After a Flight Cancellation Left Me Stuck for 4 Days, These Are the 11 Travel Essentials I'll Always Pack

"But after five days, we were preparing to head home to Los Angeles via Maui when things took a turn: Our Alaska Airlines flight on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 out of the Official Kahului Airport was canceled, and every aircraft of the same type was grounded after loose bolts were discovered on the popular plane models."

"In light of Monday's recent wave of flight delays and cancelations across the country following the government shutdown, which has left U.S. airports with a shortage of air traffic controllers (California's Hollywood Burbank Airport's air traffic control tower was unmanned for hours), I'm reminded of my family's prolonged layover in Hawaii, and the handful of travel essentials that worked overtime until we could get back home."

"So of course, I had my MacBook Air with me (even though the trip was originally intended to be purely a vacation). Fortunately, this ultra-lightweight tool opened up all the possibilities. Not only did I use it to plumb the corners of the internet for alternative flights and investigate my travel insurance coverage, but I also used it to get right back to work so I didn't lose income during the extra days away from my desk."

A family vacation in Hawaii included horseback riding, archery, stargazing, and time at the Four Seasons Lanai before an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 flight was canceled and similar aircraft were grounded after loose bolts were discovered. After frantic searches for alternate flights, the family faced an indefinite stay and intended to make the most of the unexpected extension. A separate wave of nationwide delays and cancellations followed a government shutdown that left some air traffic control towers unmanned. A lightweight laptop enabled finding flights, checking insurance, and working remotely to avoid income loss, while motion-sickness medicine and other basics helped manage comforts during the prolonged layover.

Read at Travel + Leisure