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“When you meet a vegan who does Crossfit, which one do they talk to you about first?”
“OHHHHHHH! It’s funny because it’s truuuuuuue!” as the Family Guy character would say. But I can think of a third type of person who always seems to talk about what they do: the carry-on traveler.
It seems like everyone wants to carry on their luggage. People get complimented by others when they do. People rave about how much time they save at the airport by carrying on. People write endless guides and books about carrying on only. And frequent travelers who exclusively carry on, well, you’ll probably know by the end of your first conversation with them.
Carry-on travelers do make a lot of good points — carrying on your luggage is lighter, it’s easier to carry, it’s cheaper, and you don’t need to worry about the airline losing your luggage. And believe me, if you want to carry on your luggage, that’s great. I’m thrilled for you. But it’s not the only way, despite what carry-on evangelists would have you think.
I very, very rarely carry on my luggage. In fact, I don’t think I’ve done so since 2011. I thought it would be good to explore the reasons why I choose to check my luggage instead.
I like dressing up.
Carrying on means paring your belongings down to just a few things, which becomes problematic if you’re staying somewhere for longer than a weekend. I don’t like wearing the same items again and again in all my pictures, and I don’t like looking like a hobo, either.
Checking my luggage allows me to bring a variety of clothes that make me happy, flatter me, and make for much better photos. Standing at a scenic overlook wearing a pink and black vintage-style dress makes a much better picture than a raspberry tank top that reveals your complete bra line and a black cotton skirt washed so many times it’s starting to turn greenish-gray.
I’m actually trying something new this summer. Because I’m in Europe, where people dress much more neatly and I stay in higher quality accommodation, I decided to bring all nice clothing this summer. Several dresses. High heels and nice flats. Embellished tank tops. My favorite leather motorcycle jacket. Even a small steamer to keep the dresses items looking their best.
So far, it’s paid off. I went out with a crew of locals here in Copenhagen Saturday night and I was delighted to see that I fit in perfectly wearing nice jeans, the comfiest low black pumps on the planet, a black flowy tank top embellished with blue and silver sequins, and my leather jacket.
I wouldn’t do that on the backpacker trail in Central America or Southeast Asia. Those are different kinds of trips. But for Europe, it’s good to dress up more than you would at home, and I have so many more options than if I carried on.
The liquids rule requires more hassle.
I love makeup and carry a big arsenal of products with me, including several liquid and gel products from moisturizer and eye cream to setting spray, brush cleaner, BB cream, various liquid liners and glosses, and more.
Packing every single one of those products into tiny containers and sealing them in bags that you can take out and separate for every flight? No thanks.
And while a small container of face wash or hair serum will last a few months, shampoo and conditioner certainly won’t — so if you’re traveling for longer than a few days, your only options are to use solid shampoo or buying new trial sized bottles wherever you go. Again, no thanks.
Technology is a greater priority for travelers.
When I left for my semester in Florence 11 years ago, I didn’t pack a single device that plugged in (!). My film camera ran on disposable batteries; I wrote my papers at public computers in internet cafes.
How the world has changed. So many of us work online now. All but the most tech-phobic travel with a smartphone at the very least, and it’s increasingly popular to travel with a laptop, Kindle, tablet, and more tech gear. These are all items that should never be checked (see below for more on that) and they will take up priority space in your carry-on luggage.
Can you fit all your belongings into your carry-on bag alongside your tech and camera gear? Fewer and fewer people can.
Passengers don’t respect the carry-on limits.
With increasing fees, more travelers are carrying on their luggage — and that means you’re now competing for space with even more people.
While in a perfect world, people would obey the carry-on luggage limits and only take the space they’re allotted, this is rarely followed. Many passengers overpack and take up more than their share of luggage space, which results in the later-boarding passengers having nowhere to store their things and end up having to check them after all.
You can generally avoid this if you’re all but the last person to board, but it can still be complicated finding a place where you can store your bag. This would be easier if airline staff enforced the carry-on limits at the time of check-in, but the majority of them don’t even give you a second look.
Some airlines are strict about carry-on.
