Originally posted by 77tbholmes Please share your experiences.
I have travelled with my camera gear and my laptop a fair bit. I never, read "never'" check the gear in. I have seen and heard plenty of stories about luggage going through the shoot on its way to the plane and showing up with missing content at the destination. For that reason I never check in my photo gear. It is becoming a lot more difficult because people now almost bring two pieces on board to avoid paying for checked in bags. I am one of the guilty ones. I bring a small carry on and my camera bag which is a back pack type on wheels. As much as the camera bag is bulky, it fits well in the overhead bin. So I have never had any problems with storing the camera bag in the overhead bin.
On an East cost bound trip on United a few years ago, the attended decided that she would make me check my camera bag in because of lack of overhead space. Mind you, I had already checked my carry on and only had my camera bag to bring on board. She made a scene, telling me that I was going to delay the flight by refusing to let my camera bag to go under. She was blaming me if the flight got delayed and that she would get written up because of it. Needless to say I refused. I was going on an assignment and could not afford to have half of my camera bag content go missing. Finally, another kinder attendant, came to my rescue and had me store my camera bag under an empty seat about three or four rows ahead of where I was sitting.This was after the nasty one made me empty out half of the bag and carry it on me to make sure the bag was flat enough to go under the seat.
These days, I avoid United airlines unless I absolutely have no other choice. Luckily this has been the only nightmarish experience with flying with my gear.
Long story short. Do not check your gear in unless you can afford to be without some of your gear when you arrive. I am not being a pessimist. I just think these things happen and I do not want to be a statistic if I can help it.