First, my story

Who knew that at 55 +, my smartphone would save the day and give me peace of mind. I recently flew from Tampa, Florida to Basel, Switzerland to attend the naming ceremony Viking Cruises seven new ships. I was so excited to finally take advantage of Lufthansa’s direct flight from Tampa to Frankfurt. I had a 4-hour layover in Frankfurt before heading to Basel.

As someone who flies often, having a great home airport is a wonderful perk. Just 30 minutes from my house, it’s a really easy commute. Combine that with TPA’s billion dollar renovations, great restaurants, ease of use and now more direct flights than ever before, it makes for one very happy travel writer.

I got to the airport early because I wanted to see if I could purchase an upgrade. As luck would have it, I got the last open business class seat. The food was good, the seat was comfy enough and I was able to get a few hours sleep before landing in Frankfurt. This was going swimmingly!

Upon landing in Frankfurt, I disembarked down steep stairs onto the tarmac, juggling my gear, and stumbling into the bus that was taking us to the terminal. 

Still groggy, I sat on the bus and took my wallet out of my backpack to retrieve my passport that I quickly put in my pants pocket with my boarding pass to Basel. I exited the bus that was packed wall to wall like a can of sardines. We marched in formation to customs and then through security. All I could think of was that piping hot coffee with perfectly frothed milk I was about to have. I arrived at my gate, opened my backpack to get my wallet and wait for it, there was no wallet. I emptied the contents of the backpack twice before coming to the realization that the wallet was nowhere to be found. It had vanished. I retraced my steps and figured the most logical place I would have left it was in the sardine can; I mean bus.

I went to the Lufthansa information desk and they told me it was out of their jurisdiction. They sent me to the airport basement to file a lost property report.  Out past security and several levels down, and what seemed like a mile away, I finally reached Lost & Found. They didn’t have my wallet but said I needed to fill out a lost property report and if it were turned in they would mail it to my home in Florida.

I had been uttering “Don’t Panic” under my breath for the better part of the last hour.  Breathe deep and make a plan. Damn, I needed that coffee.  I had my passport and my smartphone. I had apple pay on my smartphone, boarding passes downloaded, all of my itinerary and contact numbers, credit card and banking apps and access to all my critical information in the palm of my hand. I had a solid plan at my fingertips and I knew then that I’d be ok. Who knew a smartphone could be your lifeline and your best friend?

I went through security again and arrived at my gate, sweaty and slightly disheveled from the morning’s ordeal. I’d been seated about 10-minutes when my phone rang and it was the Lost & Found. He asked if I had enough time to get back down to the bowels of the airport, I mean his office, before my flight to retrieve my wallet. Some kind soul had turned it in. I bolted out of the airport, down several flights and again sprinted what seemed to be a mile or more. I made it. He handed me my wallet, I took off for my gate, going through security for the 3^rd time in just under 2-hours. Of course this red-flagged me, so I explained the situation, got a 2^nd and very thorough pat down before making it back to my gate with enough time to spare to get that much-needed cup of Joe.

My wallet was intact. My credit cards and cash were all there. I was stunned, overjoyed and beyond grateful.

9 Lessons Learned

1. Having Verizon 55 Plus gives me unlimited 4G LTE Data, Unlimited Talk & Text, DVD-Quality Streaming, Unlimited Mobile Hotspot (600 Kbps), Mexico & Canada are included AND it only costs me $50 for 1 line, $80 for 2 lines on auto pay. Verizon doesn’t break the bank it and keeps me connected when I need it most. 
2. Make sure you have international coverage. Had I not had Verizon’s $10.00 a day international minutes and data, I wouldn’t have received that all-important call from the lost and found.
3. Consider carrying a back-up phone. I do ever since the time I was fly fishing in Montana and I cast my smartphone in the lake instead of my fishing line. 
4. Be smart with the apps that you download. This was a total game-changer for me. It gave me peace of mind in a very stressful situation.
5. Don’t over pack. The reason my wallet tumbled out of my backpack is because it was filled to the brim.
6. Keep your cool. Getting worked up when something is out of your control doesn’t do anybody any good.
7. Always stash a little extra cash in a pocket for emergencies. You never know when you’ll need that cup of coffee. 
8. Have faith. I prayed hard.
9. Have a back-up plan. When things aren’t going as they should, have a plan B.

Long layovers are not always a bad thing. Having 4-hours in Frankfurt was a blessing in disguise.

Have you ever had a blessing in disguise in your travels?