Conversely, some airlines DO enforce limits strictly — but to a worse degree. If you fly EasyJet, for example, you’re allotted exactly one carry-on item. Which means that even if you show up with a small rolling suitcase and a purse or laptop bag, they won’t allow you to board until the purse or laptop bag is packed in your suitcase.
And that means that you’ll have to give up precious space in your luggage, space that could be used for more clothes, to make room for your purse or laptop bag.
I personally think EasyJet’s policy is a pain in the ass — everyone opens their suitcases and takes out their purses as soon as they board, which delays the seating even more! — but at least they’re serious about keeping people from taking up too much luggage space.
It’s rare for airlines to actually lose your luggage.
I’ve taken probably at least 200 flights in my life, and my luggage has been lost a grand total of twice. That’s a rate of about 1%.
Both times, there was a clear reason for it. The first time was coming home from my semester in Florence in 2004. I was on the school’s group flight, with around 30 of us flying in a small plane to Munich before changing to a much larger plane to New York.
Because so many of us had brought several suitcases roughly the size of hippos for our semester abroad, there wasn’t enough room for all of the bags. Only some made it on the first flight; the rest were sent the next day. It was delivered straight to my home in Massachusetts the next morning, even though my flight landed at JFK.
The second time was on my way from Bangkok to Milan in 2013. I had a very tight connection in Frankfurt — 90 minutes, which was exacerbated by my incoming flight being 15 minutes late. I skipped every line, ran through the terminals, and still missed my flight; so did my luggage. I convinced the airline to put me on a flight to Bologna since I had missed my train connection; my bag didn’t get the memo in time and was flown to Milan instead.
Frankfurt is a monster of an airport — I don’t recommend having a connection there tighter than two hours when changing from international to domestic/Schengen or vice versa. I usually book a three-hour layover, just in case.
It worked out in the end. Despite Italy’s disorganization, I had my luggage delivered to my apartment by the next morning.
On both occasions that my luggage was lost, I got my it back within 24 hours of my flight landing. Now, I’ve known people who had their luggage delayed for longer than that. But it was very, very unusual.
Tips for Flying with Checked Luggage
If you choose to take my route of checking your luggage, here are my top tips for doing it right.
Use Quality Luggage That You Love
If you’re using luggage you hate, you’re going to be miserable for your whole trip. Use a bag that fits your belongings, and make sure you can transport it comfortably on your own, including up and down stairs.
Here are the two bags that I use for checked luggage these days:
- Osprey Sojourn 25-inch 60L Wheeled Pack — my regular bag since mid-2013. It’s built like a tank, has tons of pockets, and it’s easy to maneuver. I wrote a full review of it here. (FYI, I received this bag for free from Osprey in exchange for the aforementioned review.)
- PacSafe Venturesafe 55L GII — a newer addition to my arsenal, this is the most thief-proof bag I’ve ever owned, and I love how strong the construction is. (FYI, I received this bag for free from PacSafe as part of a freelance project I’m doing with the company.)
NEVER, EVER Check Your Valuables
Valuables should always stay in your carry-on luggage and never be checked. What is considered a valuable? Anything that you would be despondent to lose. That includes:
- Your laptop, smartphone, Kindle or e-reader, tablet, and/or any other electronic gear
- Your camera and lenses
- Any medications that are critical to your health
- Any fine jewelry
- Anything else expensive that you can fit in your carry-on bag
Get Travel Insurance
Did you know that some travel insurance companies will reimburse you if your luggage is delayed? At least my company does!
I use World Nomads and if your luggage is delayed more than 12 hours, you can be reimbursed for up to $150 per day to buy new clothes and toiletries.
Travel insurance is vital for many reasons, and this is yet another reason why.
Know Your Luggage Weight
Be sure to weigh your luggage in advance. Many budget airlines, especially those in Europe, charge you by the weight of your checked bags. Sometimes knowing the difference between 20 kg and 25 kg can save you quite a bit of money.
Pay for Checked Luggage Ahead of Time
If it costs money to check a bag, pay for it when you book your flight. While you can always pay at the time of check-in, it’s often much more expensive this way.
