Originally Posted by
alangore
That's the whole problem. You can check in a Pelican, but you just will never see it again.
And how many Pelican cases have you lost?
People use them every day on who knows how many flights without issue. I'm not saying that theft doesn't happen, but it also happens with normal, non-pelican cases, soft-sided luggage, duffels, etc.
If I don't have an extraordinary amount of expensive kit, I'll carry on and check everything else. But if I have a lot of kit, it will get checked. I've checked pelican cases (even small ones like the 1450) full of computer equipment and have never lost one piece on many international flights. And most flights I'm on have at least one or two pelican or similar cases that show up in baggage claim.
Is it a concern? Yes. Is it something that happens in epidemic proportions? Doubtful, and not likely in absence of hard data to the contrary. But also, if you're carrying enough expensive equipment that you need to protect it in expensive hard cases AND check it, you can afford (and are stupid not to buy) insurance on that kit in case it DOES go missing.