Do you think 22" carry-ons will soon become obsolete?
 

Now that airlines are charging for checked bags, are more people using their maximum carry-on allowance? If so, do you think the carry-on limit will soon be reduced?

Last week I finally found a new wheeled bag that I love; it measures exactly 22X14X9 including the wheels and handles, so it's perfect for now, but I would hate to buy something that may become useless soon.

no, I don't. Newer airplane cabins have overhead bins that fit 22" carryons straight in/wheels first. Compared to older planes (i.e. older AA 767's) they fit a lot more luggage.

I doubt it.

Judging by the HUGE suitcases I see people pulling off the baggage carousel (as I walk though baggage claim with only my carry on), it's clear to me that there are plenty of people out there still intent on bringing everything but the kitchen sink with them when the travel.

Sorry, I'm feeling particularly snarky right now. ;-)

Also, I think there will always be people who just don't want carry their bag from plane to plane or bother trying to "pack light".

Finally, even if you are suddenly forced to check that size bag, due to weight rather than size restrictions for example, it would still be a good sized bag to have to be able to get around easily at your destination. I've had to check my bag on my last two trips and I still only packed my 22" bag.

I have occasionally had to check a bag and still don't bring anything larger than the 22".

For carryon, I prefer something in the 20" to 21" range. I hate dragging a large bag.

I bought a new messenger cross body bag as my second carryon last year, and I find it is too big. I keep going smaller and smaller.

I really want a 20 inch rolling bag I saw that is less than 5 pounds. That's my dream bag, for right now.

I can't imagine buying a piece of luggage and wanting it to last forever. I am of the opinion that every trip requires something different in luggage. If it were up to me, we would all get to go to a luggage library and borrow just the right piece for each trip.

tuscan - do you remember what brand? I went through all my luggage today and also went to Marshall and TJMax.

I got a dandy 5" roll-on that fits neatly under the seat--bought it at ebags.com. It only weighs 8 lbs empty.

Dawn: it was a fancy Canadian brand. I could find it, as I wrote to them because the one I wanted was only sold in a set. They told me how to get it but it was a pain: finding their local distributor, getting them to order the piece separately, etc.

Anyway, I am sure I can find the name if you would like it. That piece alone was about $170.00, which is why I still don't have it. The secondary name was Hybrid; I do remember that. Originally saw it on ebags.

Please remind me on my debkurt email if you want the name. I forget everything without a serious reminder. I would look now but I am in bed. A hug for you, anyway.

Underhill: 5 inches???

"I am of the opinion that every trip requires something different in luggage."
Tuscan-I am right there with you! I feel like I buy a new bag almost every trip! Usually it's my smaller "personal" bag though that I keep buying (not 22" bags). Things have gotten much more complicated for me since I got my DSLR camera too.

I DO like your idea of a "luggage library" :-)

When I travel to Europe, I tend to pack a smaller wheeled carry-on suitcase...like around 19-inch, I think mine is. I also have several 22-inch ones. The European airlines are stricter than the airlines I fly with to S.E.Asia. I have never had a problem, in over a decade, with my 22-inch suitcase except if I'm flying through Japan to get to S.E. Asia. I get on the plane in L.A. with a 22-inch, then have to change planes in Japan, on the same airline, and then sometime they don't want to let my 22-inch be carried on board for the remainder of the flight.

I've seen agents here at LAX make passengers check in their 22-inch suitcases on European flights. This has been over the past decade. It's difficult for me to get what I really need in an 18-inch suitcase as I travel to Paris or Copenhagen in the spring when it's very cold and the clothes are heavier.
I always pack, in my carry-on suitcase, everything that I need in case the checked suitcase gets lost and I can right a book on lost luggage over the last three and a half decades. Once a suitcase went missing for two weeks.
A few years ago, three people came along with me on vacation to Paris and ALL of their luggage was lost and for 4 days. The vacation was for 7 days, but was cut down to 6 due to getting stuck in S.F. overnight because of fog. Their luggage didn't come until the end of the 4th day of the vacation. They had checked EVERYTHING in and had no carry-on luggage.
My luggage arrived at baggage claim, in Paris, just fine, but had it not, I would have had everything in the carry-on suitcase that I really needed for survival. It's good I had that carry-on suitcase as the airline put us up for a night and I had fresh clothes the next day. In S.F.,they wouldn't release the checked suitcase. They lock them up and then put them on the flight the next day.
My travel partners ended up in the same clothes and high-heeled boots for 5 days....counting the day they left home. Happy Travels!

