Carry-on or checked bag? How to decide
Carry-on for a week or less, checked for gear, cold weather or a family. The liquids rule, the battery rule, the fare that quietly excludes your cabin bag, and what to do if the suitcase does not arrive.
Most arguments about luggage end the same way: it depends on the trip. Here is what it depends on.
Carry-on only, when
A week or less in one climate, a city trip, a fare where the checked bag costs extra, or a connection you do not trust. You walk off the plane and straight out, your bag cannot be lost, and you pack lighter because you must.
The price is discipline. Liquids go in containers of 100 ml or less inside one small clear bag, with a few airports now allowing more through new scanners, so pack as if the old rule applies. Anything with a lithium battery, a laptop, a power bank, an e-reader, must travel in the cabin anyway.
Check a bag, when
Two weeks or more, two climates, winter coats and boots, a child with their own kit, sports gear, gifts, or anything sharp or liquid you need in quantity. A family of four with one checked bag between them often packs better than four carry-ons.
Read the fare, not the airline
The same airline sells fares with and without a cabin bag. Basic and light fares often allow only a small bag under the seat; the wheeled carry-on costs extra at the gate, and the gate is the most expensive place to find out. Check the fare rules when you book, and the size and weight limits of each airline you fly, since they differ by a few centimetres and a few kilos.
Pack for the bag going missing
Keep one change of clothes, medicines, chargers, documents and anything of value in the cabin, whatever else you check. Photograph the bag before you hand it over. If it does not appear, report it at the desk before you leave the hall, keep the receipt, and most airlines will deliver it to your hotel within a day or two.
The middle way
A small carry-on plus a soft bag under the seat covers most trips without checking anything. Buy the toiletries where you land; they are sold everywhere and cost less than the fee.
How Travlyo does it
The packing list is built from your trip's length and forecast, so you see what you are actually taking before you decide on the bag.
Do it in Travlyo
Pick a city, and the days, the bookings, the money and the packing list are one plan — free to start.
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