Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
It always seemed to me that more people would be willing to check a bag if they could depend on the bag being delivered promptly, undamaged, not lost, and with nothing stolen from it. Having TSA do security has made it worse for delays and items bing lost/stolen/damaged. There's also the inconvenience of needing to sometimes to get to the airport earlier to check a bg or having to wait in a long line to do so. Checking a bag just opens a lot of possibilities for things to go wrong. Furthermore, if one is using public transportation or even a shuttle bus to a rental car, it can be hard to manage more luggage than can fit into the bin anyway.
I fall in this category. Unless I either am bringing something that can't go through security or have so much stuff that it won't fit in a carry on bag, I always carry on even if it's free. I do so because at the end of the flight, I walk off the plane and direct to whatever ground transportation I'm using. I don't have to wait for a bag or risk it getting lost/stolen. Further, it's a lot easier in IRROPs as you can just go. The $$$ for the check bag is furthest in my mind.