Nikki

There's stuff I want to check (shampoo and conditioner, nail scissors, books too heavy to carry and too bulky to put in the carry-on).

And there's stuff I want to carry (extra clothes, camera, anything I don't want to replace, precious purchases from the flea market or pottery, my growing bag of wires to charge phones, iPods, camera batteries).

So unless I'm going for just a couple days, I check and carry.

And I agree about the liquids rule, a huge inconvenience for no real added security.

hanl

I always check my luggage in. I don't really think there's such a massive risk that my bags will be lost. Once or twice (out of countless flights) I've had bags lost but they always turn up within 24 hours and have been delivered to my door.
The flight I take most often (Brussels to Edinburgh) uses a very small plane with such tiny overhead bins (hardly large enough for a day-pack) that there's no point me trying to avoid checking luggage.

Also, I do get kind of annoyed with people rolling those little suitcases behind them, as they often seem to forget that there might be somebody behind them. They are so busy looking ahead that they don't realise they've just rolled the thing over your feet or bashed it into your legs.

smartcookie

I fly a lot and always check in nowdays. I also try to get direct flights. I've only had a bag delayed once and it was only one of two bags on a flight with 2 stops.

I find that you are at biggest risk of having your luggage delayed during flights with layovers. Out of the last 3 times I traveled with a friend of mine, she had her luggage "lost" for over 24 hours twice, and on both flights they forgot to put the bag on the connecting flight (in one case they actually sent it to another country after they found it). Some people are just less lucky when it comes to luggage too

sshephard

Thought you might be interested in this:

http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/index.html
http://tinyurl.com/379spe

Pausanias "hates" people who carry on their bags and sees their concerns as "idiotic." My feelings are hurt! I harbor diseases, too?????

Why does the Fodors culture tolerate such language?

But you're just kidding, aren't you, Pausanias?

Dukey

When you're bored you tend to tolerate a lot of things.

xyz123

If the bloody airlines could just become efficient and have your baggage on the carousel within 15 minutes of landing, there would be no problem. But they don't think it's a big deal if you have to wait 45 minutes before the first bag comes rolling on the carousel and it always seems that my bags are among the last to arrive adding an hour to my trip.....this is inexcusable on the part of the airlines who just don't give a damn.

Carrybean

Decades ago my luggage was delayed 3 days when I went to Martinique. Nothing has happened since so I'm one who checks in.

I don't have a problem with those who do carry-on only as long as they don't act superior to those of us who choose not to.

wyostiv

We usually check in--we've never had a negative, life-altering experience as a result. Sometimes we carry on if there's a particular scheduling issue.

xyz123

The only thing I really resent is when I am told that some person wants to put a 22 inch carry on in the overhead above my seat and would I mind putting my much smaller 1 carry on on the floor in front of me cutting down on my leg room. That is asinine.

ira

>...If the bloody airlines could just become efficient and have your baggage on the carousel within 15 minutes of landing,<

The airports, not the airlines, are in charge of baggage handling.

ggreen

I haven't found the baggage carrousel wait to be too bad in recent years - nothing like the agonizingly slow service it used to be.

The biggest problem is that the airports *never* seem to be able to label the carrousels correctly! Not in the USA, not France, not China (to name some of my more recent destinations)... So maybe the baggage wait doesn't seem too long to me because I spend half of that time trying to determine which is the correct carrousel!

scdreamer

We're trying to figure out how to do carry-on for a month long trip. Reason? I don't want our checked-on bags to go astray, and we also have a short layover (with customs) and have to make an international connection. I don't want to be stressing at the carousel while the minutes tick by. (I promise not to harbor any funky diseases and I won't run over anyone's feet with my bag)

danon

"only as long as they don't act superior"

??? how do people on your flight know who is doing what with their bags????

janisj

no - it is some on this forum who act "superior". (on both sides of the issue BTW)

I am in the carry-on camp, and every thread we get the same old mantra about "well if you are willing to wear the same dirty clothes over and over" or "bringing all these too big bags on board and hitting me in the head". I don't wear dirty clothes and I've never bopped anyone on the noggin.

On the other side - light packers can be just as snotty to the checked bag brigade.

Luisah

"Rolling the little bags (we now have the four-wheel spinners) from place to place is easy and exiting the plane and bypassing the luggage carousel is a nice bonus.

True, unless you fly on a small regional plane and have to carry it up and down stairs to get into the terminals and then haul it (or run with it) to the other side of the airport where the "big" planes are to make your connecting flight.

SHAMPOO. I always use the same brands shampoo and conditioner and just pour it into 3oz plastic bottles. I always have enough to get through a two-three week trip. You can take as many liquids in 3 oz or less containers as will fit into the one-quart size bag.

danon

well, I have been on both sides but changed to carry on eventually.
It was not fear of my begs getting lost
( it happened only several times in many years of traveling) ; I just could not face waiting for my luggage after 8, 10, 20
hours on the flight - jet lag and all.

We each have carry ons made by German company BREE. Expensive but light and flexible( don't even have wheels).

bugswife1

I have had my luggage lost 3 times and actually twice on one trip. I also have had zippers broken twice, a rip, handle bent, and a wheel broken off.
Now nobody touches my luggage but me. The only time I feel smug is as I roll past the carousel and am 1st in line for the cabs while 3/4 of the plane is camped out in front of an unmoving conveyer belt. : - )

Clea

I alway check. I can not understand why someone would want to carry their bag everywhere. I once had some Barbie looking person try to put her carry-on over me. The bag hit me in the head and fell on my arm on the way down. For the next few hours I swore it was broken from the severe pain. Ofcourse she had to get up every few hours to get something else out of the bag. One hour before landing she had to touch up her nails, put on make up, spray her hair and put on perfume. By the time I was off the plane I was sick to my stomach from all the fumes. I know her carry-on did not fit in that little box to limit the size of carry-on bags. After we land She gets up and takes forever waiting for someone to come by and get the bag back down. Holding up everyone else trying to get off the plane. Please have some consideration for the people sitting next to you.

Clea

robjame

If the airlines were to restrict even more the carry-on allowances (only necessities and a much smaller bag allowed), it would:
- alleviate the slowness at security
- improve security on planes
- speed loading and unloading of the planes

IMO you are more likely to be maimed by a falling carry-on during flight than to lose your luggage.

Q. Why does that guy with the huge back-pack turn around at least 5 times while walking down the aisle?

orangetravelcat

Some of the bags people carry are so big there is no way they are legitimate carry on size. But of course, no Fodors poster would bring one of those on the plane.