• After visiting 17 countries, I will always swear by checking a bag during my travel experiences.
• Forgoing a carry-on and checking a bag means I don't have to compete for overhead bin space.
• When traveling with a large checked bag, I get to pack everything I want to bring on my trip.

I consider myself fairly frugal when it comes to travel. I've booked the 6 a.m. flight to save $50 and have flown basic economy more times than I'd care to admit.

But after visiting 17 countries, there's one little luxury I can't go without when flying: checking a bag. Yes, checking a bag both ways can be expensive — usually about $50 to $70 both ways. However, I believe a more comfortable travel experience is worth the splurge.

Checking a bag makes my time in the airport less stressful and helps set a positive tone for my trips — which is why I'll always swear by it.

Checking my bag and forgoing a carry-on makes moving around the airport easier

I hate maneuvering a carry-on around bathroom stalls or pulling my bag behind me while holding my lunch. I find that my carry-on bag is practically tied to me while I'm in the airport, which can become annoying.

To avoid this, I forgo a carry-on and pack everything in my checked bag. Once I turn my bag into an agent, I don't have any cumbersome luggage to bring to the gate. This allows me to move around the airport much more easily.

Boarding a plane without a carry-on is less stressful

Checking a bag means I can avoid the Hunger Games-type madness that comes when it's time to board the plane.

Most passengers with a carry-on try to board as quickly as possible before the space in the airplane's overhead bin runs out. Avoiding this anxiety-inducing exercise and not rushing to board is a little luxury worth the price of checking a bag.

Opting for a large checked bag means I can pack everything I want to bring on my trip

When I traveled with a carry-on, there were times when I ran out of space. I often felt like the abominable snowman, wearing multiple layers and a jacket, which wasn't a nice experience.

Now, packing all my belongings in a large checked bag gives me more choices for what I can bring on my trip. As someone who's a bit indecisive and dislikes the concept of packing light, I feel great having this space to pack several clothing options.

After all, the clothes I'm in the mood to wear when packing may differ from those I want when it's time to get dressed.

In my experience, a large checked bag doesn't make transportation from the airport more difficult

I used to think that having a carry-on would be the most advantageous when I landed — this type of luggage is usually smaller than a checked bag, so I figured taking it on a train or other form of transit would be easy.

However, in reality, I find that the size of my bag usually doesn't matter if I'm just going from the airport to a hotel.

If I were backpacking across Europe, sure, I'd take as little baggage as possible. However, in my opinion, cramming things into a smaller bag doesn't make sense when the effort to get from point A to point B is the same either way.

Traveling can be expensive and anxiety-inducing. Still, if you ask me, checking a bag is a relatively easy way to have a better travel experience.

This story was originally published on August 12, 2024, and most recently updated on December 13, 2024.

Arriving in time for holiday travel and potentially lost luggage, a new feature that allows Apple AirTag owners to share the location of a lost item is now integrated with the customer service systems of two major airlines. United and Air Canada are the first launch partners for Apple’s “Find My Share Item Location” feature, […]

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• British Airways told customers on X it faced "baggage disruption" due to a fault at London Heathrow.
• Heathrow is Europe's busiest airport and the world's second-busiest for international flights.
• An aviation news site reported BA warned crews against checking bags due to the baggage system fault.

Some flight crews have been advised not to check bags amid a system fault at Europe's busiest airport, aviation news site Paddle Your Own Kanoo reported.

London Heathrow is also the world's second-busiest airport for international flights, behind Dubai, according to travel data provider OAG. On Wednesday, Heathrow announced that it's expecting its busiest-ever December after last month's 6.5 million passengers broke records for November travel.

Responding to customers who reported luggage troubles on Monday and Tuesday, British Airways' X account said the airline faced "baggage disruption" due to issues at Heathrow.

In another post, it said it was "unable to load a number of bags onto flights" on Monday "due to a fault with London Heathrow Airport's baggage system, which was out of our control."

PYOK reported that British Airways also told pilots and cabin crew not to check luggage due to the fault at Terminal 5.

It added that BA told crews the risk of reaching their destination without their bags was too high, and that they should pack essential uniform items and spare clothes in their carry-ons.

The report also said that, in an internal update on Tuesday, Heathrow Airport said that it was still working on "what can be done" to fix the fault.

Business Insider understands that as of Wednesday morning, British Airways passengers were no longer facing baggage issues.

British Airways did not comment when contacted by Business Insider. London Heathrow Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

• There are quite a few surprising things you can't bring on a plane via airport security.
• Popular holiday items like snow globes and British Christmas crackers can't be packed in a carry-on.
• Foam swords are not allowed in carry-on bags, but lightsabers are permitted.

If you're about to pack up and fly home for the holidays, it's always helpful to know what items you can — and can't — put in your carry-on bag.

The Thanksgiving travel season is expected to set new records this year, with AAA projecting that roughly 80 million people will travel for the holidays, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. However, before you hop on a flight, you might want to check you don't have any items that could slow you down at TSA.

The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, has a lengthy, searchable online Rolodex of items you can look through before packing your bags, and you might be surprised to learn that everything from large quantities of soup to Magic 8 Balls are prohibited in carry-on luggage on flights.

