Almost always check my bags. When flying for work I usually tend to fly in the day/night before so I'm not in a big hurry to get anywhere. I hate hauling a bag around the airport especially when trying to get into a restaurant, book store etc..

I'd love to be able to check all my luggage, but between photographic equipment and computer equipment, I've got about 5 grand in my backpack, so "keep your luggage in sight at all times" is gospel to me.

I just flew from Hawaii to Newark. My one checked bag was yellow-tagged, and although I had layovers, it was given priority, and was waiting for me at the carousel in Newark... before any bags from the flight I was on even came out. That was neat.

Typically, I'll have a bag or two get delayed in a given year - but it happens at the interisland level within Hawaii after I've flown 5, or 10, or 15 thousand miles from somewhere else in the world with no problems. And then the bag's on the next interisland flight, typically within a couple hours.

I'm now considering getting a rolling carryon - one small enough to fit wheels-out in a 752 overhead) for clothes and most of my camera gear, with a non-huge laptop bag (I like Marware's slimline neoprene ones) or small laptop/camera bag for my laptop and some other gear. That'd remove my need to check things unnecessarily, but I might also be able to put the cheaper gear in the rolling bag if I had to gate-check it, while keeping the more expensive stuff in the smaller bag.

My wife & I only check baggage when we absolutely have to, which generally means only on overseas trips (1+ weeks).

I can easily live out of a 22" rollaboard for 5 days. Sometimes I take along a small bottle of Woolite so we can wash clothes in hotel sinks, and I buy souvenir t-shirts en route to minimize luggage earlier in the trip.

RC's suggestion might be a good way for us to send the laundry home. My coworkers (esp. the marketeers) often send things ahead, though usually to a client site rather than to a hotel.

I fly about 26 RT's per year, sun through friday. I almost always check the bag.

a) Even though my travelpro is a rollaboard, it's still a hassle to carry around with me & thru security.

b) I don't mind spending a few minutes waiting for my luggage--I bring a book

c) I carry my laptop with me, so a lost luggage situation, while all-too-frequent, isn't a catastrophe (although it is a little smelly).

I never check on domestic trips. For three days or less I have a compact hand-carry bag of stout black nylon from Sharper Image, and for longer trips I have a Lighthouse carry-on from Lands' End. Either fit neatly in the bins. I don't like rollabords.

I really hate hanging around the airport an extra 30 to 45 minutes after arrival to collect a checked bag. Coming home to SEA, by the time a checked piece pops out, I can be home in bed.

I have to check a piece YVR-HKG-SYD in a couple of weeks, as it's a 19-day trip, and I'm not looking forward to it. :(

Many of my colleagues who travel frequently check their luggage. My boss, who is a United 1K and Global Services, always checks his luggage. He does this despite having had his luggage lost several times and having itmes stolen from his checked luggage (by TSA?).

I, on the other hand, always carry on everything in my 20" rollaboard and laptop bag, even when taking 2-week trips overseas. I often avail myself of hotel laundry services.

I used to check luggage, but I got tired of having my bags repeatedly damaged and soiled by the airlines. Then when the TSA decided that they can open (and sometimes pilfer) your luggage anytime they want, I decided to take only carry-ons on all my trips.

Ditto the above.

I used to go on 2-3 day trips (when a suiter was not needed) with a small tote and rolling laptop bag (both TravelPro), but decided recently that I needed something larger and sturdier, so I'm switching over to a 20" Briggs and Riley rollerboard and a laptop bag, which will afford me a bit more space.

If I can fit it into these two items, then I've certainly overpacked, especially when formal attire is not needed. As a result, I always try to avoid checking anything. My SO has been known to check Louis Vuitton bags, etc., and I scold her everytime. Especially with the shake-up of TSA agents stealing at HNL. With the advent of hotel laundry services, it seems moot to pack more than what's needed for a 2-3 day trip; and what's more, there are always ways of being an efficient packer.

I travel Mon-Thurs every week of the year, for the most part. On occasion, I will go somewhere other than home for the weekend, so from time to time I need to have 2 weeks worth of clothes on me.

Even in this situation, I try never to check anything. Generally, I only check if I am flying standby on a heavy-load flight and the bins are already full. Other than that, never. While I wouldn't mind getting in a few minutes later on a Monday morning, I'd hate to lose any more time than I have to on a Thursday!! :)

90% of the time I'm carry-on only. Though I need to get a nice rollerboard - too many sore shoulders from the good 'ol "duffel". However, on climbing trips I have to check-in. TSA doesn't like sharp metal objects. :D

Funny you should say that. I did it a few weeks back. I had some marketing stuff to send anyway and figured I'd throw my stuff in with a pre-paid return waybil. It worked great, but many of my co-workers thought I was insane.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8700/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

I totally agree with you; if I can get away with only carry on luggage, I will not check anything. Also, I have recently been offered upgrades to WBC if I would wait 3 hours for the next flight from DTW to AMS, only available if you didn't check any luggage.

back in 1998/1999 i did that on a regular basis. would ship my luggage
from city to city on a multi-hop business trips.

very convenient i should say. now I can travel around in casuals..
just a carry on is good enough.

The 22" rollaboard garment bag is a miracle device. Keeps your clothes hung and accessible. Exactly fits in all the modern bins...within the 22 x 9 regulation...although it gets stares from those who think it's oversize. Never been denied boarding with it. Should carry a tape measure...

If I'm traveling for a day or two or three, I tend to carry on. If it will be longer, I tend to take a suitcase, as it really isn't that awful on domestic flights. The car service helps me with it if I'm tired or don't want to carry it.

I tend not to use the laundry service in hotels. They charge way too much, and do a half/half job, so I only get my suits cleaned if there is a spill or something.

I have to admit I'm one of those guilty of hogging overhead space. Since Jan 2000, I've travelled with a wheeled garment bag (size similar to http://www.ebags.com/products/index....%20Cole_63711). It's almost 2x wide, but same height and depth to accomodate overheads on CO and NW planes (except RJ and puddle-hoppers). Only time when I had it checked in was when the ground crew are total sticklers (for example SIN, HKG, MEL, SYD). If I cannot carry extras, I mail it home.

The spouse on the other hand, does not want to carry anything. When we travel together, I almost always have to insist on getting the priority tags to expedite. On a sidenote, anybody notice that priority marked (yellow tag) does not always come ahead of regular bags on most domestic flights???