The rule is simple: if you could not manage a night without it, it goes in your carry-on. When a flight is cancelled late in the evening, your checked bag often stays with the airline until you fly again.
Why your checked bag cannot be relied on
When a flight is delayed overnight or cancelled, checked bags are usually kept by the airline and loaded onto your rebooked flight. Some airlines will return them on request, but it can take hours, and at a busy airport during a major disruption it may not happen at all. Pack as if you will not see your checked bag until you reach your destination.
The essentials
- Medication, with enough for an extra day or two in case the disruption runs on.
- Phone charger and cable. Your phone is your boarding pass, your rebooking desk and your way to find a hotel.
- A power bank. Spare lithium batteries must travel in your carry-on, never in checked bags. Outlets at a crowded gate go quickly.
- Glasses, or contact lens case and solution.
- Travel documents and valuables: ID, passport, keys, and anything you could not replace.
For an unplanned night
- A change of underwear and a clean top.
- A toothbrush, toothpaste and basic toiletries, within the TSA liquids limits.
- A warm layer. Terminals and aircraft cabins can be cold, especially overnight.
For a long wait
- Snacks. Food outlets may be closed or have long lines during a late-night delay.
- An empty water bottle to fill after security.
- Headphones, plus downloaded films, music or books, so you are not relying on airport Wi-Fi.
- An eye mask and earplugs, if there is any chance of a night at the airport.
Traveling with children
Pack a full day's worth of diapers, formula or baby food, a spare outfit, and whatever they need to sleep. For a child, a two hour delay with no snacks feels very long.
Keep this information to hand
Save your booking reference, ticket number and frequent flyer number somewhere you can reach without a signal. If you have trip delay cover through a credit card or travel insurance, save the claims number as well, and keep the receipts for anything you buy during the delay. See trip delay cover.
Who pays for the night?
That depends on the airline and on the cause. For a delay or cancellation within the airline's control, most large US airlines commit to a hotel for an overnight disruption. For weather, they usually do not (see meal and hotel vouchers). Check before you go: how to check your airline's delay policy.
The full list of what to do before a trip is in the pre-trip checklist.
This guide is general information for US travelers, not legal advice. Rules and airline commitments change; check with your airline or the US Department of Transportation for your specific situation.