Here are 12 carry-on items you'd be surprised aren't allowed through airport security.

Leave the snow globes at home. They often contain more than the permitted amount of liquid for carrying on a plane.

According to the TSA, snow globes are allowed through if they are approximately tennis-ball size or less, and appear to contain less than 3.4 ounces of liquid. However, if you're bringing back a travel memento from a trip, it's usually a safe idea to pack it in your checked bag. 

Toys like the Magic 8 Ball that contain liquid are also not allowed in carry-on bags.

When it comes to Magic 8 Balls, the future is clear: Leave them at home, or put them in your checked bag. 

"For carry-on bags: We asked the Magic 8 Ball  and it told us… Outlook not so good," TSA wrote on its official website. "For checked bags: We asked the Magic 8 Ball and it told us… It is certain!"

Christmas crackers are not allowed on planes because they could create a loud popping sound, disturbing the flight.

If you're traveling to or from the UK around the holidays, you might want to avoid packing this traditional British Christmas item. TSA guidelines state that "English Christmas crackers" are not allowed in carry-on or checked bags. 

Made from a cardboard tube wrapped in brightly colored paper, crackers contain small gifts that come out when pulled on either end. When both ends of the cracker are pulled, there is a bang.

That's because, inside, there are two strips of card, attached to each end of the cracker. The two pieces of card have a slight overlap that is treated with gunpowder. When each end of the cracker is pulled, friction is generated where the card overlaps, creating a small explosion on the part containing gunpowder.

A US Transportation Security Administration spokesman told Airport Parking and Hotels that these items are prohibited from flying in checked or carry-on bags.

"They are flammable and should not be brought on airplanes. They fall in the same category as sparklers and fireworks," they said.

You can bring snacks on a plane, but a large quantity of soup is prohibited in carry-on luggage.

Soup is allowed on flights if you are carrying less than or equal to 3.4 fluid ounces, but any amount larger than that is prohibited in carry-on bags, the TSA reported.

If you plan on cooking at your destination, cast-iron cookware should be packed in your checked luggage.

Cast-iron cookware, such as skillets and pans, are not allowed in carry-on luggage. While the TSA website does not expand on why these items are prohibited, heavy cast-iron items could cause serious injuries or damage if used as a weapon.

Other types of pots and pans are allowed in carry-on and checked bags.

You're not allowed to pack alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol in carry-on bags or checked luggage.

Alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol, or over 140 proof, are also prohibited from both carry-on and checked bags.

Some high-percentage alcohols that would be affected by this ban include Hapsburg Absinthe XC, Sunset Very Strong Rum, Devil's Springs Vodka 160, and Golden Grain 190, which contains 95% alcohol by volume.

Alcoholic beverages that contain more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to no more than 5 liters and no more than 3.4 liquid ounces in carry-on bags.

They might not be lethal, but foam toy swords can't come in your carry-on.

The TSA prohibits foam toy swords from being brought on planes in carry-on bags, but they can be packed in checked bags.

That being said, lightsabers are allowed to be brought on board, per TSA guidelines. 

Similarly, squirt guns, Nerf guns, or other items that resemble realistic firearms or weapons are prohibited in carry-on bags.

The TSA recommends that you pack these items in your checked bags, instead. The agency also notes that "replicas of explosives, such as hand grenades, are prohibited in checked and carry-on baggage."

Water guns packed in a carry-on should be emptied of all liquid, or contain less than the 3.4 ounces allowed through security. 

TSA officers also have the option to prohibit or confiscate any item that goes through the security screening checkpoint "if they believe it poses a security threat," TSA guidelines state.

Nail scissors are allowed, but regular scissors need to be checked in a bag.

Anything that could be used as a weapon is usually banned from carry-on bags, and full-sized scissors are no exception.

TSA's website states that scissors are allowed in your carry-on, but must be less than 4 inches in length from the pivot point and wrapped or sheathed securely "to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors."

This could come as a surprise, but you can't travel with fertilizer.

TSA guidelines explain that fertilizer is not allowed in carry-on or checked bags. The Street reported that this is because fertilizer is deemed a hazardous material, as it can be flammable and could be a risk for explosion. 

Gel-filled heating pads are also not allowed in carry-on luggage, since the gel in heating pads is liquid.

TSA guidelines state that gel-filled heating pads are not permitted in carry-on bags but can be checked. Electric heating pads that do not contain gel or liquid are not restricted in any way.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is prohibited from being brought on a plane in a carry-on or in a checked bag.

After a series of dangerous incidents in which the phones overheated, Samsung recalled the devices on September 15, 2016, and again on October 13, 2016. The Department of Transportation issued a 2016 statement banning both recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones and refurbished versions.

"We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," then-Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in 2016. "We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk."

"The fire hazard with the original Note 7 and with the replacement Note 7 is simply too great for anyone to risk it and not respond to this official recall," said US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) chairman Elliot F. Kaye. "I would like to remind consumers once again to take advantage of the remedies offered, including a full refund. It's the right thing to do and the safest thing to do."

In a December 2016 statement, Samsung said 93% of recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones had been returned, but that the company was rolling out a software update that month that would render the phones unusable.

"Consumer safety remains our highest priority," it said in the statement.