Tuscan - too pricey. sigh. I might just buy Rick Steve's ugly bag :-)

Kristina: of course a Fodorite would like my Luggage Library idea! Everyone else I mention it to has looked at me like I'm an alien or something.

Yet we get it, perfectly.

tuscan, where do I apply for a borrower's card??

I am confronting that exact dilemma for next spring -- I DON'T want to check, because I'm sprinting off to another location as soon as I land in Athens, and bag delay is a nightmare.

This year I've seen too many people with 22" bags being forced to check them against their will, not because their bag is oversize, but because the flight is full. I saw a tip from a flight attendant that a soft (duffeL?) 22" roll-on is likelier to get on because of "bendability."

Howevr, I want to go a big smaller but prefer not to go down to 18 -- that 20" sounds perfect to me. Can I check it out for a month, please?

I meant to say "a bit smaller", not a big smaller ... it's late.

Absolutely -luggage library- WOW that is nothing short of BRILLIANT!

I've always said not everyone needs luggage. Or at least not every one in every size. My favorite 22" has been to several more countries than I have (borrowed by friends).

I also don't care about luggage lasting forever. I am fickle and change my mind about favorites.

To the original question, I always check my suitcase even if it could be carried on. I AM one of those people who *hates* dragging a suitcase on & off the plane & thru transfer airports and into the bathroom, restaurants, and shops with me (traveling solo).

Suze I'm with you - why lug a bag around the airport when the airline will take care of it for you?
A 22" case is too big for some low-cost airlines in Europe. Transatlantic flights do not charge for checked bags.
If people checked their bags we could all get off the plane quicker - instead of waiting for them to pull monster carry ons from overheads, crashing them down on the poor soul next to them.

I used to think it was people getting their stuff out of the overhead bins that made getting off the plane take so long, but this summer I watched more closely and really, it was that it takes for bloody ever for them to open the door. By then half the plane was already in the aisle with their bags, and once the door was open everyone was quite speedy getting off.

I also live in constant fear that they'll make me check my 20" carry-on, and within Europe they often do. So I put a selection of my most important items in a mesh packing cube and have a thin fold up bag, both inside the suitcase. If I'm forced to check it, I just whip out the thin bag and stuff the mesh bag and a few other items in it and then carry that on. That way if they do loose the main suitcase at least you have some of your stuff. And of course camera, electronics and really important stuff goes in the "personal item" bag.

My carry-on is a 19" wheeled bag from Dakota (the value line from Tumi, with Tumi quality at half the cost...end result, Tumi dumped the line). I keep my essential carryon stuff in one of those Longchamp nylon totes inside the wheelie. That way, if I'm forced to check it (hasn't happened yet, knock wood), I can just yank out the pliable Longchamp bag and bring that on board.

My old gym bag has served me well for several years. It has a large nylon inner bag so that dirty things are kept apart from clean clothes.
It has no wheels, just a shoulder strap. Empty it weighs 1 1/2 lb, full, 13 lb. It holds sufficient items for a two week trip.

I forgot to answer the question. Yes, I think it will be reduced.

Tuscan, price is a relative thing to me. If it makes my travel easier, then it pays for itself, as my aggravation also has a value. :) So if you can find the name of that bag you mentioned, I would love to see one. My only concern would be if it can be strong enough and so I would like to see before buying.

We have some (I think) 21 inch Samsonites that we bought for ~$140 each at a Samsonite outlet store in MA in '04 before our last trip to France and we have used them almost exclusively for all travels since. We never check luggage, and while we have not been back to Europe in a few years, we use these suitcases on planes 3- 4 times a year and they continue to be great! They are the best suitcases we have ever owned. However, I am intrigued at the idea of a 5 lb case.

As a luggage-checking person, I do always keep at least 1/2 outfit of clean clothes in my carry-on bag. I very seriously think when packing the carry-on, what are the necessities for 1-2 days if my suitcase were delayed.

God, I hope so! I am so sick of having my feet run over as I sit in my seat, hit in the head as some dwarf ties to lift 50 lbs overhead or not having a place to put my own little backpack because some rude SOB is bringing two weeks of clothes into the cabin. If you can't afford to pay a few extra bucks to check your bag maybe you shouldn't be on vacation. You ought to be working a second job instead.

tell us what you really think, Zeus
:-)

My name is GoTravel and I am a luggage junkie.

