Have luggage will travel
Packing light for a long trip away from home is hard – unless going to prison. For a short journey though packing light is easier done than said. Having said that, comes the question of whether to check or not to check one’s bag for the flight?
Wikipedia describes checked baggage as “luggage delivered to an airline or train for transportation in the hold of an aircraft or storage in the baggage car of the passenger train. Checked baggage is inaccessible to the passenger during the flight or ride, as opposed to carry-on baggage”.
Yes, if you "check" or "check-in" luggage, you got to turn it in to an official at the ticket counter, who will issue a claim check in return: a numbered ticket that shows the luggage is yours and allows you to claim it (assert your ownership), or submit a claim for it if it doesn’t show up at the baggage claim point at the end of your flight.
On the other hand, if you "carry on" luggage - you bring it on the plane with you.
‘To check or not to check luggage?’ is the vexing question that travelers soon get hassled with as it poses certain issues that need to be considered.
When the majority of passengers on a flight decide not to check their luggage, it can become a free-for-all, where travelers fight over the limited space in overhead bins. This then can be the first onboard pain point (which becomes the second, when you have to dislodge the fellow passenger who, unable to properly read seat numbers is sitting in your seat instead of his or hers). In fact, some passengers describe the boarding process as the most stressful part of flying.
On the plus side of traveling with carry-on luggage is that, unlike your checked baggage, it’s a sure bet that your baggage is on the same plane. And once you’re cleared immigration and customs, you can breeze your way out of the terminal without having to wait at the carousel, kicking your heels until your baggage gets to you. Furthermore, when flying on a budget airline, where they charge you additional for meals, seat selection and extra baggage, you save by not having to pay for a checked bag.
Say, you are one of those who prefer to check in your entire luggage. The biggest apprehension that one might harbour is of being among the unlucky few who get separated from their baggage. That really can ruin or frustrate one’s trip and it only takes one incident to make you reconsider ever checking your bag again. Take heart though: Lost Luggage is on the Decrease. According to SITA Baggage Reports, cases of lost luggage are down 70% over the last 10 years, despite global passenger volumes being at record highs.
By the way, the term lost luggage is a misnomer, because, nearly all such bags are really never lost but mishandled, damaged or pilfered before eventually been reunited with their owners. Yes, the occasional bag can get lost. But that’s a rarity now – thanks to technology and to the latest tracking systems.
What then causes bags to get mis-handled? Many reasons, but the biggest amongst them are flying internationally where one’s route involves connected flights. If ones journey involves connecting flights and inter-airline transfers, the likelihood of mishandling is high: more of both, i.e. interconnecting and inter-airline transfers – the higher the risk. The risk of mishandled luggage is at its lowest when one is on a direct flight.
Arahoz Noorhem is a qualified educator who teaches English as a foreign language, a professional jazz pianist, music composer, bird watcher and an intrepid traveler.
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