boa

Maybe we should be mentioning our sizes as well? I'm a big girl, so maybe it's because my clothes are big, too?

3timesalady

Trip < 5 days - carryon only
Trip 5 - 14 days - 1 checked bag
Trip > 14 days - 1 checked bag unless I plan to bring gifts/ shop, in which case it is 2

Since I usually travel alone, I try hard never to have 2 checked bags, since I always have 1 roll-aboard, and it is a hassle to deal with 3 suitcases if you can't find a cart.

If we are mentioning size, I'm pretty small and I mostly wear skirts/ dresses, so my stuff compacts really really well.

baglady

I am a horrible packer! If it's less than a week, I can make 1 very large bag work - if I have to take work stuff, I need another just for that and if I'm going overseas I need 2-3 bags (one being work stuff, one being food/first aid/books/magazines, etc.). Also, I take my own bedding so that takes a fair amount of space.

I have been known to make carry ons work for an overnight trip - rarely. One very, very rare trip I made a 5 day trip to China using carry ons only. I envy those of you who pack so well - I fear I'll never get there

APW Girl

I travel out of the country 3-5 times a year and I'm gone 10-14 days, so I always check 2 bags. I only pack one side of my cases because I know I'm going to do a fair amount of shopping. On AF, SQ and Austrian they haven't gotten as crazy as United and I hope they don't!

blue_dolphin

I almost never check a bag for the outbound leg. I have a small rollaboard for shorter trips. My 22 inch rolling TravelPro will do me for up to 2 weeks.

If I've done a lot of shopping, I'll check it on the return.

Romelle

Zero.

Romelle

But then I guess I don't look that fancy either.

linsj

I'm in the minority here. I hate carrying any more than necessary, so I almost always check two bags plus carry on a small rollerboard for my laptop and paperwork. Most of my business trips are teaching at writers' conferences, so one checked bag contains my books to sell and teaching materials (except class notes that go in the carryon).

Redhead

Domestically, I don't check.

For vacations, even long international ones, I rarely check on the way there. On the way back, it depends on my shopping! After Thailand I checked 3 bags

International business, I normally go for 3 weeks at a time and will check 1 bag. Shorter trips I may or may not check. I'm more likely to check if leaving via LHR - since then I can only carry on my laptop

CarolDisney1

Checking in (after being threatened )

On average, zero bags checked. I can do a standard four night trip in my 22" carry on plus my briefcase (NO PURSE! LOL!)

(And I saw one poster wanted my size. Let's just say it's no where close to supermodel LOL!)

If I am doing a vacation I may check one 24" but only if I am going someplace where I don't move around much, but the one desitnation I used to consistenly do that for now has a great service where I just store stuff so..(www.ownerslocker.com) even that's a carryon trip now....

I did a three week trip to Europe a few years ago where I escorted a group of teenage Girl Scouts. I had a 22" carryon plus a fairly big "purse" (You have to carry 50 lbs of "permission slips, health forms etc" with you at all times for Girl Scouts LOL!) All but ONE of the girls ignored my 24" rule and by the end they were ALL saying "I am never BRINGING this much stuff again" (None of the adults would even TOUCH thier stuff, our only exception was the one girl who got sick on a travel day. I took her stuff. Lucky for me, she also had a 22" suitcase. She listened!!!!)

yamakake

I never check a bag, the only exception being if I'm returning from someplace where I've purchased liquids that exceed the carry-on allowance.

I'm pretty high maintenance, too: lots of toiletries, lots of clothes, various sorts of shoes, and trips are generally somewhere between one and two weeks, mixed work and leisure.

But it's the pillow that I manage to stuff in there that really puts it over the top, I think. My husband says I should start a business packing people's suitcases for them.

DG

I never used to check anything in - even a two week vacation in Hawaii was fine with just a 21" rollaboard, and 5-day business trips were a breeze,

I had no idea if the luggage handlers in BOS were good or not (they aren't) - till I had a baby.

Now, it seems as if we can't go anywhere without three check-ins - one for DH, big one for baby and one for me. We don't need the space so much as the hands to carry-on all the baby things!

wingless

Zero 99% of the time. I would have to stay somewhere at least 2 weeks in order to need to check luggage.

Punki

Almost never.

Meriem

Never more than ONE piece of luggage, and none on short trips. Black clothes are my best friends.

mauld

I NEVER check bags, but then again the longest trip I'll do is under 4 days. I'll coordinate my clothes to 2-3 colors, take one pair of shoes that I wear on the plane, minimum make-up, use hotels toiletries and if it turns out I need an extra top, sweater etc- I'll pick one up in a local department store. My rolling carryon tote (18") expands in case I buy a couple of items, but I've rarely had the need for the extra room.