Originally Posted by
CZAMFlyer
No doubt she did. I'm sure she also has purchased a 2nd vehicle at home in case the first one breaks down, and has a duplicate water heater at home in case of failure in January, and a 2nd ticket to her next event on a completely different airline just in case of labour dispute or mechanical delay. Because these are all reasonable, foreseeably bound-to-happen events, and spending that extra effort and money is totally worth reducing the risk to a lower not-zero level.
I'm not sure those are good comparisons.
My second vehicle is a taxi or Uber.
A broken water heater is annoying until it's fixed, but doesn't affect your livelihood. If all you need is a shower, you have friends, neighbours, family, or a hotel day room.
For flight issues, you can easily buy a last minute ticket. It may not be cheap, but it is easy.
With these poles, it sounds like you can't just buy a set at the last minute. If your livelihood depends on it, it's probably worth having a plan in place (as I just outlined for your three scenarios).
I have only once checked a bag that I absolutely needed to arrive. Or rather, the only time I recall was the LAST time I checked anything I absolutely needed (without a backup), because it didn't arrive, and I learned my lesson. When a baggage issue moves from "inconvenience" towards "life destroying", you need a backup plan.