In the vein of Hating to Pack, when you fly do you carry on or do you check luggage?

We never check luggage. If it can't be carried on, we don't take it with us.

Being stuck overnight due to weather years ago in Atlanta airport, I'll never check my luggage again.

Unless it's a 3-4 day trip, I check my bag. I always put 2 days worth of stuff and esentials in my carry-on, though. Once or twice we've had to wait for bags to be delivered, but hasn't really been a problem. We felt it was kinda like a free delivery service!

GoTravel, It depends on the length of the trip for me.
If it's a short business trip, or just a two or three day long weekend kind of thing, I never check luggage.
We do a lot of longer (two and three week) trips, and I could never get all of my unguents and shoes and miscellany in a carry-on; let alone my clothes!
(Plus, my husband MUST have his music, so one carry-on goes just for the CD player and CD's.)

Carry-on, here, ever since the time my suitcase took an entirely different vacation than I did. Since I travel with only one extra pair of shoes and no "unguents", a week-long trip only requires a couple of tops and undies more than a weekend. Longer trips just require some rinsing out.

I do pack a collapsible duffel. On the return trip, my laundry gets checked, in the duffle, and the mementos are safely in the carry-on!

I almost always check baggage--the exception is when I fly to see my family--from BWI, I take the MARC (commuter) train north and there is limited cargo space so I always ship a box of clothes, etc. to my moms and squeeze everything else into a small roller bag. Also, I travel with a back pack and keep in it deo, make-up, meds, etc. just in case I or my luggage get stuck somewhere...I will be 80+- years old still carrying a back pack when I travel--I see ladies carrying only purses on planes and I think, "how do they do it?!"

Depends on the length of the trip. Weekend away, I wouldn't check my luggage. But when I'm traveling overseas or on an extended vacation, I try to check everything except the essentials which I'll need on board (book, medication, etc.). In most areas I've traveled to, if the airline loses your luggage, you can purchase the necessary items for a day or so. I hate being whacked by someone who is trying to carry 65 pounds of luggage on board. Is life so frantic that you can't spend a little extra time to check your extra bags? By the way, it hurt being whacked in the head by your huge duffle bag which didn't fit in the overhead anyway.

I try to carry-on. I carried on luggage for a 2 week trip to Spain, in February! However, on the way back I had to check my suitcase because I bought a rug in Ronda that I had to carry on.

This fall, I am going on a 2 week trip where I will have to check luggage. I am going to a conference in SF, so I need business clothes, then I am going to the Grand Canyon and Sedona, so I need hiking clothes and boots, then I am going to a racquetball tournament, so I need my racquetball gear. I don't think I can get around bringing a big suitcase and my racquetball bag, so one will have to be checked.

Karen

We don't check luggage. 1 legal carry-on each incl 2 kids,we have laundry done as needed and bring travel bags to consolidate dirty clothes to allow for purchases.

I carryon one legal size pullman and a great duffel I have. My traveling handbag goes inside the duffel while boarding the plane.

My husband also has two carry ons.

Regardless of the length of the trip, we never check luggage. We have a backpack with a zipoff day pack. We get tons into the larger bag and stuff the smaller stuff into the day pack. Then I carry a large 'purse' to carry camera, books, journal etc.

In the winter, I wear a fannypack to carry other small items (film, maps, etc.) The reason I say winter is becasue it fits under my coat so it's no obvious I have one on.

This includes trips to Europe for 2 weeks in the winter. I'm anxious to start my trip and prefer not to wait in airports for my luggage or in line with others waiting for a car rental. We're out the door and custom control in no time.

Depends on the trip. Carry-on with short trips with just hubby and me. Check with longer trips and toddler.

Depends. How do you carry-on for three weeks in Alaska? Any idea?

Take black and khaki clothes that match and leave the "outfits" at home. 5 Pair pants, two skirts, one good dress, jacket, eight shirts, scarf for accessory.

Take one pair of pseudo dressy shoes, one pair casual shoes and one pair hiking/athletic shoes.

I always check my bags. I take all valuables in in my carry on and some make up and stuff in case I am stuck.
One BIG reason I check bags is I generally fly direct from DFW. Connections would make me want to carry on all luggage!
Also, I ship heavy stuff to/from my destination.
Since most of my travel is related to business, I don't have to pay the FedEx charges.
I do not FedEx important stuff to Canada, or internationally in general.
They go through your stuff and sometimes the boxes never make it.
I did send food stuff to London last month, though.
Everything I carry on fits underneath the seat so I am not subject to all the overhead hogs that are abundant these days!

Always check. I may have a change of clothes/ underwear or swim suit in my carryon "just in case" of a delay, but that has only happened 1 time in 20 years.

Anything 4 days or less I carry on only - unless its a business trip that requires my entire carry on for computer and files. More than that I check - but always take at least one chance of clothes in the carry on. Perhaps thats why my luggage has never been delayed - in hundreds and hundreds of flights.

Anyone else here hate the smugness of those deplaning with all of their luggage...and the incredible increase in time it takes for a planeload of passengers to deplane now than say 10 to 20 years ago?

We stick to carry on only, unless we are returning from the US. In that case we have to check bags from doing our yearly shopping, as there are very few stores where we live.

I have learned over the years to travel light and have found it much more preferable. There are SO many things I used to bring on trips that I have learned to do without and haven't suffered for it.

Incognito...can you find access to a laundry facility? That's what we always do and it's the only way we are able to travel light. I recently spent three months away from home with nothing but a carry on bag, but was able to do laundry.

GoTravel, I wish I had your discipline! I ALWAYS overpack and never learn my lesson. A carry on (or 2) and checked baggage, all of this just for myself. How do you do it?