I was wondering what the advantages and costs of curb-side check ins were. It seems to save people a lot of time but what is it that convinces most people not to use them.

In my experience most people do use curbside checkins. You can't use it if you are flying internationally or standby or perhaps in some cases on an e-ticket. The advantage is that you drive up and check the luggage. The "cost" is a tip to the skycap.

I don't think MOST people use it. I think there's a fair mix of people who don't check bags, people who like talking to someone at the counter (or have to check in ther due to international flights, etc.) and those who use curbside.

I don't use it much. Here's why: if you give your luggage to a skycap (still have to wait in line and also tip) you still have to wait in another line at the gate to get your boarding pass. I figure I'll walk the extra 50 yards and get to the counter and only wait in line once.

I love curbside check in at DFW. Last time I it took me five minutes to check in and the sky cap gave me my boarding pass right there. I walked right past what looked like a 30 minute wait at the ticket counter and straight to the security line. I also did this at the Philly airport and avoided a wait that would have surely caused me to miss my flight. But maybe not all airports give out boarding passes at curb side? I LOVE curb side check in. It is worth the tip in the skycap in my opinion, that is if you can get the boarding pass there.

Joan, I always use curbside when I can, and I have never had to wait for a boarding pass at the gate. I've either always been sent my boarding pass with the tickets or was issued the boarding pass by the sky cap curbside. I mainly only fly American, so maybe they do things a little differently.

My husband and I never use curbside check-in. It would be different if we were physically incapable of handling our own baggage, but fortunately that's not the case and we can't see blowing the money on a tip when the airline has already ripped us off through the price of the ticket. We're just cheap, I guess--but other than the airport chaos that followed 9/11, we don't see that it's any big deal to wait in line and check our bags ourselves at the counter. To each his/her own!