One of the frequent questions I see posted in travel forums is “why travel carry-on-only when you can check a bag?” There are devotees on both teams, and they all have compelling arguments. When it comes down to it, choosing between a carry-on vs checked bag is a personal choice. It’s highly dependent on your style of travel and the length of time you’ll be on the road. Here are the pros and cons of both, to help you decide which is best for you.
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Carry on-only
Carry-on-only is usually the choice of frequent flyers such as business travellers and budget-conscious vacationers. There are a few reasons these particular types of travellers choose “team carry-on”. Those who travel often are more likely to have experienced the huge inconvenience of a lost or misplaced checked bag. Having carry on-only means they know where their bag is at all times. They are also likely to be travelling on shorter timeframes. This makes packing carry-on-only a big time saver. They don’t need to arrive as early at airport pre-flight. They can also skip standing at the baggage carousel after landing in their destination.
Limiting your bag to a carry-on size is a great technique to prevent overpacking. It also ensures you have lighter luggage for maneuvering around foreign streets and airports. Not everywhere in the world has great accessibility standards, especially historic locations. There may not be lifts or curb ramps. You might encounter cobblestone streets, stairs or even sand, none of which are any good for wheeling around a roller bag. Therefore, you need to be confident that you can carry your suitcase.
Lastly, low-cost travellers know that money spent checking baggage has to come out of the budget for other things. They would rather wear the same outfit a few times and spend the money on sights and experiences. They are also more likely to use public transport to make transfers, which can be a hassle with a larger bag.
Checked luggage
Holiday-makers, fly-and-flop tourists and luxury travellers more frequently cheer for “team checked baggage”. These types of travellers are more likely to be based out of one location for their entire trip e.g. a cruise or resort. That means they are less likely to experience the inconvenience of carting their luggage around. Alternatively, they have a convenience budget, i.e. they don’t mind paying for checked luggage, tipping a bellhop, or paying for door-to-door transfers.
A checked bag can be a much smoother way to move around airports and make tight connections between flights. We’ve all had the experience of furiously running between airport terminals or hopping buses/trains to get to our gate in time. A larger carry-on can slow you down.
Sometimes packing carry-on-only can be a false economy. For instance, a few years ago my husband and I went to the Maldives for a week. We could have packed our own snorkelling equipment, which required a checked bag, or we could rent what we needed on the island. After doing some quick maths, we realized paying for one checked bag between us to take the equipment we already owned was far cheaper than daily snorkel, mask and flipper hire for two.
Lastly, a checked bag provides the opportunity to leave space for souvenirs, and who doesn’t want that?
What team am I on? Carry-on vs checked bag?
Well, I do a bit of both dependant on the many factors addressed above. I assess each trip on what will be the most convenient and cost-effective. Often my husband and I take individual carry-on bags and one checked bag between us for longer trips – a benefit of travelling as a duo. For shorter sojourns, I go carry on only. Currently, I’m toting a matching checked and carry on set in the Samsonite Solyte DLX softside range.
Which do you prefer – carry-on or checked bag? Or are you divided like us? Tell us in the comments.
Peace, love & inspiring travel,
Madam ZoZo
