Carry on regardless: Is checking luggage a deal breaker?

Whether your trip is short or long, The Discreet Traveler is all about traveling light. To many people, this means flying with only carry-on luggage, especially where (as on U.S. domestic flights and discount flights everywhere) checking bags incurs a fee. Here are the pros and cons of the carry-on only approach.

My Farpoint 55 backpack (includes 15L daypack, which detaches)

Pros:

• No wait to check in luggage at the airport. Personally, we almost always have to check in at the airport anyway, whether to show our passports or print our boarding passes. But I can see the attraction of heading straight to security.
• No wait to pick up luggage at the carousel. Again, for many travelers this represents a significant time savings. I’ve rarely had to wait long for a bag, especially after clearing immigration for an international flight. But then there’s
• No chance of a bag being lost. I haven’t had a delayed bag in years and never lost one, but it can happen.
• This is true whether you check your bag or not, but limiting the size of your bag forces you to pack within those limits. Carry-on only is one way to help you pack light.

Could be a pro or a con:

• There are restrictions on what you can carry on. Sharp objects are out, though this does not include the same things everywhere (tweezers?) Liquids, which in some cases includes things like deodorant or lip balm, have to be in containers 100 mL or less and go through security separately in a clear plastic bag. I’ve often wished I had my Swiss Army knife on these travels, but that would require me to check a bag on every flight. If checking a bag costs $25, it'd be cheaper to buy a disposable razor and sunscreen at your destination.

Cons:

• Many airlines, especially in Asia and Australia, have a weight limit, not just a size limit. Jetstar, for example, frequently weighs bags at the gate and charges A$160 (for an international flight) if your bag weighs more than 7 kg. On other airlines I have squeezed my 40L main backpack into an overhead compartment, but it’s rarely weighed less than 12 kg. Some travelers simply risk their bags not being weighed, but there are reasons for these limits. A heavy bag, especially a hard-sided case, can cause serious injury if it falls on someone’s head.

Of course, not all airlines have weight limits. Indeed, U.S. airlines have encouraged their passengers to carry on bags, presumably for cost-cutting reasons. Which leads to con #2:

• Carry-on only can be a pain. There is always room to fit my 15L daypack somewhere, but with so many passengers in front of me hefting wheeled cases, I can’t count on having room for my main bag.

There are safety concerns here too. The more baggage there is in the cabin, the slower people are to get on and off the plane. And in an emergency passengers are known to reach for their stuff, even though the crew is forever telling us not to.

As you can see, whether to travel carry-on only is not a clear-cut choice for everyone. It depends on where and how often you fly, what your airline requires, what you’re comfortable carrying on board, and your budget. In the past year of travel we’ve checked bags every time; but in the next year, when we’ll be flying within North America, we may not do so. What I do think everyone can benefit from is traveling with a carry-on sized bag (my main backpack is very close, but soft-sided is easier to squeeze in than a suitcase). Traveling minimally is best for many reasons, and you then have the choice of whether to carry your bag on board.

One other tip: Whatever you carry, have a smaller bag, such as your daypack or a packing cube, that you can take out and use for items you want on the flight. That way you can keep it under the seat in front of you for easy access. This is useful especially if your bag has been stowed somewhere up the aisle or, worse, you’ve been forced to check it planeside.

Safe travels!

Had to replace my bath bag and am unreasonably pleased with this one. It’s made from recycled plastic bottles. Have not yet determined if the detachable mirror is a “sharp” for airline purposes