Carry-On Vs. Checked Bag: The Pros & Cons

The concept of checking a bag is sacrilege. If a person checks a bag and something goes wrong, they are told not to do it.

I wanted to talk about the pros and cons of carry-ons and check bags in this post.

The pros of traveling with carry-ons

The benefits of traveling with carry-ons are unknown.

• You don’t have to arrive at the airport as early, since you can typically skip the check-in counter
• There’s less risk of your luggage being delayed or lost, especially in the case of irregular operations
• You don’t have to wait at baggage claim
• You potentially save on checked bag fees (though it really depends — many people get free checked bags, and on some ultra low cost carriers checked bags are less expensive than carry-ons)

The pros of traveling with checked bags

There are benefits to traveling with a bag.

• You can take more stuff with you; it’s nice to be able to travel with multiple pairs of shoes, different type of clothing, etc.
• You’re not restricted to just taking liquids in containers of under 100ml
• You don’t have to worry about boarding early, or about your bag possibly being gate checked; if you’re traveling outside the United States, you’ll often find that airlines have a weight limit of 15lbs for carry-ons, which is highly restrictive
• You don’t have to carry your bag as far, and don’t have to keep an eye on it throughout your journey

Hot take: checking bags isn’t that bad

I never checked bags back then. I used to have a carry-on bag when I lived in hotels. I have warmed up to the idea of checking bags. Don't get me wrong, I don't always check bags, but I do it a lot more often now than I used to, and I'm starting to not mind it.

Most of the time I don't check my bags. I don't mind checking a bag if I'm travelling internationally. Checking bags is not that bad.

• While I avoid checking bags with American Airlines domestically at almost all costs, both Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines have a 20-minute baggage guarantee, and I find that outside the United States (especially in Europe), bags regularly arrive even faster than that
• I really appreciate being able to check bags with larger liquids; for example, if traveling to a tropical destination, it’s great to be able to bring quality sunscreen with you, which can save you significant money and hassle compared to what you’d spend acquiring this at your destination
• Having your bags delayed is rare, but if it happens, you can take advantage of the credit card delayed baggage benefits with certain premium cards, and can go on a bit of a shopping spree
• Airlines have much better baggage tracking technology than in the past, so you can typically see throughout your journey when your bag was loaded and offloaded, etc.
• Statistically the risk of bags actually being lost is very small, and with technology like AirTags, we have even more assurance than ever before
• If I’m traveling only with carry-ons, I’m generally technically exceeding the limit outside the United States, since it’s so low (often 15lbs); it’s easier to just not worry about your bag possibly being rejected
• It’s kind of nice and liberating to just walk through the airport with a backpack

I am not suggesting that you always check bags. I don't check bags if I think they'll take a long time to arrive or if I think there's a risk of operational issues because airlines are generally operating poorly.

I have definitely warmed up to the idea of traveling with an airline where bags come out quickly.

Bottom line

I think there is a case to be made for checking bags in certain situations, even if you only travel with carry-ons. If you value being able to travel with more stuff, and if you have credit card insurance for delayed or lost bags, then checking bags is definitely worth it.

I know that others will feel differently.

What do you think about carry-ons and checked bags. Do you swear by carry-on bags or checked bags?