Ready to travel and book your flight but you’re wondering whether or not you should carry-on your bag or check it on the plane? Then this blog post has you covered. I’ll give you some pros and cons to this bag debate, teach, and even tell you what I like to do to help you plan your trip. Read on to find out more!
Disclosure: This blog post has affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase I may earn a small commission at NO additional cost to you. These are my own personal suggestions based on products/experiences I love and use. Read the full disclosure here.
Covid-19 Disclaimer: The recommendations listed are based on my own suggestions and in no way endorses or condemns travel at this time. There is a current U.S. Travel Advisory and in some cases U.S. Travel Restrictions. The U.S. is now allowing Non-U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. immigrants to enter the U.S. (if vaccinated). However use your best judgment if you choose to travel (or you can simply hold off for now and save this guide for later). If you decide to take a trip, follow national and state guidelines, and of course the CDC when traveling.
What is a carry-on bag and checked bag?
Before we can get into the pros and cons, let’s distinguish the difference between these two bags. A carry-on bag is luggage or a personal item that you can keep with you the entirety of your trip. This means you can bring your bag onto the plane with you and store it in the overhead compartment or underneath your seat depending on the carry-on size and carry-on weight limit. A check on bag is luggage that you cannot take with you onto the plane as the airline staff will store it on the aircraft or cargo holding area during air travel. Now that we know the difference, let’s get into the pros and cons.
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Carry-On Luggage Pros
1. No Check-On Fees
One of the pros of a carry-on suitcase is that you don’t have to pay a fee to take it with you. Traveling can get expensive so why not save a few bucks that you can use to buy souvenirs instead? Sounds like a win to me. Keep in mind some airlines do charge depending on the ticket you purchase so always read the fine print.
2. Lightweight
Another pro to utilizing a carry-on bag is that it’s extremely lightweight and can easily fit into the overhead bin space or underneath your seat on the plane. I personally use Heys for its ease of navigating, built in TSA (Transportation Security Administration) lock, and luggage space.
3. Faster Head Start to Enjoy Your Trip
I don’t know about you, but once the plane lands I’m more than ready to get exploring. With a carry-on bag, you get to skip the trip to the baggage claim and exit right away (or head straight to customs if traveling internationally) now that you have arrived to your final destination.
4. Carry-On Bags Make for Convenient Travel
When I travel I sometimes like to visit more than one country or stay in multiple hotels as mentioned in my London and Belgium post. With a carry-on suitcase, travel is a lot easier because you’re carrying less stuff, can pack last minute in an emergency situation (or in general), and you’re less likely to misplace items. This leaves you with extra time to plan and enjoy your trip.
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Carry-On Luggage Cons
1. Limited Space in a Carry-On Bag
If you like to pack a lot of cute outfits and buy souvenirs, then you will have little space with a carry-on bag due to the luggage size. Not only that, but if you’re traveling to a cold destination, winter clothes can get pretty bulky so you’ll have less room to work with.
2. TSA Restrictions
TSA has certain rules as to what you’re allowed to carry on and pack in your hand luggage. Here’s a detailed list. For a quick summary, you can only carry liquid items sized 3.4 ounces or less in a 1 quart-sized bag of liquids (1 Ziploc bag per passenger).
3. Carry-On Baggage May Become a Checked Bag
I listed this as a con but it can also be a pro depending on how you look at it. In some circumstances the plane may become full and you’ll have no choice but to check your bag with the gate agent for safety reasons or weight restrictions on the plane. If this happens you won’t be able to avoid waiting for your bag at the carousel BUT you will save on check on baggage fees.
4. A Carry-On Bag Can Get Heavy
Lugging around a carry-on can get pretty heavy depending on the type of bag you purchase. If you’re utilizing a backpack or hand luggage, get ready for your shoulders and back to ache. In addition, you’re responsible for lifting your bag into the overhead compartments and taking it down.
Pros to Checking Your Bag
1. More Space
When you opt to check in, you’ll have more space for your items (you can carry full sized liquids if you need to). Also, with a checked bag, you can carry a laundry bag to keep your dirty clothes separate from your clean clothes. It’s pretty limitless as to what you can bring (as long as it’s within TSA guidelines) see link above for a complete list.
2. Ease of Travel
Once you check on your bag you no longer have to worry about it until you reach your destination. This option is a good reason as makes it easier to navigate through the airport especially if you have to change gates in between flights. This is a great check on bag you can purchase for your next trip and it comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Be prepared for a lot of people to ask you where you purchased your bag.
3. No Need to Lift and Store Your Luggage
Once you check on your bag, you won’t have to worry about lifting and taking down your own luggage to and from the overhead bin. All you’ll need to do is sit pretty on the plane while other people search for storage space.
