The bag that went to Bangkok

Last year I flew to Singapore for my cousin's wedding. After the flight, I stood at the luggage belt in Terminal 3 and watched the other passengers pick up their bags one by one. Twenty minutes later, the belt stopped. My suitcase, with my suit, my shoes and the wedding present inside, was nowhere to be seen.

I went to the airline desk, feeling more and more annoyed. The woman there checked my booking on her computer and frowned. Apparently, my bag had been put on the wrong plane and was on its way to a completely different destination: Bangkok. She said sorry and asked me to fill in a form. After that, she gave me a reference number and promised to send the bag to my hotel within two days.

The problem was that the wedding was the next afternoon. I had to rush to a shopping centre and buy a new shirt and a pair of shoes. They cost far more than I wanted to spend, so I kept every receipt. I also called my cousin, who told me not to worry. 'Nobody will look at your shoes,' she said. 'Just turn up and enjoy yourself.'

In the end, my suitcase arrived three days later, when the wedding was already over. Luckily, the airline paid for most of what I had bought, because I could show the receipts. It took a few weeks and several emails, but my patience paid off. I even got a small refund for the delay.

Since then, I have changed the way I pack. I always put a change of clothes and anything valuable in my hand luggage. I also tie a label with my phone number to every bag. Losing a suitcase is not a disaster, but being ready for it makes you feel much less stressed.