I apologize for bringing back this thread from a couple months ago, but I have no experience with international flights and the other threads I've read don't fully address my question. Is it truly normal and accepted for experienced travelers to use carry-ons that don't meet size/weight restrictions? Are passengers really only questioned if they come to the attention of the airline staff?
I've been desperate to find a good carry-on for my upcoming trip to Europe (and potential future u.s. and international travel) and the last thing I want is a hassle with potential expense of checking my carry-on. I don't want to necessarily avoid smaller airlines with size/weight limits, which may be less expensive, so I've been searching for luggage that meets the lowest size/weight limit, even though many people on flyertalk seem to always recommend BR or rimowa. Are my options really limited to BR (and hope weight isn't checked) or Rimowa (and hope size isn't checked) or duffel/backpack (and have no wheels)?