Checked Baggage vs. Carry On: The Great Debate

Anyone who travels internationally must eventually find themselves asking the age-old question: should I check my luggage? Travelers tend to develop systems that work for them based on personal preferences, travel distance, and cost. Airline checked luggage fees can be steep—and there’s always the risk of bags getting lost. On the other hand, carry-on luggage has significant space constraints—and means lugging all your stuff through every airport and layover along the way. Fortunately, VBT’s travel experts have a few tips and tricks to help you decide which way to go.

Traveling Light? Carry On!

At VBT, we love traveling light—it’s less expensive and keeps your stuff right at your fingertips for easy access, but it does mean paring down your packing list. One great tip is to include a small packet of powdered detergent for hand-washing your clothes—and pack garments you can launder yourself in the sink. Quick-drying fabrics are a must—for example, performance bike jerseys, bike shorts, and non-cotton socks usually air-dry quickly. It’s a great idea to bring two pairs of all the essentials so you can wash them at night, let them dry for a day and have them ready to wear again the next morning.

Compression packing cubes are another great way to save space in your carry-on bag. These are designed to squeeze your items into the tightest space possible—saving valuable room in a small suitcase. They’re also a great organizational tool so you can find items more easily. If you’re an organized packer who loves a tidy bag, compression packing cubes are just the thing to thrill your orderly heart. If you’re not a very organized packer, compression packing cubes might be just the thing to help you get the most out of your carry-on luggage.

Then, there’s the curious conundrum of gate-checking. “With full flights, the airlines have been encouraging passengers to check their carry-on luggage at the gate,” says VBT Trip Designer Kevin Wilks. “With many airlines charging fees for checked luggage, people are taking smaller carry-on bags instead. If you wait and check your carry-on luggage at the gate, many airlines waive all fees—and some airlines even let passengers that gate-check their carry-on bags skip to the front of the line to board as an added incentive. The chances of your gate-checked luggage getting lost are minimal since the bag is taken directly from the gate to the plane, bypassing the airport’s luggage systems.” Gate-checking your bag is a great way to relax during boarding without worrying about the inevitable scramble for overhead bin space. Just check your bag at the gate for free—then relax and watch the show as your fellow passengers contort themselves while performing luggage bin gymnastics.

Check, Please!

OK, so you’ve decided to take the plunge and check your luggage. Sometimes, that’s simply the easiest and most convenient thing to do. For checked luggage, VBT Trip Designer Katerina Bacevicius has a great tip: “Purchase colorful or printed luggage, so it’s easy to spot on the baggage carousel,” says Katerina. “So many bags are black—and it’s easy for someone to just grab the wrong bag by accident thinking its theirs. My normal travel bag is bright blue with neon green zippers—so I can’t miss it when it comes into baggage claim!” Distinctive luggage is a great way to spot your bags on the baggage carousel—saving you from leaning over the conveyor belt checking the luggage tags on every black bag to see if it might be yours.

Another important tip for checked bags is to lock it with a TSA-approved lock. These are important for deterring opportunistic thieves looking for an easy target. While no locks will prevent anyone with serious intent and opportunity from getting into your stuff, a luggage lock will make it harder to access your bag—preventing the casual thief from riffling through your belongings. As for the type of lock, it’s important to use a TSA-approved luggage lock in case your bag is selected for a routine TSA safety check. With this type of lock, TSA agents can release the mechanism and open the bag without damaging the lock—meaning they can lock the bag behind them. With other types of luggage locks, TSA agents may have to break the lock in order to open your bag—leaving your bag unlocked and vulnerable after they’re done.

When you check your bag, you’ll usually have the option to bring a small carry-on with you as well. This is an important opportunity to bring all your medications, valuables, and a clean set of clothes into the cabin with you—so in the unlikely event that your bag gets lost, you’ll have all the basic necessities. It’s also a great idea to wear your hiking boots on the plane—it saves them from taking up too much room in your bag, and ensures that you’ll be ready to enjoy your walking vacation even if your bag takes an extra day to catch up with you.

Track It, Snap It, Bag It

Whether you check or carry-on, a great way to manage your luggage is through use of AirTags (for Apple networks) and Tile Trackers (for Android networks.) These are small devices you can slide into your luggage or attach using a fob or holder. From your smartphone, you can easily track the location of the device—and the whereabouts of your bag.  “I’m in the Faroe Islands, waiting for my bag to come off the plane,” recalls VBT President Timo Shaw.  “I have an AirTag in my luggage, so I track it and can see my luggage had made it to the Faroe Islands. I’m standing at the baggage carousel watching all the bags come off the conveyor belt, and none of them are mine. I’m getting a bit anxious at this point, but the AirTag says my bag is there.  Finally, I walk all the way around the baggage carousel to the other side and discover my bag has gotten knocked off the carousel onto the ground—but it was hidden down low, so it wasn’t visible. The AirTag was very useful because it was able to find my bag—which was really there all the time, it just wasn’t on the conveyor belt.” AirTags and Tile Trackers are a great way to set your mind at ease about the location of your luggage, backpacks, handbags, and other valuable items.

When traveling internationally, it’s always a great idea to snap photos of any valuables in your suitcase—whether you’re checking your luggage or not. That will make it easier to file an insurance claim in the unlikely event that your bags are lost, stolen, get caught in a torrential rainstorm, or are accidentally trampled by a horde of wild elephants. After all, you never know where your adventures may take you.

And for active adventures, there’s a benefit to packing some extra bags too. For example, a light-weight daypack can be a fantastic addition to your packing list. These little packs are quite thin and easily compressible—and when in use, are very convenient for packing a raincoat, water, sunscreen, and other items you might need for enjoying a fun day of adventure. It’s also a great idea to have a plan for muddy shoes, wet bathing suits, and damp rain gear on the trip home. Packing a couple clean plastic bags to shove them into is a great way to protect the rest of your belongings from mud and damp on the return journey—the perfect recipe for a clean, safe welcome home after your grand adventure.