Originally Posted by SamuelYYC
and on International itinerarys it's next to impossible as you cannot travel on a flight without your checked bags.
Excellent post! I agree with everything you said with the exception of this one thing.
That might be a NorthWest rule, but it is certainly not a SkyTeam policy or federal law.
All too often, in fact, I have found myself on international flights with my luggage showing up one or more days later.
On one TLV-FCO-FLL flight, I was informed in Rome that one of my two suitcases had not made it to Italy and would be forwarded once it arrived. This was unusual -- generally it is an unpleasant surprise upon arrival.