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YOU LOSE YOUR PHONE Use Find My Phone to track your smartphone from another device. Illustration by Lars Leetaru • CREATE A CHEAT SHEET. Most of us no longer memorize phone numbers because

we have them stored as contacts in our phones. If you lose your phone, you lose that information. One of the easiest steps is to carry a written list of important numbers, including your

family and friends, hotels where you’re staying and your travel agent, if you have one, says Gary Brickhouse, chief information security officer at GuidePoint Security. Similarly, back up

your contacts to cloud storage. If you lose your phone, you can access that information from a computer. • ENABLE SECURITY FEATURES. This includes passcodes, face ID and biometrics, and

two-factor authentication. Many people take advantage of at least one of these precautions; you should consider using all of them. These security steps can help prevent your personal

information from landing in criminal hands, Brickhouse says. • USE FIND MY PHONE. Most smartphones have a Find My Phone feature that you can access through a computer or another phone. It

can help locate your phone if it’s lost. Be sure to set this up before your trip, Brickhouse says. • CONTACT YOUR CELL PROVIDER. “There are protections they can enable on their end to mark

the phone as stolen,” Brickhouse says. The provider may be able to set you up with a new phone and help restore backed-up data to the device. YOU GET STOPPED BY TSA Inspect your bag before

packing to limit chances of being stopped by TSA. Illustration by Lars Leetaru • INSPECT YOUR BAG BEFOREHAND. “Go through all the zippers and compartments before you pack it to make sure

there’s nothing in it from the last trip that might be a prohibited item,” says Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Lorie Dankers. If you’re unsure about an item, check the

MyTSA app’s feature What Can I Bring? Or you can share a photo of the item in question with Ask TSA on X or Facebook Messenger, or text it to AskTSA (275-872), and get an official ruling. •

LISTEN. Think you know how to go through the security line? Take your shoes off, put your laptop in a separate bin, and take everything out of your pockets. Maybe. “We’re working towards

streamlining the technologies we use, but right now every airport is different, and it’s even possible that two lanes next to each other might be different,” Dankers says. Listen closely to

TSA instructions. If an agent stops you, “it is usually a communications issue.” YOU’RE ABOUT TO MISS YOUR FLIGHT Call the airline if you are about to miss your flight. That gives you the

best chance at getting rebooked. Illustration by Lars Leetaru • CALL AHEAD. If you’re stuck in traffic or overslept, the best action is to call the airline, Bramley says. This will give you

the best chance of getting rebooked on a flight that’s convenient for you. “It’s possible that if you don’t call before you miss your flight, that you’ll be marked as a no-show, and your

entire itinerary is canceled,” Nelson says. • PACK LIGHT. Traveling without a checked bag will help if you miss a flight, Nelson says. “This gives you much more flexibility to change flights

if your itinerary gets messed up,” she says. “And if you get stuck somewhere overnight, you’ve got all your belongings with you.” YOUR WALLET OR HANDBAG IS STOLEN Report a lost or stolen

wallet or handbag to the police immediately, and cancel your credit cards. Illustration by Lars Leetaru • GO TO THE POLICE. This is your first stop to get the crime on the record, which can

help with other steps. For example, if your passport was in the stolen bag, a police report will be helpful in getting a replacement. • DEACTIVATE YOUR CARDS. Call your credit card companies

to report the theft. Do this right away to avoid bogus charges and to get new cards delivered to your hotel. Before you leave for vacation, set up payment apps on your phone. “Let’s say you

lose all your cards,” says Kenneth Bombace, a former Army intelligence officer and now the CEO of Global Threat Solutions. “You could use, for instance, Apple Pay.”