I have so many different peices and brands of luggage I could not begin to count.

Zeus, the cost of checking has nothing to do w/our exclusive use of carry-ons. In 1992 when we arrived bleary-eyed at 3:00 am, having not slept for a single minute of the flt,---of course for the French it was 9:00 am, but I am not about to argue w/my internal clock---and then we waited almost 2 Hours!!! for our luggage to appear, well that was the last time we checked bags and we have never looked back!

Like "Go Travel", we are travel addicts and luggage addicts (LOL) and have a variety of luggage. Interestingly enough, just this week I did an excel sheet for our luggage with weights and dimensions. The bags range from 8 lbs 3 oz to a weightlifter special tipping the scales at 11 lbs 14 oz. And this weekend we just ordered another bag that is suppose to weigh just 7 lbs for roll-on. For us the search for the perfect bags is an on-going quest.
Kind of like the search for the perfect cup of coffee…..but that is another forum. :-))

<<This year I've seen too many people with 22" bags being forced to check them against their will, not because their bag is oversize, but because the flight is full.>>

I was forced to gatecheck my 19" carryon on a flight from Egypt. I don't think the soft-sided theory would work there. People had to part with fairly small backpacks too.

I am one of the those people who do not want to haul my suitcase all over an airport so I check my 24 or 25" bag weighing all of 25 to 30 pounds to the final destination -- no kitchen sink in there.

My next trip requires four flights with a four-hour layover in CDG -- no way would I take that trip with carryon only. I would consider it if I were able to have one flight from my home airport to my destination.

I think I might say just the opposite... For a single flight, I'd more trust the airline to get my luggage there checked thru. With 4 different flights(!) that might cause me to consider carry-on only.

>>With 4 different flights(!) that might cause me to consider carry-on only.>>

Suze,

I understand your point but I don't want to haul a fully packed carryon from one end to the other of two airports to make connecting flights. I've been doing this for years and (knock on wood) have always found my checked luggage at my final destination.

I hedge my bet by packing a change of clothes and extra shoes in my carryon (lightweight so I can move fast).

Another factor is delayed flights -- I've had to run through both Hartsfield and JFK and had to walk very fast through CDG (and walk up a flight of stairs) to make connecting flights and would not have been able to do it hauling a carryon.

tuscan,

Was the bag you saw the Heys FlyLite Hybrid 20" in this set?:

http://shop.heys.ca/ProductDetails.a...ctCode=FlyLite

oh believe me, I understand, as I've said above... I always check my one single suitcase as well (but I've never done a 4 flight itinerary either).

Socialworker...I TOTALLY understand what you are saying. I've had that experience more than once.

Plus, if the airlines didn't lose luggage the way that I've experienced mine being lost over 3-plus decades, of international flights, then I'd check my carry-on suitcase,too.

When I first took off on my solo trip to S.E.Asia back in the late 90s, I left L.A. with one 22-inch carry-on suitcase and a canvas bookbag. This was for a 3-week journey through 3 countries and 4-5 places. I was able to do it because I was traveling through hot countries...lighter clothes. And I packed mostly my Ex-officio clothes which are very lightweight.
When my mom came to pick me up and drive me to the airport, she couldn't believe that that's all I had packed. She asked where the rest of my luggage was.

I wasn't about to check my carry-on suitcase if I didn't have to. What if it had gotten lost....then what? And it's not easy to replace clothes in S.E.Asia if you're a westerner that is usually not the size/height of the native population. I've been going there almost annually since that first trip and I have my clothes custom made in Bangkok so that I don't end up with too short sleeves, skirt lengths, etc.
Plus, if my luggage had been lost, while in transit, to another country or area, then what would I have done...held up my vacation searching for luggage?

Once when I flew to Europe, I had to overnight, for a night in Paris before going on to Danmark to a friend's wedding. I've vacationed in that country, almost annually for 20-plus years so I know it well. I would not want to have to replace clothing at those high prices if luggage were lost.
When I got to Paris, my suitcase hadn't arrived. I was assured it would be delivered to the hotel the same day. As the hotel manager is a close friend, he said he'd look out for it, so that I wouldn't have to waste my whole day dealing with a missing suitcase situation. I had things to get done in Paris the one day that I would be there.
Well, the suitcase never arrived and the next day I had to fly on to Copenhagen on another airline. Where was my suitcase? Customer service, in Paris, could have cared less. So, I went to the airport, early, and got back into the baggage claim area, this was years before all of the security stuff. There was a sea of suitcases on the floor. And there was my suitcase, sitting there in the sea of unattended luggage. Remember, it was supposed to have arrived the day before.

