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This Flight Attendant-Approved Hack Is Absolutely Lifesaving for Forgetful Travelers

Tehrene Firman

November 13, 2018

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Photo: Getty Images/Yiu Yu Hoi

There's no official count on how many people end up forgetting their passports, laptops, and wallets in hotel safes every year, but chances are it's pretty darn high. In the frenzy of packing up before your flight, it's embarrassingly easy to forget about that tiny little safe in hotel closet...and the fact that you stashed your most valuable stuff in there for safe-keeping. Whoops. Luckily, there's a simple travel hack that will prevent you from experiencing that full-on panic.

If anyone knows how to avoid the biggest travel mishaps, it's flight attendants. (It's literally their job, after all.) And Ty Opoku Adjei, who works for British Airways, swears by a brilliantly simple technique that makes it nearly impossible to leave your passport behind. "When we go on holiday, it's natural to want to keep your valuables in the hotel room safe, but some people make it all the way to the airport only to realize they've left their passport there," she told Business Insider. "My top tip is to keep one of your shoes you plan to wear on your journey home in the safe. If you do this, you'll never leave the hotel room without checking the safe ever again."

Pretty genius, huh? Unless you're totally unfazed by walking around with only one shoe, there's no way you're going to head out without everything you need.

If you're one of those people who just doesn't use the hotel safe at all...you should. While some hotel safes are not always fool-proof, locking your passport and valuables away in something only you have the code to is certainly more secure than trying to hide things in the back of your suitcase. (Identity theft is real, y'all!) And whether you're a hotel safe newbie or pro, hopefully this hack will ensure that you remember everything, every single time.

Check out three brilliant travel tips from Well+Good readers. Or, check out four tips for having a great vacation that doesn't derail your nutrition goals.