4. Easier to Carry
With a checked bag, you’re most likely going to use a rolling bag. This puts less strain on the travel process. Here’s one of the best check-on bags to buy.
Cons to Checking Your Bag
1. Luggage Can Get Lost
A risk you take when checking your luggage is that there’s a possibility the airline can misplace your luggage. This happened to my family when traveling from England and it took days to recover.
2. Checked Baggage Fees
When checking bags you may have to pay baggage charges (maybe even an additional charge) in addition to airfare with the TSA agent. This can be waived depending on certain factors (airline points/rewards for a free checked bag being one of them). Always read the fine print and lookout for additional fees.
3. Baggage Claim
The unfortunate part about checking your bag is that upon arrival at your destination, you will have to wait by the luggage carousel to retrieve your bag. This can be time consuming and can really be a bummer when you’re ready to get your trip started. Additionally sometimes your bags will have to undergo additional screening if flagged.
4. Check On Bags Can Be Cumbersome
When you utilize a checked luggage, more than likely you’re going to over pack which can make your bag heavy and bulky to carry around. If you’re looking to subsidize, then you might want to avoid utilizing a checked bag.
What Do I Choose to Travel With? A Carry-On or Checked Bag?
The bottom line (and good news) is that there’s no right or wrong to either approach. If I’m taking shorter trips or domestic flights within the United States, I’ll opt for a carry-on and toiletry bags, or garment bags . If I’m taking international flights or some sort of long-term travel, then a checked bag (along with a carry-on) is the right choice for me. The final decision rests on you ultimately. Weigh the pros and cons and determine what works best for you and your travel experience.
Just an FYI when traveling it’s a good idea to keep important items like credit cards, contact lens solution, travel documents, hand sanitizer, and any mobility devices, or assistive devices easily accessible to you at all times.
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Final Thoughts
That concludes my list of pros and cons to checking your bag and carrying it on the plane. I hope my list has helped you in making your decision when planning your first or next trip. As always, thank you for reading. Did you learn anything new or have any feedback? Let me know. Please comment below and don’t forget to subscribe here.
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Disclosure: This blog post has affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase I may earn a small commission at NO additional cost to you. These are my own personal suggestions based on products/experiences I love and use. Read the full disclosure here.
Covid-19 Disclaimer: The recommendations listed are based on my own suggestions and in no way endorses or condemns travel at this time. There is a current U.S. Travel Advisory and in some cases U.S. Travel Restrictions. The U.S. is now allowing Non-U.S. citizens and Non-U.S. immigrants to enter the U.S. (if vaccinated). However use your best judgment if you choose to travel (or you can simply hold off for now and save this guide for later). If you decide to take a trip, follow national and state guidelines, and of course the CDC when traveling.
This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Photo Credits
Thank you American Green Travel for the photo on the personal item, carry-on and checked luggage, Alexander Schimmeck for the photo inside the plane, and Robert Gomez for the luggage photo. I discovered all of their work from Unsplash.com. Please check them out!
I travel the same way as you do. A carry-on on for domestic or short trips and checked luggage for longer. Since most airlines have been losing luggage since covid, I’ve begun travelling with a carry-on more frequently.
Yes, I have been doing the same as well. It’s faster and easier at times.
Very much agree with your pros and cons. I handle it in a similar way. I travel a lot for business, which are usually just one or two night. So even with work gear, carry-on is plenty. For longer trips I usually go for check in. No way will I head to New York with just a carry-on… where would I put all the clothes I buy
Makes sense to me! Checking your bag is perfect in case you’d like to do additional shopping.
A helpful look at the baggage options for travel. I would also add that carry-on luggage gives you the option of breaking a flight midway if your travel plans change and you are changing planes midway. Checked baggage goes all the way through to the final destination on your ticket.
That’s true and a great add in, thanks for sharing it.
Great pros and cons lists for both types of luggage. I usually try to travel as light as possible, but sometimes there are items I can’t take in my carry on with me so I have to check in a bag. At least then I can bring more things home with me!
I love the positive spin and I feel that way too, more shopping to be done!
I really would love to travel only with a carry on. But I just can’t seem to get over my need to “be prepared”. And it was even worse when we travelled in many parts of Europe with smaller carry on limits! I am just focusing on smaller checked bags that don’t press the maximum weight limit.
Good approach to carrying a check on bag. I like to be prepared too!
From someone who has not yet mastered the art of packing light, just travelling with a carry-on is difficult for me. I can do it for a short weekend, but beyond that… no way! Another con to travelling with a carry-on that gets checked – most people don’t lock it and stuff inevitably gets stolen.
Those are all great points. I agree that I’m still mastering not overpacking too lol.