I picked it up, went over to a customer service person to inform her that I had found my lost suitcase. She was totally unmoved and didn't even respond. I could have been leaving with anyone's luggage.
I picked up my suitcase and left to transfer to another part of the airport and catch my SAS flight to Copenhagen. Had I not had my 22-inch carry-on suitcase, I would have had nothing in Paris and could have had nothing in Copenhagen had I not been so persistent to find my suitcase on my own.

One of the worst luggage situations was on a flight into Brussels. I arrived to Brussels, but my checked suitcase didn't. My Beligian friends were at the airport excitedly awaiting my arrival since I hadn't seen them in many years. It was an Easter weekend and my friend had arranged for his brother to make a special Easter lunch for me at his brother's seaside house. I was very excited as his brother was the head chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant. I remember how hard he had worked going through culinary school.

So, after standing in the customer service line, for nearly an hour, I finally left the customs area and when the door opened my friends were standing there with the video camera taping my arrival and wondering what the heck had happened since nearly everyone in that area had left.

We went back to their house and my friend's wife called the airline and asked where my suitcase was. Well, the response that she got was, "Do you think that is the only lost luggage we have....we have a lot of lost luggage!" Unbelievable.
She then told them to deliver the suitcase and leave it on the patio in their back yard as we had to get to our pre-Easter lunch. They refused...said I had to sign for it. So, we waited and waited and waited and it came very late that evening and we couldn't get to my friend's brother's house for Easter lunch. I had to leave the next day, by train to Paris. I was flying into Brussels and out of Paris on that trip.

On that trip I couldn't get everything into a carry-on suitcase and needed to check one suitcase.
So, I will fight to the end to keep my carry-on suitcase on me so that I'm guaranteed to at least end up with something on me when I get to my destination! Happy Travels!

A colleague and I were traveling from Myrtle Beach to Boston for a golf show.

She flew Spirit because it was a direct point to point flight and she had a lot of materials with her and didn't want to chance losing her luggage.

Spirit airlines lost her luggage on a direct flight! They never found it.

NoleNomad

Excellent work! That is the one I want.

I am sorry that I didn't track down the information for this thread myself, but I have not been feeling up to snuff.

Thanks.

I just went back and read through this thread. I am also one who doesn't check luggage because of lost luggage situations and not because of cost. We mostly fly internationally anyway, and there isn't a fee, yet.

This past May, the luggage area at Dulles was so hideous and so many people had lost bags... it was a nightmare.

Many, many people missed connections due to this situation, and we were among them.

I am not going to check my bag - with the re-routing of my flight with dd - we have to change planes and I am too fearful - we are moving out of London in 24 hours and it could just turn into a nightmare of trying to get our bags if they loose them.

One significant advantage of not checking luggage is that it makes accommodating to changed and cancelled and standby flight plans a lot easier. For example, on United, they are quite generous with allowing you to take an earlier flight than you have booked, on a standby basis, but it becomes more complicated if you have checked lugggage.

I really can't check my bag on my next trip September 2 to Munich. I have only 45 minutes for my connection in Atlanta. I'm packing extra light for this trip.

I don't think 22" will be obselete anytime soon. 3 22" can fit in seach overhead compartment of the plane.

I'm always on the lookout for a 22". I think I might go out after work tomorrow and begin my search...

Willtravel....That's very true. I was on a red-eye flight from L.A. to Boston and there was an elderly woman who really looked exhausted. The plane had been overbooked, but she really wanted to get on that flight.

I was on my way to the annual Boston GTG and only had a weekend, but gave up my seat to her. I only had a 22-inch carry-on suitcase. No one else would budge. I was put up in a hotel and about 7 hours later went on to Boston on a non-stop flight.
Instead of arriving on a Friday morning, I arrived on a Friday evening and the GTG was on Saturday morning. So, I had one day, and then flew back to L.A. around 7:30 AM on Sunday morning. I was given a $300 or $400 voucher which I used, I think, for a flight to the Honolulu GTG! Happy Travels!