My significant other and I travel without checked baggage. I use a soft sided rollaboard and my SO borrows a similar bag. I want to buy her her own bag and so I have been researching and reading about carry-on bags. Many of the highest rated ones are hardshell bags like Away, July and Rimowa. I think she would like opening up the bag and having two separate sections to access in the hotel. What I don’t understand is the functionality of it in the airport.

How do you access things you need from your carry-on in the airport? I picture someone sitting on the floor with their bag unzipped and opened to remove their liquids bag to go through TSA screening and then doing the same thing afterwards to replace it. And then do you plop down again in the gate area to take out your headphones and snacks?

This does not seem like an efficient way to travel. If you use a hardshell carry-on does that then necessitate that you carry a tote or other personal item to access those items? Do the cool hardshell carry-on people all have TSA Pre-check and never fly out of the country so they don’t have to pull out their liquids? Or do they all travel with a checked bag? I know some hardshell bags have a front pocket, but most do not and those that do are really meant for a thin laptop to slide in.

Thank you in advance for your responses.
-MG

Items that need to be accessed go in my personal item - a small bag that fits under the seat. Could be a purse, backpack, or small soft sided gym bag with pockets. One can never be sure the hard sided carryon will travel with you in the cabin, so anything I might need stays with me in that personal item. Snacks/water, meds, tablet, charging cables, book, liquids, etc. Carryon bags can get put into the hold for a variety of reasons. Most common are small plane (you'll know at the gate & have time), or overhead bins full by the time you board, or available overhead space may be far from your seat if you board later in the process.

Whether one is flying domestically or out of the country is irrelevant. At US airports there is no distinction.

Welcome t Fodors. I also fly hand baggage only. I use a soft sided rollabaod - mostly because it is a lot lighter than most of the best hard sided models. I'm quite short so light is important because I have to stand on tiptoes to get the bag into the overheads. I do worry the few times it is gate checked but so far no damage. (I've probably used 6 or 7 different 21 inch bags over the years - never had one damaged by an airline except a few smudges.)

As J62 says -- nothing I'd need in the airport or on the plane goes in the rollaboard so no need to open it. I carry a large hobo-style handbag (lots of internal organization) for my personal item and it holds everything I could ever need -- 1 quart liquids baggie, noise cancelling ear buds, small cosmetics bag, snacks, passport/wallet, iPhone, mini iPad, charging cord(s) etc. etc. Wouldn't matter if it was a hard or soft sided rollaboard - I'd pack the same way - so get whatever style she prefers.

How do you access things you need from your carry-on in the airport?

My carry on is a small backpack. Easy to pull out things as needed.

We gave up on carry on luggage years ago - got tired of trying to find a place to put it while competing with those who want to carry everything but the kitchen sink onboard with them. We check luggage. Makes the onboard experience less of a hassle.

Yes like others I use a personal item for anything I might need while on board. The rolling bag which is a hard sided clam shell goes in the overhead bin if not checked. My personal item is a gym bag with padded straps that I can carry as a backpack and that has zippered pockets at the ends and sides. A clamshell rolling bag that is sized for international carryons is hard to find anymore (most are a fraction too large). Definitely provides better protection and resists scuffs and other damage from luggage handlers.

On Southwest Airlines I will sometimes check the bag on the flight home and carryon going to avoid it getting lost with stuff I need.