One example — on Norwegian Airlines, upgrading your travel class ahead of time gets you one checked bag, one or two meals, and you can choose your seat. If you wait until you arrive at the airport, it will cost more to check your bag and you won’t get the meals.
The Takeaway
I’m not saying that it’s bad to carry on your luggage — I’m just saying that carrying on is not for everyone and it’s not for me. Make the best decision for your own your personal travel needs.
Just know that you’re not alone, and you’re not a bad traveler if you want to check your luggage. It’s totally okay. You’ll be glad when you see how nice you look in your travel photos.
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Thank you for such a refreshing post! It bothers me that most travel bloggers assume that everyone travels the same way, and for the same purpose. The majority of my travels involve going overseas to visit family. Not only do I arrive on the other side of the world bearing more gifts than fit in a carry on, but I return home with a suitcase stuffed with gifts and my own shopping as well. Even if I fit all of my clothing into one carry on, I need a suitcase for gifts.
This is just very nice Kate. In this side of the world, travelling full time is not something many people look forward to. So, its always strange when I mention it to my friends and colleagues. I look forward to doing this soon, maybe in 2017
I’m an avid international traveler and totally disagree. I do the exact opposite – I pack extremely light and very thoughtfully (clothes that can easily be layered, rolled into small space-saving pockets, and washed/dried easily for re-wear….yay for smart wool and Icebreaker!) so that I can carry everything on. My reasoning is 1) There is nothing worse than getting off a long overnight flight, waiting through passport control, and then having to wait AGAIN to pick up your bags. (2) If you check your bags, you lose all flexibility in being able to switch flights if there’s a delay or something amiss with your original flight. You will miss your connections in most cases. This happens to me several trips a year and I’m always thankful when they ask the “did you check any bags?” question to be able to say “nope! I’m good to switch” (3) Your luck with not losing bags is not mine. I’ve had my bags lost several times, which was a BIG deal and once ended up spending the first week of vacation in SE Asia trying to track it down while not speaking the languages and traveling between remote areas. Not to mention the cab fees I racked up having to go back and forth to the airports because the airlines wouldn’t give me a straight answer on the phone. Obviously you need to pack respectfully. Don’t waste other passengers’ time by bringing bags that may/may not fit or pack so heavily that you can’t lift your own bag, but in my experience unless you’re a masochist don’t even consider checking anything you can’t just walk away from and have shipped back to your house several weeks after you get back!
Finally.
Finally a human who speaks the truth.
I am a long term traveler.
And no, I am not a carry on traveler.
And I start to even get annoyed at those who pretend to be more then a weekend trip traveler and claim to carry on only.
Main reasons this is NOT possible are:
Most non-first-class allow maybe 7 kg carry on.
Don’t tell me u LIVE abroad with 7 kg
Unless u are so rich to fly business (usually 15kg) or buy everything over and over… And then u are no traveler of the class “nomad” in my opinion.
Second reason:
U can’t Checkin many things. Risks that ur favorite perfume or maybe even ur nail clipper is confiscated (over and over) is too high.
I could go on but I think we all agree here with Kate.
One only thing. While it’s great to check in bags it’s not great to carry more then one bag OUTSIDE the airport ?
So… Any solutions here?
Has someone a top tip?
Maybe a ultra flat foldable small backpack to put into ur biggest one once u really travel (on land)… Or so?
My untried solution: fly with a 29″ checked bag that is basically empty. Carry-on a light daypack, stuffable daypack, etc. (my current favorite is Osprey Escapist 18L). The 29″ bag will easily hold the daypack with electronics when not flying. I.e. travel like an ultralight weight minimalist, but with a roomy checked bag. I figure, if you check it anyway, might as well have the extra size.
I posted already the 7kg carry-on restriction is ridiculous! I cheat by “wearing” the extra weight with vests.
I admit that I’m a carry-on-er, but I have a hard time feeling especially virtuous about it since I’m mainly doing it to cater to my terrible impatience lol. When I get where I’m going, I just want to get off the plane and GO! I do sometimes miss all the ‘extras’ that checked bags allowed for, but not enough to wait for a bag while I’m on vacation ever again! (I’m also a fairly indifferent dresser as long as I look clean and neat.)
