Originally Posted by
artemis
It is as long as the airlines refuse to accept liability for it if it is checked. Checking camera equipment or electronic items is NOT currently an option, as it WILL be stolen.
Now, the airlines could change that situation if they wished. I can think of one high-value item that not only is frequently checked but in fact MUST be checked: firearms. Funny how those rarely go missing, even though they are quite desirable to thieves. But then the government gets a bit upset when an airline passenger reports his guns were stolen from his checked baggage...
This is my bottom line - As long as the airline will not bear liability for my valuable photography gear while it is in THEIR control, I will refuse to allow it to ever be in their control. As I said previously, insuring that I get a bin to put my photo gear (my photographic travel kit is typically worth on the order of $2500-3000 or so) is the only rationale that I would ever justify seeking an advantaged boarding position - because the airlines leave me no other way to insure that this gear is protected from theft during a flight.
If the airline wants to make me observe their boarding rules, they owe me either a guaranteed bin space in the cabin for a significant value item, or the acceptance of full financial liability for these items if my gear must travel in the baggage hold. And sorry, I can't fit all of this gear - as well as other necessities, in my personal item.
I'm willing to pay a reasonable adder for that liability insurance - say a few $ per $1000 of over-value vs. the standard liability on a ticket. But to my knowledge, the airlines do not offer this - because they know full well that the path to and from the baggage hold is far from secure for valuable items. Hence, I need to make sure I get a bin in the cabin for my photo gear.