Page 12 - MidWeek - May 17, 2023

12
MIDWEEK
May 17, 2023
PAULETTE ITO
SVP Marketing
Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union
TSA Is A
Three-letter Word Paulette Ito
cord pouch was nowhere to be found. What to do? I had one lightning cord and the accompanying brick charger, but I also had USB-C items, proprietary charger items and a magnetic fast charger item to charge.
The accumulation of charging cords that came with my various devices, including the multi-USB charging hub, was gone. I took a few deep breaths to asses what really needed to be charged and concluded I could go without the headphones on my return trip by using the corded ear buds that used to come with a new phone purchase. I usually include them in my zippered pouch for audio emergencies. Yup, ACK, it was with my missing cords. Several deep breaths later, I was on the road to purchase new chargers.
There were other things in the pouch, but the item that affected me the most was my pocket calendar. For those Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union members who read this article, you know I’m referring to the free pocket calendar we give out every year. I used to rely on an online calendar to sync all my business and personal matters, but after a catastrophic event of deleted calendars, I decided to go old school with a hard copy. That strategy served me well. I carried it everywhere, jotted notes and quickly
referred to important dates. Without that calendar, I felt rudderless and had no idea what I was supposed to do. For the first time in a very long time, my schedule was open.
This gave me time to reflect on the whole experience, and I came away with three nuggets. Nugget one: Do not listen to your husband; listen to your gut instead. There is weight in following your intuition.
Nugget two: Have a plan in case of emergencies and follow it. My carry-on bag usually includes a change of clothing, mini toiletries and charging cords. There have been times while traveling when my luggage did not arrive at the destination, so I made do with what I hand carried. But on my most recent trip, I deviated from that plan.
Nugget three: Save your receipts if you want to be compensated for lost items. I save all my receipts when I purchase something while traveling, but not before I travel.
In trying to report my lost pouch, the airline referred me to TSA, which would not move forward with my claim unless I had the exact dollar amount, proof of purchase and evidence of TSA negligence. If you plan on traveling with purchased items, it may be a good idea to save your receipts along with photos of the items in your Ho‘okele guidebook.
It’s been several weeks since my last airplane trip, and I think I’m ready to talk about my experience. Yes, I know that TSA is an acronym for Transportation Security Administration. I also know that all airports use three-letter acronyms as a designation for each location. Did you know that Hawai‘i has 19 airports? Here are the five major terminals: Honolulu (HNL), Hilo (ITO), Maui (OGG), Kaua‘i (LIH) and Kona (KOA). My three-letter acronym for travel is ACK.
I’m an avid traveler and often fly solo. I prefer to fly with company but certain circumstances require I go alone most of the time. My last trip was uneventful, except for my luggage.
I usually put the charging cords for all my electronic
devices in a zippered pouch that I keep in my carry-on bag. However, my husband always wants me to put it in my luggage. He feels that anything not used during the flight is excess weight and belongs in the suitcase. But I was flying solo, so a game time decision had me toss my zippered pouch of cords into my luggage. Upon arriving at my destination hotel, I found my smartwatch was dead and my phone needed a charge. I looked for my cord pouch. It was missing.
My large suitcase was barely half full, and I opened every pocket to look for the bag. I thought I added it to my suitcase before leaving for the airport, so I hoped it was at home. I called my family to ask if they could look around the area where I was packing, but the zippered
The Ho‘okele guidebook is a personal planning booklet created for the “Get Your House in Order” initiative. Getting your house in order means planning for and being prepared for any of life’s challenges that come your way, including stolen or misplaced items when traveling.
The “Get Your House in Order” campaign releases a new Ho‘okele guidebook during each quarterly phase. Ho‘okele versions 1.1, 1.2
Scan to download
and 1.3 are now available. This free guide is available to everyone at the Hawaiian Financial Federal Credit Union website. Download your free copy today from hificu.com/gyho.
For more information about the “Get Your House in Order” campaign, email GYHO@hificu.com. Also, tune in to KIKU at 10:30 p.m. every Monday to watch Yunji de Nies talk with local experts about how and why to get your house in order.
Tune in
GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER TV show every Monday at 10:30p.m. on