You definitely can see her bag coming down the luggage claim shoot.
Something like this
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