Originally Posted by UAConvert

Earlier this summer, I fell victim to this scheme by Lufthansa. As an exclusive "Carry-on Flyer", I was mortified when I couldn't carry on my max-legal carry-on due to its weight. Since I hadn't checked a bag in years (I travel a fair bit, though mostly pleasure so I'm not a road warrior), I figured the odds were on my side.

What I did NOT expect was a baggage handling strike in Barcelona. I spent a one week Mediterranean cruise without any luggage, except the backpack I was carrying. The check-in agent in Munich knew the strike was going on when she made us check our bags, as it had been forewarned for weeks, but she said nothing to us.

THAT, my friend, is why people do not check bags. It took me three weeks to get my bag back after I got home, and I am desperately trying to avoid Lufthansa like the plague (difficult to do if you are a UA elite who travels a lot internationally). I was quite perturbed, to say the least.