That being said, I almost always check a bag on the way back home because I pick up souvenirs like they’re going out of style 😀
Hi Kate;
I am logging in here late, but I am about to take my first long-distance trip in years.. this one to India for business and I will probably be back ‘on board’ again often. I truly appreciate your input here. Thank you so much for sharing on your blog page.
As a young woman I traveled alone quite extensively, and often for business, inspecting large construction projects I was involved with. I recommend it to all woman to do at least once in their lives, even though travel has changed a great deal since my days.
Next stop: New Delhi, Agra, Udaipur, Gururat – two weeks and return to U.S. Do you have any input you think I should know? Again , much appreciated!!!
Fly well ! ~ R
I am also not a fan of carry on luggage. I always prefer to check in all the heavy stuff. Actually, I hate having to carry anything at all on my hands, my back/shoulder or my waist. But for valuables such as laptop PC, tablets and cameras. These items and a souvenier or two can easily fit into a small backpack and there is no reason to lug an oversize and overweight bag into the cabin depriving others of their reasonable rightful use of space. I can’t imagine why anyone wants to bring in a roller bag AND a backpack AND a handbag AND a camera bag AND tons of duty free shopping into the cabin.
Too bad thread is dying. I just returned from 6 months in Asia checking an 80 Osprey Sojourn, which I over-packed BTW. The bag didn’t make it my destination on the return, but showed up 24 hours later. In retrospect, checking thru on multiple airlines was a mistake. On the outgoing leg, I retrieved the bag at each airport and re-checked for each new flight.: HKG,Bangkok, and finally KUL with no issues.This is a major PITA and erases most of the benefits of a checked bag.
Some issues: Air Asia, e.g has a 7kg total carry-on allowance. Even with my 18″ Osprey Ozone (2 kg bag), this allows only 5kg for your stuff less than 11 pounds TOTAL including all electronics, optics, etc. That said, it’s great to have the extra real estate of bigger bag, carry a swiss army knife, eg, bring supplements.
I have solved carry-on weight dilemma by wearing two travel vests, one with HUGE pockets. Sometimes my vests weigh more than my bag, but I’ve never been questioned.
Next trip, I’ll stay with the Sojourn, but under pack it. Unlike Kate I’ll bring only one change of clothes.
Thank you for this! My husband and I are beginner travelers and my husband is set on us bringing only carry on luggage… We have a bit of electronics which will take up a lot of space. PLUS I too like to have fashionable clothing options that flatter me (: This was refreshing to read and has made me feel at ease about having to check a bag! I am still actually a really llight packer and have managed long trips with next to nothing, but my husband and I are planning on being gone a long time and I would rather shed things along the way that we aren’t using than be stuck in a foreign land with out something we might need as well.
Thank you thank you, I appreciate this post
Hi Kate. I’m really glad to finally found someone who totally understands. Before, I really tried so hard to fit everything I need for my trip inside my small 4-wheeled luggage so I could just carry on my luggage and save myself from additional expense. Another reason why I chose to pack light is I don’t want to experience so much hassle in bringing huge and heavy travel bags with me. Unfortunately, I often end up leaving important things behind like gadgets and sufficient clothes for my trip. That’s why I tend to buy new stuffs in order to complement the things I forgot to bring. And that means, still another expense for me. This is the reason why I started to consider checking-in my luggage now. Additional expense, yes. But at least, it gives me that sense of convenience and peace of mind all throughout the trip.
I usually roll my eyes at travel bloggers who use “always” or “never” in titles. Thank you for a balanced and rational post!
My travel is typically once a year from the middle of the US to Australia. It’s not adventure travel. I am visiting my husband’s family, including his parents, children, siblings and grandchildren. To suggest that I should travel that far to see family for two weeks with just carry on is insanity. To suggest that I not take a carry on bag on a 17 hour flight, with a total of 24 hours or more travel time from door to door is also insane.
You have spelled out some excellent reasons to take checked baggage. We should all examine our own individual needs and wants, and take our type of travel into consideration when making these choices, which is what you clearly have done. Brava!
Thank you again for an excellent article!